The Color Purple is emphatic with the message that women should support their fellow women and that women’s support for each other helps them thrive as individuals and gives them the power to overcome their struggles. I’m a man’, which shows that he has been trained to believe that chores are only for females and that as a male he is entitled to be in the house without helping out with chores. For instance, when Harpo as a boy is asked by his aunt Kate to help with chores around the house, Harpo replies that ‘Women work. We also see an indication of a patriarchal society that subjugates women in the beliefs and actions of most of the male characters. The people of Olinka do not permit females to go to school or act independently, there must be a man at every point in her life to “look after” her.

In the words of an Olinka mother to Nettie :Ī girl is nothing to herself only to her husband does she become something An Olinka woman to Nettie when asked why they do not send their daughters to school (page 171) This is most notable in the village of Olinka where the essence of a woman’s existence is in getting married to a man and becoming the mother of the man’s children. Then we see in the novel, stereotypes, cultural practices, and beliefs that are created to subjugate women in society. Then her stepfather marries her off without her consent and her husband continues the vicious cycle of abuse that her step-father began. We see young Celie who is repeatedly raped by her stepfather from so early an age that as a teenager, she has been impregnated twice. For instance, we hear Sofia’s melancholy words, as quoted from ‘ The Color Purple’:Ī girl child ain’t safe in a family of men Sofia to Celie (page 41)Ĭelie’s life is a testimony of the sad truth of the above words by Sofia. There is the vulnerable girl child that is preyed upon, abused, and raped by cruel individuals in the family units. In The Color Purple, we see the unjust treatment of females by males, subjugation of women by the society, and also women sabotaging their fellow women. Also, we see race, religion, and an array of other themes.

We see the dynamics of gender from different dimensions. Gender is the major theme in The Color Purple. Below is an in-depth analysis of some of the themes and symbols in the novel. She also uses an interesting narrative style of letter writing to narrate the entire story. Alice Walker tells a great story and teaches numerous lessons in The Color Purple.

The color purple book author