So I've spent some time reading The Color Purple which arrived at my doorstep earlier this week. Walker truly plays with the power of literature here, telling the story of two African-American sisters, separated in their teens, for 40 decades through letters written in correspondence to each other during those years. I choose this book as my next read in the first place mostly because I saw the special place it holds in classic American literature. It definitely touched upon some of the most pressing social issues, even though it was written in 1982 and takes place in the early 1900s.
The protagonist, Celie, is an African-American lesbian woman. As a teenager, her father gave her away to another man for marriage, effectively separating Celie from her sister Nettie and her young children. But Celie never loves her husband, who is referred to as Mr._____. While playing the role of a wife, she meets several important characters who will shape her life over the next 40 years, including Shug Avery, a sexy, stylish blues singer, Mr._____'s son Harpo, and his wife Sofia.
There are so many powerful themes in The Color Purple. Perhaps one of the strongest themes was that of defying gender roles. While Celie is an obedient wife, who loves children and tending the house, she is abused by Mr.______, who exploits her obedience and voicelessness to punish her for not being the woman he truly loves, Shug Avery. Celie observes Harpo and his new wife Sofia's relationship. As much as Harpo loves Sofia, Sofia acts out of her own will. She refuses to be reduced in power because of her gender, so she defies every one of Harpo's commands. When of the most powerful moments in the book is when Harpo asks Celie how he can get Sofia to act like her. Celie advises him to beat Sofia, just as Mr._____ does to herself. When Sofia confronts Celie about her advice, Celie realizes why she even suggested a beating: she's jealous that she can't be as assertive as Sofia and she realizes what level of inhumanity she's been reduced to as a result of her being obedient.
I felt several strong themes developing from this early scene, including the power of strong female relationships in fighting oppression and gender role, sexism, and racism. I think the way Walker chose to
tell this story made it even more powerful, allowing readers to gain insight into the thoughts of the Celie and Nettie. While probably not my favorite book of all time, The Color Purple addresses so many key, overlooked, and difficult-to-address issues in society. It's one of those books whose narration and characters just move you as you read.
Perhaps my favorite quote from the book:
“It make a lot [of difference], say Squeak. When I was Mary Agnes I could sing in public."
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