Celies Rise Above Oppression
From the year 1910 to the year 1945 the United States had undergone some of the most significant hardships. Within this time, the Great Depression took place leaving many people unemployed and many people left without food or proper necessities. There was also World War I, and the influx of foreign peoples to the United States. In the south, the major problem was racial tension. Although there was an emersion of African American culture, there were also serious problems such as segregation, the development of the Ku Klux Klan, and the invention of the Jim Crow laws. Another issue facing this time was sexism. Most of society believed that a wife was owned by her husband and she must obey and follow his rules. 1910 to 1945 were also the years in which The Color Purple, by Alice Walker took place. Celie, the main character, is an African American woman with great wealth, but of little importance due to the color of her skin. However, in this novel the racial and sexual hardships the oppressed (Celie) faces only makes her stronger. The way Celie was treated as a child is a prime example of sexism. Her father had raped her several times infesting her with an incestual pregnancy. He did t
Also, as a young man of the white race he just assumes that the black women are uneducated and will not argue with him seeing as they are lower than him. Although Walker doesn't present the problems Celie's faces as an outward expression of oppression, if you look into it, it becomes apparent that the cause of these problems was exactly that. However, the roots of oppression run deep throughout this book. After catching Albert hiding Nettie's letters, after finally finding love that neither Albert nor her "father" gave, and after coming to the realization that her father wasn't really her biological father, Celie gets the strength to move past these past oppressions and rise above them. In the end however, Celie conquers them and becomes a human being who realizes her own worth, rather than being the ultimate subject of racism and sexism. She has a great deal of wealth, obtains the most valuable plantation in Georgia, is somewhat educated, and works with the church in town. It is a common saying that "what doesn't hurt us makes us stronger," and in the case of Celie I find that to contain great truth. For instance, when Sophia battles Harpo she apparently stands as the stronger one. She envies the strength of Sophia, and envies the strength of Shug. Consequences of such a disgusting crime would be harsh. The times in which women are stronger than men result in tragedy. As if this was not bad enough, her father gave her to Albert without any consent of Celie herself. She shows it dominantly through Sophia's tragedy. She is content with her life and no longer lives in repression.
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