“The Color Purple” written by Alice Walker is a dairy-like novel that reflects the social background of colored people in 1907-1949 Georgia, United States. This book explores the theme through the view of one character – Celie, as she navigates a world full of abuse and discrimination.
In my opinion, the highlight of the book is the evolution of the Character Celie as she slowly builds up her own life throughout the book. She had the worst starting on the book’s first page as she got raped by her stepfather at the age of 14. It’s the worst thing that can happen to a young girl, and I believe that might have been common in the colored community back in that time since colored people did not have enough social status, and no one would be punished for such an inhumane act. Celie bows her head to reality and accepts her tragic life as a freedomless slave in Mr.___ Family in the first part of the story. However, after the arrival of Shug Avery (Mr.__’s crush), Celie changes rapidly. She began to raise awareness of her rights towards many things such as life without sexual and physical abuse. I have observed her significant changes throughout from mid to the end of the book, as she gained back freedom and started to consider what love is, etc.
Alice Walker’s writing is raw and direct, she tore off the FIG leaf of the people of the time by addressing difficult and painful themes like racism, sexism, and violence. Yet, in this dark setting, we can still see love, self-discovery, and the importance of connecting with others.
This book is a powerful exploration of human’s spirit capacity to endure and overcome adversity. It explored the strength of women and the bonds that can develop between them. Furthermore, many traditional thoughts were challenged and questioned in this book, such as homosexuality, and the rights of colored and women. This book has taught and reminded me of the importance of empathy, resilience, and the potential for growth and change even in the most challenging circumstances.