You would think that a black woman from the south in the early 20th century would be maltreated and pushed aside, but through her strength and determination, Celie manages to make herself heard. The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a feminist text because despite being ruled over by men for her whole life, Celie finds the courage to break free and ultimately express her feelings, ideas, and sexuality. When we are introduced to Celie, she is a woman who has been pushed around by the men in her life for as long as she can remember. Throughout her childhood, Celie is periodically beaten by her father. When her mother dies , she takes on the role of caregiver to her younger siblings and subsequently her father begins to rape her. She is pregnant with their second child by the time she is 15. When she is sent off to marry, she is married to a man who beats and rapes her, just as her father did.
Celie spends nearly all her young adult life believing she is an ugly, stupid, worthless person. Her self worth comes from the men in her life and since they have treated her as nothing her self worth is as such. That all changes when her husband decides to take in a sick woman named Shug Avery, or just simply, “Shug”. Shug is a very independent woman who never married and marches to the beat of her own drum, so to speak. Over time, Shug not only teaches Celie how stand up for herself, but how to express herself and her sexuality. During the time Celie and Shug are living together, they develop a sexual relationship. This is not only important to Celie in the sense that she is exploring her sexuality, but her relationship with Shug gives her a new purpose and boosts her self worth substantially. Up until this point, everyone who was supposed to love and support her ill treated her and pushed her aside. Now that she is getting the affection and attention she’s always craved, she gains the confidence to stand up to her abusive husband.
