I.

Intoduction

The reason of this essay is first to complete the assignment from our lecturer Mrs.
Indrani Dewi Anggraini. This essay analyze the feminist critism in The Color Purple, a
novel by Alice Walker. This essay will discuss and analyze the problem how the main
character is describe towards gender inequality. The writer believes tthat this essay can
help the readers to improve their literary critism skill, specially in feminism approach.
Alice Walker was born on February 9, 1944 in Putnam County, Georgia. She is an
accomplished American poet, novelist, and activist. Alice grew up in an environment
rife with racism and poverty, which, along with her passion for gender issues, remains
a large part of her narratives. After two years at Spelman College, she received a
scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College in New York. After graduating in 1965, Walker
became a social worker and teacher, while remaining heavily invested and involved in
the Civil Rights Movement. She taught poetry while working on her own poetry and
fiction. She contributed to groundbreaking feminist Ms. magazine in the late 60s,
writing a piece about the unappreciated work of African-American author Zora Neale
Hurston. Her first novel, The Third Life of Grange Copeland was published in
1970. Meridian, Walker's second novel was published six years later.
She wrote the critically acclaimed novel The Color Purple (1982) for which she won
the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The novel was adapted
into an acclaimed film directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985. She continues to be a
prominent social and political activist.
The Colour Purple is a touching novel told through the eyes of Celie, with her diary
entries and letters from her sister Nettie. Celie lives in a world of racism, sexism and

abuse in deep southern America (though the exact time is unknown, the books spans
roughly 1910 - 50's). She, as a black woman of her time, is poor and uneducated. After
being raped, abused and impregnated by the man who is believed to be her father
(whose identity is never revealed and is simply known to Celie as Mr _____) at the
tender age of 14, Celie is forced into marriage. Her children were taken away to 'be
with god', her sister escaped from the pain and torment and ran away to the home of a
pastor, and her husband who is violent and abusive to her. Poor Celie has no one to
turn to. No one except God. She writes her diary confessing and letting out the anger
and emotion which she is not aloud to express in normal everyday life. But Celie is
soon fascinated but Shug Avery, who comes to stay with her, due to her poor health.
Shug is the only person to show any affection to Celie, and stays in their house a little
longer, to protect her from her violent husband. After decades of never hearing or
receiving letters from her sister (who promised to write her), Celie assumes Nettie is
dead. But with the aide of Shug, the soon discover that Mr _____ had hidden the
letters that Nettie had sent to Celie. The letters explain how Nettie had travelled to
Africa with another family as their maid, and she soon finds out that the 2 children that
she takes care of are Celie's children and finds out that the man, who she believes to be
her father, is not. Celie, now and independent woman starts a sewing business and
finds out that Nettie plans to return back to America with the children, and her new
husband. Once reunited at old age, Celie and Nettie and truly happy and live in
harmony with the other they love around them.

II.

Analysis

In this paper, The Color Purple, the novel by Alice Walker will be analysed in terms of
Feminist Criticism.
The Color Purple tells a story about a black woman who is sexually and physically
abused, dominated for close the three decades. Walker has risked exploring subjects
and talk about issues which are generally unacceptable to many readers. She seems to
have no worries about exposing any problems which stand in the way of people's
freedoms including sexism and racism.
From the very beginning of the novel, the reader becomes familiar with a girl who is
used to do the works of her husband. In the novel, Celie is just a servant who is
responsible of looking after her husband, Albert, and his four children and to meet the
sexual desires of him. He always abuses Celie until she declares her identity as an
independent woman. When his oldest son, Harpo, asks Albert why he beats Celie, he
says simply Cause she my wife. (Walker, 30) He thinks he has the right to beat and
abuse Celie merely because shes his wife. For a long time, Celie bears the abuses and
her sister Nettie says her that You got to fight. You got to fight. Celies answer to this,
- But I dont know how to fight. All I know how to do is stay alive. (Walker,25-26)
She just tries to stay alive after the abuses, because she doesnt know how to fight with
the men around her. She is always abused, firstly by her step-father than by her
husband, Albert.
In the color purple by Alice Walker the struggle for identity is shaped at both the
personal level, by the individual preferences, and at wider level by social, historical
and expectation. Thus, for much of the novel, there is a struggle for Cellie between her

desire to escape from Mr. Albert to Shug, and the expectation that she will obey the
man she has been forced to marry.
On the other hand, Celie experiences some changes, and as a result of these changes
the novel turns out to be not only a story about pain and despair but also a story of
ultimate triump. Celies changing from a small girl who is abused continuously in to a
mature, young woman, realized herself. She frees herself from her husbands
repressive control, and her conditions improved dramatically. Improved by her
friendships with other women, especially Shug Avery, Alberts mistress, and by her
fondness for her younger sister, Nettie-who went to Africa with a missionary group
with the help of Celie, Celie decides to leave Albert and moves to Memphis. She starts
a business designing and making clothes, and becomes a business woman and earns
her own money. The most ironical part of the novel is, it is Alberts real love and Shug
Avery, Alberts mistress, and his rebellious daughter-in-love, Sofia, who gives the
emotional support for Celies personal progress and helps Celie to realize her dreams
in the life.
Walker explores a triangular love affair through Celie, Albert and Shug. Shug Avery is
the focus; Celie is married to Albert, Albert is in love with Shug., and she is the friend
of Celie, and its Shug Avery who forces Albert to stop brutalizing Celie and supports
Celies struggle to be free from the abuses. In addition, its Shug with whom Celie first
constitute a satisfying, loving relationship.
Shug have a very important role in helping to find Cellies identity as a woman who
against male domination starts from her father who raped her until her husband
treatments Albert.

