Celie s development in The Color Purple by Alice Walker
INTRODUCTION Alice Walker was always concerned about black women’s lives. ... ” Celie, the main character of The Color Purple, had also the same treatment since she is a dynamic character who changes from an insecure and opressed person to a self-confident woman. Throughout the novel Celie grows and learns with the help of others not only about herself but also about things that were around her. The fact that Celie had the chance of being in contact with some strong characters such as Shug and Sofia gave her the possibility of learning how to love and fight for the things she wants. While in contact with the oppressor, Celie was submissive and dependent, especially in relation to her stepfather and her husband. ... Celie’s process of independence is clearly represented in this novel by some changes in her behavior and values as well as the way she writes. This paper has as its main objective to show within the narrative the main features of Celie’s development in The Color Purple. ... CELIE AND THE OPPRESSORS Celie was a poor and illiterate child who suffered the brutality of treatment by her stepfather. ... __________ Celie was supposed to be his servent, taking care of his children and of the house as well. Alphonso, Celie’s stepfather, and Albert, her husband, considered themselves the "king" of their house, having the women and children as their inferiors. ... " (page 81) was said by Celie and can give us an idea of how Mr.________s feelings towards Celie are. ... Another example of the abuse Celie suffers from her husband is the fact that he always spanks her, without receiving any kind of answer. ... He say, Celie, git the belt. ... I say to myself, Celie, you a tree.“ (page 23) It is interesting to point out that Celie believed that resistance would only do to her what she thought it had done to her sister Nettie: "I think bout Nettie, dead. ... As a result of all this agony and repression, Celie’s letters became the only way of expressing herself and feeling the intensity of her emotions. ... “As the novel progresses, however, and as Celie grows in experience, her observations become sharper and more informed, the letters take on authority and the dialect, once accepted, assumes a lyrical cadence of its own.” The growth of Celie will be developed in the following sections, though.