The book "The Color Purple" is focused on black feminism. The female characters in the book are trying to gain more freedom, stand up against the black men and strive for equal rights.
After analysing this novel I did research on the following thesis: "Women in a black society can get more freedom by binding together"
I have 3 main arguments that support my thesis
Recognition:
The stages of solving a problem are:
- recognising and defining the problem
- finding possible solution
- choosing the best solution
- implementing the solution.
The most important and the first step is recognition of the problem. Women are often not aware of the seriousness of the situation until they share their stories and talk about their experiences of inferior position towards the white society, experiences of physical and emotional abuse, and the struggles they go through with the position they fulfil in their family and their loyalty towards the male family members.
If we take a look at Celie in the book, we could describe her as an insecure and timid character. As a young girl, Celie is constantly subjected to abuse and told she is ugly. She decides therefore that she can best ensure her survival by making herself silent and invisible. She never dared to fight back against her stepfather or her husband. For a very long time, God is the only one she trusts and can to talk to, as she’s emotionally and physically isolated from most of the other characters in the book. Because Celie has always been in the same environment from the moment since she was born, she thought that it was normal and never questioned her situation.
Along the novel Celie starts to connect with other women and has conversations about their families and their feelings. Especially talking to Shug she realises things are not normal the way they are, and she realises that she does have the right to a better family and someone that truly loves her. Shug tells Celie the following:
"Oh, Celie, there are colored people in the world who want us to know! Want us to
grow and see the light! They are not all mean like Pa and Albert, or beaten down
like ma was."
This is a fragment of one of the conversations that Celie had with a female character in the book where she realised the seriousness of the situation and the lack of freedom she has. Celie feels that she has the right to step up for herself and demand for equal rights and more freedom.
Courage:
In most situations women have to be very brave to fight for equal rights and more freedom because they go against the will of men, and that was something very wrong to do in during that time and according to their believes.
By binding together women get more courage to step up for their selves. They can boost each others confidence and find support by sharing their thoughts and feelings. From our own experience we know that sometimes you just need someone else's affirmation that ensures you that what you are doing is the right thing.
Shug Avery is a confident woman that is a role model to Celie. Shug teaches Celie how to fight back and find her own voice. Her husband, Mr. ______ still treats her in the same humiliated ways, but his put-downs have no power because Celie is self-confident and she has a sense of self-worth she previously lacked. The self-actualization Celie achieves transforms her into a happy, successful, independent woman.
But most important for the first time in her life she finds the courage to step up for herself and tells Mr._____ what has been on her mind for already a long time. This is a fragment from a the movie "The Color Purple" where Celie curses Mr._____.
Without other women affirming Celia and telling her that she has the right to tell Mr._____ how she feels and wishes to be treated, she would probably still be that silent and shy girl that never stood up for herself like she was in the beginning of the book.
Strength in numbers:
Multiple sources, for example the source "But some of us are brave: black women's studies", prove that when women protest in big groups it shows a bigger result and they can accomplish more than when they protest as an individual.
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In the book we see that when Celie, Shug, Sophie and Squeak bind together, they can obtain more freedom and make a bigger statement. Together they made a voice against their abusive husbands and all other male characters and white characters that oppressed them.
They decide to finally do the things that they wanted to do and they move to Tennessee to find true happiness and to make a statement against injustice.
By leaving Mr. ____ behind, he finally realised that the way he treated Celie was bad and that he regretted it. That is one of the things they accomplished by turn away from Mr. ____. He is influenced and inspired by the women and is determined to change his thoughts and actions and treat black women like they have the same rights as black men have.
This is one of the effects that proves that the more women binding together, the more likely their impact increases and the more likely they will be able to make a change.