WARNING: Brief mention of sexual assault.
This book isn’t the type of book that I would typically read. I’m more of an epic fantasy type of reader. But I have to say, this particular book really stood out to me, and I think it’s one that everybody should read.
The Colour Purple is a novel written by the wonderful Alice Walker. This book is a feminist piece that follows an African American woman named Celie and her struggles for empowerment. Celie is an uneducated woman with a very tragic past. As a child, her stepfather sexually abused her, impregnated her, and stole her babies. Later on, her troubles continue as we see that she marries and struggles with an abusive and cheating husband.
During the entirety of this story, the reader follows Celie and her struggles against the misogynistic men in her life as well as her need for independence as a woman.
What I really love about this novel is Celie’s development. Her growth isn’t sudden or anything that surprised the reader. Throughout the novel, you can see her slowly become a powerful woman. Tad spoilers ahead, by the way!
Every step she took towards her search for an identity was so inspiring to read. When she finally stood up to her abusive husband, I couldn’t help but punch the air in happiness. She defies him and denounces him for his abuse, which makes him start to think of ways to better himself. It was amazing to watch a woman who, in the beginning, was abused and horribly belittled, finally stand up for herself and take further steps to become an independent and confident woman.
One of my favourite aspects of this story, however, was Celie discovering her sexuality. Her horrible experiences with the men in her life seemed to make her realize that she was happiest with Shug Avery. Shug was at first her friend but soon became her lover. She was very nurturing towards Celie and was her biggest influence into becoming a more confident and independent woman. Girls look out for girls!
One of my favourite quotes in this story is, “I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them” (page 195). This takes place early in the novel, before Celie even discovered her sexuality. A lot of the women in the novel, including her eventual lover Shug Avery, have helped Celie discover herself. They have each played a role in molding the woman she strove to become by the end of the novel. Before, she did not have an identity of her own. She was seen as the girl who was abused most of her life. She was seen as an incubator. However, with the help of the women in her life, she was able to claim an identity of her own and became the amazing woman we all knew she was.
I absolutely love the female relationships in this novel. Like I said, girls look out for girls! The men in Celie’s life made her feel small and inferior, but the women helped her believe otherwise. Shug Avery, in particular, helped her understand that she was worth so much more than what she received.
Allow me to reiterate that message! To my fellow females of all kinds, of every religion, race, sexuality, and more, you are amazing and beautiful! You are worth so much and are so valuable. Just as Celie found her happiness and became a wonderful and confident woman, so can you!
I totally recommend reading this wonderful story. As I said before, I normally read epic fantasy novels, but The Colour Purple just hits differently. You learn so much about female empowerment that it makes you feel empowered about yourself. It’s such an inspiring story and I would urge everyone to read it.
To all the women out there, remember this and carve it into your brain: you are strong, beautiful, amazing warriors! Never forget that!