The impact of 'The Color Purple' is emotional rather than intellectual and this exemplifies the fact that for the society presented in the novel intellectual pursuit is futile

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Gemma Harrison

The impact of ‘The Color Purple’ is emotional rather than intellectual and this exemplifies the fact that for the society presented in the novel intellectual pursuit is futile

Alice Walker’s ‘The Color Purple’ is a controversial novel criticised positively and negatively by all walks of life. At first glance, the book affects the reader emotionally, but after a second reading it is clear that there are intellectual layers to the novel, such as women’s rights and race relations. This text can change the reader emotionally and their views of the world in just 261 pages. I believe that although the novel does have some intellectual impact, there is more of an emotional experience to be had – however does this mean that intellectual pursuit for the society presented is futile?

When reading this novel, we are presented with the shocking opening line ‘You better not never tell nobody but God. It’d kill your mammy’. The language Walker has used here is intended to shock the reader and entice them to read on as the words creating a foreboding atmosphere. In this first letter we meet Celie – a fourteen-year-old black American girl who is raped by who she thinks is her father. From this age Celie is already used to being repressed by men, but soon after she is forcibly pushed into a marriage with Mr -, who really wants her sister Nettie. When Celie sees that Mr – wants Nettie she tells her to ‘keep at her books’ (page 6) as Celie sees having an education as a way out from poverty and repression. Alphonso (Pa) wants Nettie for himself, but lets Mr – have Celie. He says ‘she ain’t smart…but she can work like a man’ (page 97).

Most women in the novel seem to be looked upon as cleaners, cooks and child raisers – a view that has been encouraged by a patriarchal world.

Celie’s education is terminated because she is ‘big’, so her sister tries to teach her what she has learnt at school. She is devastated when Alphonso says she cannot go to school anymore, but Nettie says that their teacher thinks ‘Celie smart too’ (page 11). However, it could be suggested that Pa sees their teacher (Miss Beasley), an educated women as a threat, but he comments on how no one will marry her, so she had to be a teacher. This perhaps shows that intellectual pursuits are futile in some respects as men fear and shun this type of women, although as Celie develops in her education it would seem a life away from men would be a blessing. However, black women teachers were very important in the community and this letter shows how significant education is.

 

Although Celie is unhappy about marrying Mr – she realises that Nettie could come to live with them and then they could run away. They both read as many of Nettie’s schoolbooks as they can because they know they ‘got to be smart to git away’ (page 11). In letter 11, Nettie has run away from home and has come to live with Celie and Mr -. Whilst sitting on the porch, Celie thinks of how although Nettie is educated she may still ‘marry someone like Mr – or wind up in some white lady kitchen’. It seems that for all Nettie’s education, she may still end up like every other woman. In letter 12, two of Mr –‘s sisters come to visit and they echo what Nettie had said about Mr – and his children - ‘You got to fight them’. Yet Celie knows from Nettie’s experience that fighting leads to nothing ‘she fight, she run away. What good it do?’ Walker’s use of minor sentences and punctuation help the reader read how it should be said and shows all the natural pauses in a conversation. This vicious circle of repression and staying repressed keeps Celie ’alive’, but does not allow her the freedom she wants so badly. Celie is not just a character by herself - she represents all women who have been oppressed.

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In letter 55 we find out that Nettie is to go to Africa with Corrine (the woman Celie met in town many years ago), her husband, the Reverend Samuel and Celie’s two children Adam and Olivia. Just as Nettie taught Celie in America, Olivia teaches an Olinka girl called Tashi in Africa. Writing is seen as a weapon – a symbol of defiance to men like Mr -, Alphonso and the Olinka men who fear and resent the education of women. Olivia comments to Nettie on how similar the attitude of education is by the Olinka towards girls are ...

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