The Representation of Women Oppression, Violence, and Sexual abuse within Afro-American Culture in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.
Muhammad Abdullah Faheem
Abstract: Feminism is among one of the well debated topics in contemporary literature, especially in novel writing feminism discusses issues mainly concerned to women and their rights which are as female oppression and sexual violence, their economic bondage within cultural, political and theological context. Feminist writings around the glob are flaming the sense of equal rights and opportunities for women. The main purpose of this essay is to analyze those elements and sources which particularly produce the basis for women oppression and subordination in a male focused realm. To pursue these notions in Afro-American women society my focusing is on Alice Walker’s The Color Purple which highlights black women subjection by various means mentioned above. The untiring struggle of Celie the protagonist of the story casts her among uncountable dangers to gain self reorganization to prove her identity as a liberated female.
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Feminism largely originated in the West, is manifested and represented world wide by various institution and writers committed to the activity on behalf of women’s rights. Fictional and non-fictional theories in literature project some social, traditional, cultural and political restrictions which have always been imposed on women to confine their rights. Walker, a novelist, poet, journalist and an essayist, no doubt is a versatile writer whose work appears in a combined form of struggling for civil rights for black community and equal status and opportunities for black women in the Afro-American community and family. Walker’s work evidences her ability as a multi skilled authoress who is not only capable to write on various subjects of literature but uses them to acquire the desired results. The theme of The Color Purple, written in 1982 is a painful struggling journey of a black girl Celie, hunting dignity, love and selfhood through the doors of poverty and pain. The Color Purple is a tale of healing written in epistolary style which won walker Pulitzer Prize and National Book award. Celie’s character is a compound of womanhood characters which emerge in shapes of daughter, wife, mother and sister, performing all bound duties to sustain in unfriendly environment standing as a heroic symbol in her community, confronting masculine authorities appearing to her as her father and husband. She successfully maintains a beautiful spirit of perseverance and love enduring all hardships and pains courageously. The protagonist’s portrayal is an emblem of mature black female experience which she conceives from surrounding female characters. Celie remains the center within the black female community, an Amazon individual who knows surviving and striking means. The Color Purple evidences Walker’s technique of personification in the construction of the story which gained its place and reputation in feminist literature.
From the writer’s point of view, The Color Purple has had a really good impact, especially on literature. She believes that ‘I knew it would be a historical novel, and thinking of this made me chuckle.’She further says that she does not know ‘how and where the germs to write a story come from but with the color purple she was certain’ (Christian, p.453.) Walker says that her work is in honour of her ancestors. ‘I always felt their help. I always felt supported. I have never felt alone in that sense. ‘The ancient spirits, all very happy to see me consulting and acknowledging them’ that’s why I am not alone (Walker, 2002.) Reed more…………
Muhammad Abdullah Faheem
Abstract: Feminism is among one of the well debated topics in contemporary literature, especially in novel writing feminism discusses issues mainly concerned to women and their rights which are as female oppression and sexual violence, their economic bondage within cultural, political and theological context. Feminist writings around the glob are flaming the sense of equal rights and opportunities for women. The main purpose of this essay is to analyze those elements and sources which particularly produce the basis for women oppression and subordination in a male focused realm. To pursue these notions in Afro-American women society my focusing is on Alice Walker’s The Color Purple which highlights black women subjection by various means mentioned above. The untiring struggle of Celie the protagonist of the story casts her among uncountable dangers to gain self reorganization to prove her identity as a liberated female.
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Feminism largely originated in the West, is manifested and represented world wide by various institution and writers committed to the activity on behalf of women’s rights. Fictional and non-fictional theories in literature project some social, traditional, cultural and political restrictions which have always been imposed on women to confine their rights. Walker, a novelist, poet, journalist and an essayist, no doubt is a versatile writer whose work appears in a combined form of struggling for civil rights for black community and equal status and opportunities for black women in the Afro-American community and family. Walker’s work evidences her ability as a multi skilled authoress who is not only capable to write on various subjects of literature but uses them to acquire the desired results. The theme of The Color Purple, written in 1982 is a painful struggling journey of a black girl Celie, hunting dignity, love and selfhood through the doors of poverty and pain. The Color Purple is a tale of healing written in epistolary style which won walker Pulitzer Prize and National Book award. Celie’s character is a compound of womanhood characters which emerge in shapes of daughter, wife, mother and sister, performing all bound duties to sustain in unfriendly environment standing as a heroic symbol in her community, confronting masculine authorities appearing to her as her father and husband. She successfully maintains a beautiful spirit of perseverance and love enduring all hardships and pains courageously. The protagonist’s portrayal is an emblem of mature black female experience which she conceives from surrounding female characters. Celie remains the center within the black female community, an Amazon individual who knows surviving and striking means. The Color Purple evidences Walker’s technique of personification in the construction of the story which gained its place and reputation in feminist literature.
From the writer’s point of view, The Color Purple has had a really good impact, especially on literature. She believes that ‘I knew it would be a historical novel, and thinking of this made me chuckle.’She further says that she does not know ‘how and where the germs to write a story come from but with the color purple she was certain’ (Christian, p.453.) Walker says that her work is in honour of her ancestors. ‘I always felt their help. I always felt supported. I have never felt alone in that sense. ‘The ancient spirits, all very happy to see me consulting and acknowledging them’ that’s why I am not alone (Walker, 2002.) Reed more…………