Contained Feelings

 

Within Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple, it is most prevelant throughout the beginning of the novel that our main protagonist, Celie, struggles to deal with her emotions of abuse coming from her father, possibly ashamed of disclosing her feelings with her own sister. This idea resonates throughout the excerpts via her letters to God, which mainly composes the novel. The brief descriptions of what Celie experiences on that certain day, mind you that these letters have no specified dates, come out frustrating for me to read because she includes details of which interests me and how brief she ends her statements off, preceding into the next letters. For example as she was taking care of another character who’s name is Shug Avery, as she was coming her hair, she is intrigued by humming being vocalized by Shug Avery; “She hum a little more. Something come to me, she say. Something I made up. Something you help scratch out my head” (Walker 53). This concludes her interaction with Shug Avery at the time. Not mentioning this to her sister, seeming reclusive about her feelings. This idea of spreading her own thoughts and feelings towards others particularly with her sister who is basically the only one treats her very kindly is seemingly non-existent minus via her letters to God.

I do have to say I have to commend the author of how she decides to develop the protagonist, not really seeming to change her perspective of life just yet, almost young and naive enough to comprehend what her father has done to her despite the constant emotional and domestic abuse she has endured. For the most part, Walker chooses to keep Celie’s knowledge and, it is understandable taking a look at her background regarding school, she isn’t the brightest due to her lack of proper education; you don’t learn how you should be treated in school, that comes from experience, and it appears to me that over the years of abuse, Celie has grown numb and obedient towards those who consistently assert dominance on her overall well being. I hope to read on and find resolution and self-realization within Celie’s hard efforts to educate herself, but until then, onward!

3 thoughts on “Contained Feelings

  1. In enjoyed the insightful comments you expressed in your blogpost. With the knowledge of Alice Walker’s abuse with her father, your literary analysis paper should focus primarily on how abused individuals cope, and gain freedom with these abusive relationships. Also, the analysis should have a in depth acknowledgment about the effects abuse has on all aspects of one’s life, that being at school, at their job, etc.

  2. Thank you for sharing her insights. I’m so glad you are immersed in your reading! I would agree that Celie’s portrayal is fascinating and this is something you can indeed focus on. The way she is treated by others, the way she copes with letter writing, etc …. all intriguing portrayals that illustrate her self-realization.

  3. I enjoyed your notice of the feelings of frustration that the abrupt endings of the letters brings. Maybe your literary analysis paper could focus on how the author elicits emotion from the reader, in this case frustration, and why the author elicits this feeling from us.

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