The use of Black American English is clearly a conscious and prominent decision by Walker. As the characters speak in the non-standard form of English she is able to remind the reader of the socio-historic context of the novel which is of course a relevant and highly important feature of the novel. By creating the language as realistic to the characters she is able to bring the novel to life.
The novel opens with Celie as narrator; she is a fourteen year old suffering from sexual abuse, pleading to God for an explanation as to why he is allowing such awful things to happen to her even though she has always been a “good girl”. Albert is first introduced into the novel very early on as “my little sister Nettie is got a boyfriend” (page 6). Celie’s ‘father’ and Albert barter over Nettie’s hand in marriage like they are talking about cattle. However Celie’s father is reluctant to allow him to marry Nettie and instead offers Celie like some poor consolation prize “But I can let you have Celie…She aint’ fresh tho, but I specs you know that” (page 9). After several months of deliberating Albert chooses to settle for Celie along with a cow, and this is the beginning of another abusive relationship in Celie’s life. On her wedding day her head is cracked open by one of Albert’s children.
Celie suffers years of abuse from her husband Albert “He beat me like he beat the children….he say, Celie, git the belt” (page 23). Walker presents Albert as a self-centred cruel wife beater. He also encourages his son to abuse his wife “wives is like children…nothing can do better than a good sound beating” (page 35). Celie is presented at this point in the novel as weak and submissive. Not only is Celie forced to endure the physical abuse he also mentally abuses her “who you think you is? He say… Your black, your pore, your ugly, you nothing at all” (page 187) the asyndetic listing emphasises how low Albert believes Celie to be. It also comments on Celie’s unfairly low status in the deep south of America in 1930’s, not only was racism rife she would have also been subject to extreme sexism.
The introduction of a third person into the relationship completely changes Celie’s unjust situation. Shug Avery, Albert’s first love and the woman Celie falls in love with. With Shug around Albert is forced by her to stop physically abusing Celie. “I see myself sitting there quilting tween Shug Avery and Mrˍˍˍˍ… For the first time in my life, I feel just right” the foregrounding of “I feel just right” emphasises how with Shug she feels happy and safe. It also suggests reconciliation between Albert and Celie that happens later on in the novel.
However Celie breaks away from Albert with the assistance of Shug and moves to Memphis. Here she starts her clothes business and it is at this point Walker starts to show Celie’s growing strength of character. Although originally Celie is indignant at the idea of wearing male clothing when suggested by Shug “What do I need pants for? I say. I ain’t no man” (page 131). In which issues surrounding gender through clothing is mentioned “I used to put on Albert’s pants when we were courting. And he one time put on my dress” said by Shug. At the beginning of the novel it would seem impossible to imagine the brute that Albert appears to be experimenting with his gender however as the novel progresses it becomes clear that the gender roles are indoctrinated into their society and are not a biological product.
Through making clothes Celie is able to reach full independence from both Albert and Shug in the form of her pants making business “Folkspants Unlimited” while being at Memphis and then later in the dry goods store her real father once owned. Throughout the novel sewing is an important symbolism, especially when concerning Celie and Albert.
While Celie is in Memphis Albert goes through a crisis. When Celie left for Memphis she cursed Albert saying “until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble” which of course he scorned. Celie truly shows her new found freedom by saying “the jail you plan for me is the one in which you will rot” suggesting that she is now free from the constraints she had before and she is now putting Albert in her place. On return from Memphis she finds that “Mr--- live like a pig. Shut up in the house so much it stunk” (page 203), he had been unable to sleep and had been imagining things. Walker shows Albert as finally having a conscience for what he had done to Celie previously “Harpo made him send you the rest of your sister’s letters. Right after that he start to improve. You know meaness kill” (page 203) Albert is finally portrayed as the decent human being, Celie manages to change him. Meanwhile in Memphis Celie says “I am so happy. I got love, I got work, I got money, friends and time” this long asyndetic list is similar to the derogatory list said by Albert above. Walker contrasts the two, although Celie may be in a difficult position, she is still able to be happy.
Both Albert and Celie have hurdles to overcome until they can eventually reach happiness and friendship. Albert was controlled by his father and not allowed to marry the woman he loved, Shug. Celie was controlled by several men, including her step-father, and then later controlled by her love of Shug “Even thought you had the trees with you. The whole earth. The stars. But look at you. When Shug left, happiness desert” (page 235). It is not until the end of the novel when both Albert and Celie are able to accept and manage their love of Shug that they can finally be content. Celie comments “if she (Shug) come, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content” (page 257). However Albert faces rejection one more time when he asks Celie to marry him not just in body but in spirit also.
The issue of gender roles is clearly brought up by Walker through the relationship of Albert and Celie. He takes on the role of the dominant and violent husband, who can tell his wife what to do. However he does not work for her, or provide for her. When Celie leaves Albert she is strong enough to look after herself, make her own money and ends up inheriting her own house. When the pair are able to be friends, they sit and sew on Celie’s porch and reminisce about the past. Through sewing together they show their unity and Albert adopts and enjoys a typical female past time, suggesting the idea of no gender differences between them.
“Well, I say, we all have to start somewhere if us want to do better, and our own self is what us have to hand” this statement made by Celie to Albert really emphasises the changes that the two of them go thorough, both Celie and Albert went through similar problems with loss, unrequited love and domineering fathers.
