The Color Purple is a story about growth, endurance, loyalty, and joy, all nurtured by the strength of love. There are many themes; some concern the relationship between males and females, the relationship between Africans and black Americans, and personal independence. However, one thing that I felt strongly about was her commitment to God.
African-American people have had to climb over many obstacles to get to their position today. First, was the selling of their people into slavery. Then, they endured slavery itself, being treated like an animal. After slavery was abolished, colored people still had to deal with racial discrimination and hatred. If this sounds rough, black women had it worse. African-American women had to deal with all the previously mentioned things, but they were women too! Females were oppressed almost as bad as the blacks. White women were not able to vote until the 1920. Therefore colored women had a double edged sword, they had to fight for freedom, but not be to dominate as to effect the men.
nettie in collar after operation
nettie being friendly
nettie in chair 3The Color Purple is a good example of colored women's plight. Three obstacles black women had to overcome to be able to express themselves were Racism, the lack of education, and the stereotype that women are inferior.
The movie is about a black girl, Celie, who gets molested by her father and has two children. Both children are taken away and she is told they are dead. Then she gets bargained off to this man, Mr., who becomes her husband and she becomes his slave. He beats her, makes her take care of his rotten children, cook and clean, and work his fields. They never make love, but he rapes her. Her sister, Nettie,comes to live with them awhile and when she leaves Mr. tries to rape her. Nettie gets away, but Mr. swears Celie will never hear from her again. After many months without a word from Nettie, Celie decides she must be dead.
One day Mr. gets really happy and gets all dressed up. Celie discovers he is going to see Shug Avery sing. Shug is very beautiful and Celie falls in love with her, although she has never seen her in person. Shug eventually comes to live with them because she is very ill. Celie talks to Shug a lot and they become extremely good friends. One day when Shug got the mail she discovered a letter to Celie from Nettie. Celie was so happy that Nettie wasn't dead. In the letter she also finds that she had been writing all along. So, when Mr. leaves for awhile Celie and Shug look all through his room for the letters. They find a whole stack in a box in the floor. They eventually read them all and in them discover that Nettie is in Africa with Celie's two children and the "father" who molested her really isn't her father. Shug then decides to leave there and Celie is very upset until Shug tells her she is going with. While gone with Shug she starts making pants and starts her own business. Celie finds out that her stepfather died and everything he had actually belonged to Celie's mother, she also finds out that she and Nettie were left the house and all the land. Celie eventually moves back home and become reacquainted with her husband and children. She discovers Mr. has changed a lot and she learns to care for him. Mr. soon asks her to marry him again, but she politley declines because she still loves Shug. At the very end, Nettie and Celie's children return for a happy ending.
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