Explore Walkers Portrayal of Female Identity †The Color Purple Essay

Teach only the boys. 1 (Page 146) In galore(postnominal) cases this term would be considered sexist However, when reading The Color Purple it becomes translucent that the men as well as the boys are the ones who are in need of education. This education is non confined to the academic sense, tho go-cart rather emphasises their need to acquire the determineing of adjoin rights. The women may not receive either academic education but they were still equal to men in their ability to work, as Walker shows through some(prenominal) strong pistillate person role models throughout The Color Purple.The things that the women obligate go through have taught them things about emotional state that no man would ever understand The gift of tolerance, understanding and a positive mind. Celie has to undergo a bunch of traumatic experiences throughout The Color Purple. Walker uses this to mould her into the stereotypical abject woman. Walker then continues to develop Celies stereotypical role of flummox and wife by forcing her into another destructive kin, both emotionally and physically. This relationship affected her attitude towards men but also her self-confidence towards women and children who deliver the confidence she does not.Although Walker has portrayed Celie as a weak individual, Mr calls her You black, you pore, you ugly, youa woman. Quotations interchangeable this show just what level of racism and sexism Celie and maybe Walker herself had to repugn with. Walker may have portrayed Celie in this way to overdo the fact that she is also filled with courage. She tries to stand up to Mr ____ , and claims she will torment him until you he do right by me. Mr ___, claims Celie is nothing at all. in spite of this abuse Celie has the courage to carry on and live her life condescension its restrictions.Walker uses each character to reflect all the different elements of female identity. Celie is portrayed as weak, Sophia is portrayed as aright, Nettie educated and Shug leads the glamourous life every women dreams of. Walker seems to use a variety of different characters to stomach comparison and operate in all of the female characters lives. The ongoing influence is the typical 1930s society. Society is responsible for imposing the status quo, which paradise forbid Celie would ever rebel against. I dont bear on I stay where Im told.But Im alive. (Page 22)She has lost her sister, her freedom and her self respect she cant dope off her life as well. Sophia however is an excellent example of a powerful woman in society. Not only powerful in body, but also in mind. In the beginning of the book she seems to show no fear and determination no to be moulded by society. Unfortunately this is a short lived dream. Even though Sophia is a powerful woman, she is still victim to discrimination due to her sex and race which results in hr cosmos moulded into the typical stereotypical woman.After being thrown out of Celies mansion house b y Mr ____, Nettie finds refuge in the home of a missioner couple, who teach her the importance of god and educating others. She abandons the role of housewife and takes on a role more favourable which benefits others and not just her self. Shug Avery abandons all traces of the female stereotype. Her life revolves around the finer things. Her music offers the passion and yearning for the glamorous life, especially for Celie, whose life is made up of orders and abuse, whereas Shug is a woman who doesnt take orders and on many occasions is the one who makes them.Parts of the bias society of the 1930s were the men. In Celies mind, men have a kind of meanness that women dont possess. Women, though they may cry out and swear, are not harmful in the way men exchangeable Pa are Mr_____ When she was younger the only male she knew was Alphonso, who she then believed to be her father. Although she was treated poorly by her father, she listens to the bible and Honors father and beat no mat ter what. (page 43-44). This even included forgiving him for the constant intimate abuse.By obeying the Bible she had to obey her father, no matter what the consequence was. The salient betrayal of someone she could trust had been destroyed and therefore jeopardised her relationship with any other man, instead of feeling love or respect, she only matte fear. Thats the truth. I look at women, tho, cause Im not scared of them. Although Mr_____ is her husband,their relationship appears to be one of convenience. When he maiden approached Alphonso it was to marry Celies sister, Nettie. Alphonso however refused.Claiming that Nettie was too pretty and that he should have Celie instead. Compared to Nettie, Celie was hardly the trophy wife that Mr___ desired. She ugly. .. But she can work worry a man. (pg. 18. ) Mr ____ only wanted a wife to look afterwards his kid and to satisfy his own selfish needs. Walker portrays Celie as an tendency only to be used and abused by men. Walker sh ows a very dysfunctional relationship between Sophia and her husband Harpo however it is not abusive as all of Celies relationships have been. It is a uncoiled relationship that was built on a love and not on necessity.Another factor that Walker has used to create the couple is the thong of personas. So Walker has created her to be the man of the house, as she is stronger than Harpo in more ways than one. This is alien to Celie and she advises Harpo that Sophia needs to be taken down a peg (Page 35) so he can become head of the house again. Nevertheless Sophia refuses to accept this treatment and fights back. Although Sophia managed to defeat one member of society, it was her min and final confrontation that would finally destroy the confidence that Celie so desperately wanted.