Celie is coming with us, say Shug.

Mr.???'s head swivel back straight. Say
what? he ask.
Celie is coming to Memphis with me.
Over my dead body, Mr.??? say.
You satisfied that what you want, Shug say,
cool as clabber.
Mr.??? start up from his seat, look at Shug,
plop back down again. He look over at me.
I thought you was finally happy, he say.
What wrong now?
You a lowdown dog is what's wrong, I say.
It's time to leave you and enter into the
Creation. And your dead body just the
welcome mat I need.
Say what? he ast. Shock.
All round the table folkses mouths be
dropping open.
You took my sister Nettie away from me, I
say. And she was the only person love me
in the world. ( Walker, 106)
As the quote above states cellie has the courage to take a decision to go from albert,
shug role very important to tell what Cellie do in decide to be free from the bondage of

her husband. Cellie admiration for Shug is one trigger for Cellie can rise up and fight
against albert.
According to Shug women should have their own choice and decision and release
them from the inequality culture role that make women become an obedient wife and
just follow, accept and serve husbands demand. Women consciously have to struggle
inequality to get their rights as an individual, self-esteem and position. Cellie have to
do that because she have equal position with the men. Cellie have freedom to marry
everybody whom she love. Shug also shows us her idea about womens struggle to
face male domination that leading to gender inequality.
III.

Conclusion

The Color Purple presents us good examples in terms of Feminist Criticism. We see
the male domination over the women in every part of life, but in the course of time,
women want to release themselves from the abuses of man and be independent. They
are succeed in their aim and we see the traces of female domination in the name of
Celie, the protagonist.

References
Mabuto, E. D. (2016). A FEMINIST CRITICISM OF ALICE WALKER'S 'THE COLOR
PURPLE'. California: academia.edu. retrieved October 20, 2016 from
https://www.academia.edu/12361690/A_FEMINIST_CRITICISM_OF_
ALICE_WALKERS_THE_COLOR_PURPLE

Danielakeogh. (2013). The Color Purple Feminism. [blog post]. Retrieved October
20, 2016 from https://danielakeogh.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/thecolor-purple-feminism/

"The Color Purple: Themes and Motifs." SparkNotes. Retrieved October 20, 2016
from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/purple/themes.html
Bhushan, O. (2014). Feminism. [blog post]. Retrieved October 20, 2016 from
http://thecolorpurpleamlit.blogspot.co.id/2014/08/feminism.html
SparkNotes Editors. (2003). SparkNote on The Color Purple. Retrieved October 20,
2016, from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/purple/
Biography

of Alice

Walker.

Retrieved

October

20,

2016,

from

http://www.gradesaver.com/author/alice-walker

Synopsis
The Colour Purple is a touching novel told through the eyes of Celie, with her diary
entries and letters from her sister Nettie. Celie lives in a world of racism, sexism and
abuse in deep southern America (though the exact time is unknown, the books spans
roughly 1910 - 50's). She, as a black woman of her time, is poor and uneducated. After
being raped, abused and impregnated by the man who is believed to be her father
(whose identity is never revealed and is simply known to Celie as Mr _____) at the
tender age of 14, Celie is forced into marriage. Her children were taken away to 'be
with god', her sister escaped from the pain and torment and ran away to the home of a
pastor, and her husband who is violent and abusive to her. Poor Celie has no one to
turn to. No one except God. She writes her diary confessing and letting out the anger
and emotion which she is not aloud to express in normal everyday life. But Celie is
soon fascinated but Shug Avery, who comes to stay with her, due to her poor health.
Shug is the only person to show any affection to Celie, and stays in their house a little
longer, to protect her from her violent husband. After decades of never hearing or
receiving letters from her sister (who promised to write her), Celie assumes Nettie is
dead. But with the aide of Shug, the soon discover that Mr _____ had hidden the
letters that Nettie had sent to Celie. The letters explain how Nettie had travelled to
Africa with another family as their maid, and she soon finds out that the 2 children that
she takes care of are Celie's children and finds out that the man, who she believes to be
her father, is not. Celie, now and independent woman starts a sewing business and
finds out that Nettie plans to return back to America with the children, and her new
husband. Once reunited at old age, Celie and Nettie and truly happy and live in
harmony with the other they love around them.

Analysis of Feminist Critism in

The Novel of Alice Walker
The Color Purple

Compiled by:

Lucky Farid Masputri 2013060736

FACULTY OF LETTERS
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
UNIVERSITAS PAMULANG