论文The color purple

On Celie’s growth factors
----the Comments on The color purple
Li Ze Qin
李泽琴
Class 5, Grade 2008
No. 200805140517
The School of Foreign Languages
China West Normal University
A Paper for Appreciating English Movies
May 2012
On Celie’s growth factors
----the Comments on The color purple
Abstract:The Color Purple1adapted from a novel Purple by Alice Walker expresses the waking of feminism 2 well. When she is treated callously and faces numerous maltreat, then she turns to a self-valued and independent woman and achieved her happiness. For her dramatic change, factors can be divided into oppression from Alphonso, Mr. or Albert, and,Sisterhood with NettieNettie, friendship with Shug Avery, and Strengh from Sofia Key words: The Color Purple, Womanism 3, rebellion, self-valued,oppression
The film The Color Purple tells story taking place in the Southern United States during the early- to mid-1900s .In the beginning of the movie, Celie suffers great pain of childbirth, When she was only fourteen years old, she gave birth to the child of her stepfather who sold the the baby, also threatened Celie “you better not never tell nobody but God. So she could only talk to God though she never gets back god’s answer. The film focuses on the change of the protagonist, Celie. Celie marries a local widower whom she calls "Mister" whose name is Albert. Every day, Celie clean up Albert’s disorderly household and take care of his children. Celie is beaten and intimidated into submission. Nettie comes to live with them, and they live happily together and Nettie begins to teach Celie how to read. Nettie is kicked out. Finally, Celie, the black a poor African American girl, who once never said anything against father or husband, with the assistance of Shug, got out of the miserable life and became an independent woman. The factors for her dramatic change can be categorized into two parts, that is, oppression from Alphonso, Mr. or Albert, and Sisterhood with Nettie, friendship with Shug Avery, and Strength from Sofia Oppression from Alphonso and Mr. or Albert
Alphonso is Celie’s stepfather who marries Celie’s mother even though there is
no love and craves for the fortune of Celie’s father left by Celie’s poor father. He does many evil things to Celie and her sister, Nettie. Alphonso orders Celie to do housework and deprive her right on education. Alphonso turns to Celie for his sex desire When Celie’s mother gets ill. Thus being hopeless, Celie starts writing to God. Gradually, under the abuse and oppression of her father, Celie loses her-self value and. Alphonso refuses to let Celie marry minister instead of Nettie. Mr. eventually accepts the offer; this marriage proves to be a kind of business, in which money is every thing while Celie’s thought is never taken into count because Mr takes Celie into a difficult and joyless married life. And our Celie’s world is worse than worse. Constant abuse pesters her for many years.
Albert was married previously, whose wife was murdered. Albert mistreats Celie just as her father had, and she tolerates it, never has she understand that she doesn't have to. In Albert’s eyes Celie is not a person, just a machine. Celie has to help raise Albert’s children, not being their real mother, she lives a hard time. Mr. holds absolutely control over Celie, In this house,. When he is in bad temper, when Celie does not satisfy him, he just beats her violently. And he does not allow any rebellion to him. When he needs her, he pays heeds to her, but when not, Celie is an invisible man. In his mind, he has never shown respect for Celie. And he even brings his mistress, Shug Avery into family and all day runs around her regardless his responsibility to Celie as a husband.
Sisterhood with Nettie
Celie’s and her sister Nettie’ correspondences make up their priceless Sisterhood to each other. The have love for one another, which is sisterly and sexual, Young as Nettie is, she influence Celie a lot.
Firstly, Nettie is Celie's younger sister, by marrying Mr, Celie saves Nettie from living the tragic life that she should have endured. When Nettie’s life at home is unbearable, she runs away to Celie. When Mr. forces Nettie to leave, she promises to write to Celie and that only God can keep them apart. Nettie travels to Africa with Samuel and Corrine, a missionary couple as a missionary. She undergoes many adventures in Africa. These experiences turn Nettie from a girl to an independent
woman becomes more mature. She writes letters which describes the life to Celie from her letters; Celie seems to be there with Nettie. They go into forest, see huge elephant, and live in triba. In the end, Nettie travels back to America, and brings Celie's children with her. By telling Celie the things she has seen and done, she helps Celie become more enthusiastic about her life with the help of Nettie. Celie begins knowing that she should not endure the oppression, and she must fight for the unit with Nettie, and also for herself. This courage is tied closely with Nettie and their love.
What is more, Nettie receives much more education than Celie. Her heart is much wider and thoughts much far. Nettie’s extending knowledge range have great influence on Celie and she also takes a fancy at reading and later teaches Celie to read and write. At the beginning, Celie stumbles over books, but gradually, she gets more fluently. And from books, Celie learns a lot and tries to put what she learns into life. Friendship with Shug Avery
Shug is Albert's mistress. When she comes back to visit Albert, she shakes up feelings of Celie who has great admiration for Shug and the life that she has lived. Shug enters and exits in Celie's life, Albert ends up treating Celie because of Shrug. Eventually, Shug herself develops a physical relationship with Celie and shows Celie the wonders of life and her body, she helps Celie discover the long lost letters that her sister Nettie had written to her and helps Celie develop herself emotionally and spiritually. Shug is supplying her with even more hope and inspiration Shrug’s bravery behavior such as leaving Albert, listening the miserable life of Celie and singing her beautiful songs encourages Celie greatly. She decides to revenge and does not obey him any more. Celie finally releases her rage, angrily cursing Mr. for his years of abuse at table. Celie has already know well of her self-value. From now on she becomes a full woman who has her own feeling and thoughts.
Strength from Sofia
Sofia is the wife of Harpo, the son of Mr. Johnson. Nothing could daunt her, and Sofia wins this battle. She marries Harpo regardless Albert’s disagreement. Sofia not only dares not black- man, she does not give in to Harpo, and behaves like a master of
the family. She does not like trifle house chores, and prefer to work outside. She cannot be controlled by men,. She is a strong, independent character. Celie suggests Harpo to beat Sofia into submission, but she failed. Sofia’s rebellion against white-man is an effective lesson for Celie. Her strength and energy fill Celie courage for new life.
In Conclusion, Celie confronts Mr’s cruel maltreatments previously, she can not recognize her self-value. Her life is only for other people. When she was young, she will never get angry, but later, under the oppression and influence from Shrug. She is overwhelmed by this rebellious power guided by Sofia and her sister Nettie. At last, Celie is now financially comfortable and independent. She has her new house and which she inherited her father’s dry goods store. Celie begins to genuinely enjoy Albert’s company. At last, she call him “Albert”, instead of Mr. And Celie notes that though she and Nettie are now old, she has never in her life felt younger.
The movie tells people change of Celie is womanism rising for a black woman, which is encouraging for all the woman who should be brave and self-willed with their own dream.
Bibliography:
1.The Color Purple in / subject/1294503/
2./wiki/The_Color_Purple
3.The Color Purple (1985)in http://movie.mtime. com/13079/
4.Walker, Alice. The Color Purple [M]. New York:Pocket, 1982.
5.The meaning of Womanism in /wiki/Womanism
6.The meaning of Femalism in /wiki/Femalism
Notes:
1. The film "purple" (The Color Purple, 1985) (based on the novel by Walker Alice) It tells a story a protagonist Celie how to become an independent woman from a intimidating girl in the Southern United States during the early- to mid-1900s.
2.Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of woman's rights.
3. womanism has been in use since at least the late 19th century, its modern use is generally attributed author Alice Walker, dating from the use of the term in her book In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose (1983). In her book, Walker used the word to describe the perspective and experiences of "women of color".This definition is cited from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.。