Cultural Paper, Dawn D

Dawn Depouli

Cultural Anthropology

“The Color Purple”

I chose “The Color Purple” for numerous reasons, never once did I think it would catch my attention and dedication like it did. The Color Purple is about a black woman named Celie who endures a lot of cruelty from men throughout her whole life. This book shows how she changed into a miraculous woman who stands up for what she believes in. This novel teaches you that you have to stand up for yourself and not let anyone steer you any other way.

The summary of the novel is that the story, The Color Purple begins with a fourteen-year-old girl named Celie who was raped repeatedly by her stepfather. The only one she was told to speak to was God, so she did this by writing him daily letters. The book starts out in the first letter with Celie describing how and why she is pregnant with her second child. This child was the result of her getting raped by her stepfather, Alphonso. At the time, Celie believes that Alphonso is her real father because that is what her mother has always told her. Her mother ends up dying shortly after, and her stepfather brings home a new wife. Although he has a new wife, he continues to abuse and rape Celie. Celie never saw her children for they were taken away from her by Alphonso and given to the wife of a missionary who couldn't have children. After the acts of rape Celie hated and feared men, but she didn't fear women. Celie's younger sister, Nettie, was incredibly smart and more educated than her, but they loved each other deeply. Soon after Celie had her children, she was then married off to a man who loved Nettie.

While reading this novel, I learned that Celie was raped by her father. I also learned that Celie’s mother is ill and is unable to take care of the family. Celie is forced to cook and clean for her family. Celie conceived two children because of her father’s continuous raping. She never sees her children and believes that her father killed them. A man from town wanted to take Celie’s sister Nettie as a wife, but her father convinces the man to take Celie instead. Celie is now forced to marry an older man who already has children. Celie’s husband constantly beats and rapes her without any remorse. He even made Celie nurse Shug Avery, his mistress, when she was ill. It is now that Celie learns from Shug Avery about love. Shug Avery encourages Celie not to take the abuse from her husband anymore and that she deserves better. Celie would finally leave her husband when she found out that he kept her sister’s letters from her. Nettie was the sole reason why Celie had managed to survive. Celie could not tolerate any more abuse and left with Shug Avery and Mary Agnes. Mary Agnes was Celie’s stepson’s mistress. Celie eventually meets up with Nettie and her two children whom she believed to be dead. She than goes back to her husband who has drastically changed since Shug Avery and Celie left.

Celie learns from Shug Avery about love. Shug Avery encourages Celie not to take the abuse from her husband anymore and that she deserves better. Celie would finally leave her husband when she found out that he kept her sister’s letters from her. Nettie was the sole reason why Celie had managed to survive. Celie could not tolerate any more abuse and left with Shug Avery and Mary Agnes. Mary Agnes was Celie’s stepson’s mistress. Celie eventually meets up with Nettie and her two children whom she believed to be dead. She than goes back to her husband who has drastically changed since Shug Avery and Celie left.

Celie was not very attractive and had no education. The first time she met Shug Avery she said, “you’re sure ugly.” In the beginning of the novel she was very obedient and acted like a slave. Towards the end of the novel she exhibits her newfound self-esteem and feelings of independence. Shug Avery was a very beautiful singer. She was free spirited and is did not have to rely on anyone for help. Celie’s husband was a very cruel man and never once stopped to think about Celie’s feelings. He constantly beat her and forced himself upon her. Near the end of the novel his character drastically changes and realizes that he was wrong to treat Celie the way he did.

During this novel, I saw many examples of the importance of the traditional family unit in America. Celie is forced to marry Mr. because in patriarchal American society it is essential that she have a husband. Mr. ‘s father forces him to marry Annie Julia despite the fact that he really loves Shug because he must have a proper wife. After reading the letters containing this information I was expecting a story of the typical family unit. I was not expecting the type of family that is ultimately glorified in the book. My understanding that the family that I would ultimately see in the book would not be a conventional one came with the realization that attitudes towards women in the novel caused men to sleep with several different women. The result of the aforementioned promiscuity is that men have children from different mothers all over the place. It is difficult to establish the traditional two parents, two-kid family when there are several different mothers and children involved. Sometimes, as was the case with Mr. and ‘Fonso, a man’s wife will die and he will take another wife. He will often have children by both the first, second, and possibility third wife as Alfonso did. In addition to the men, there are several strong, assertive female characters in the novel that were not afraid to behave the same way in terms of having several husbands/lovers. The result of the behavior of both the men and women is a large group of individuals composed of husbands, wives, lovers, ex-husbands, ex-wives, ex-lovers, still married individuals who have gone off with someone else, and all of their various children. This situation would not normally be very intriguing to me if not for the fact that all of these people are able to come together and truly be a family.

In conclusion, throughout all the trouble Celie had to go through, a proving success came. She had started the pants business, which brought her upright and standing up for her self. She had the courage to fight back. This even brought a key success into recognition, which symbolized her growth as a human being. This showed us how her self-respect had increased. Finally, towards her recognition and success she had a key to equality with her husband. It was an equal opportunity. Mr. Albert had changed and realized what he had done was wrong and had accepted it as a mistake. Therefore, though all these major events in which Celie strived for brought her to a finally success, recognition and equality. Additionally, one of the reasons I enjoyed this novel so much is because despite the rough times that Celie had in the end Celie and her true biological children are brought back together at the end, forming that traditional family unit. This made the story complete, and gave it a great ending. Everyone was on their own, but they all got united into one family, I don't think the story would have a point if Celie's real children just lived their own lives and never met one another. The importance of traditional family unit comes to mind when you read this book. Another reason I liked this book because Celie does things that black woman weren't supposed to do during that time period.

I have always felt that I was extremely lucky to have the level of love, understanding, and trust that exists within my immediate family. My immediate family refers to my parents and brother. With that being said The Color Purple helped me realize that there might be a type of family that is missing from my life. I have always wanted to be a part of a community of friends, teachers, lovers, of men and women who love each other without being related to one another, but I never thought of that type of a community as a family. By the end of the novel the level of connection that the characters managed to achieve with each other was astonishing. The beauty of The Color Purple for me lays not so much in the struggle of women, but in the struggle of everyone to find a place to belong.