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  • Essay / Transformation of Célie into "The Color Purple"

    "I can only not cry. I make myself wood. I say to myself, Célie, you are a tree. That's how I know that the "Trees are afraid of man" (23) said the protagonist of Alice Walker's The Color Purple. Such gentle words were characteristic of Celie's speech, that is to say, of the beginning of the novel. However, as the novel progressed, Celie's acquiescent behavior transformed into one of resilience and dignity. By incorporating the literary techniques of tone, symbolism, and juxtaposition into her novel, Alice Walker was able to develop the character of Celie, highlighting her progression from servility to independence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayTone is an important tool for personifying character in a novel. This is the case in The Color Purple. In her state of servitude, Celie reacted little, if at all, to the abuse to which she was exposed. For example, Celie dejectedly stated that whenever she was forced to have sex, she apathetically gave in, allowing either her father or Mr. ______ to "sit there and have fun anyway. I'm thinking. It doesn't matter how I feel. It's just him. The feeling of the heart doesn't even seem to come into play. (69) Celie's continued abandonment was marked by despair. She thought resistance would only do to her what she thought it had done to her sister Nettie: "I think of Nettie, dead. She fights, she runs away. What's the point? I don't fight, I Stay where I am.” I was told that. But I'm alive. (22) Apparently, Celie believed that hoping for a passionate and loving life would only lead to her own demise. So, she desperately chose to live a life of indifferent agony. "I don't even remember the last time I felt angry... a terrible feeling. Then I didn't feel anything at all," recalls Célie (44), speaking of how she entered into apathy. This apathy, however, disintegrated towards the end of the novel as soon as she received Nettie's letters. For the first time in her life, she felt resentful. This emotion was brazenly expressed when Celie responded to Mr. ______: "It is you, an ignorant dog, who is wrong... It is time to leave you and enter into Creation. And your corpse n "It's just the welcome mat I need." (207) The tone she used to make this statement was clearly not coy. If anything, it was exceptionally vindictive. A nasty tone was again emitted by Celie when, in response to Mr. ______'s verbal insults, she uttered: "I curse you." Until you do what's right for me, everything you touch will collapse... everything you dream of will fail. Every blow you give me, you will suffer twice. The prison you plan for me is the one in which you will languish..." (213) The fact that Célie opposed Mr. ______'s abuse instead of simply accepting it justified Célie's entry into the independence.Often, authors employ the linguistic device of symbolism to develop certain concepts within their characters. Trousers, for example, illustrate a direct application of symbolism thus, their incorporation into; her wardrobe symbolizes her accession to masculinity and because the majority of men in the novel are described as having this domination However, the pants not only allowed Célie to gain self-confidence, but also to become independent. It is thanks to her pants factory that Célie was able to acquire her independence thanks to the helpShug and Mr. _____'s financial affairs, despite Mr. ______'s discouragements: “You don't get a cent of my money... not a single cent. Nothing new North for anyone like you... All you can do in Memphis is be Shug's servant... you're nothing at all. (208, 212-213) In order to escape from servility, it was necessary for Celie to acquire a sense of self-esteem. Celie was able to obtain it thanks to Shug's religious notions. Shug was able to instill in Celie the concept that God is a force that gives meaning to everything in nature, including the muted color purple. Because the color purple is often unnoticed and overlooked in the fields, it symbolizes Celie in her submissive state. After adopting Shug's religious ideals, Celie was able to fully appreciate nature. Additionally, Celie was so convinced that she possessed a connection to the earth that she believed she could "curse" Mr. ______ through the power of nature's "trees, air" and "dirt." (213-214) Celie's new appreciation for nature was Celie's appreciation for the color purple and, therefore, her own existence. This affection was evident in Celie's account of her room: "Everything in my room was purple and red, except for the floor, which was painted bright yellow." 291) Symbolism also resonates in the way certain characters in The Color Purple are identified. Celie's male counterparts, Alphonso and Albert, have both established their position as "king" of the house, having the women and children as inferiors. the designation of "King", the titles of "Pa" and "Mr. ______" were worn respectively. Being called by their first names by their "inferiors" would be considered an act of disobedience. Thus, the fact that Célie called M . ______ "Albert" and recognized Pa as "Alphonso" signifies the eradication of their supremacy over her Juxtaposition functions as an effective tool to emphasize the similarities, or lack of similarities, between two or more individuals. Color Purple, Walker used this literary element to compare and contrast the character of Celie with that of other characters. The individual who resembles the subordinate Celie is Harpo, the son of Mr. ______. taller than his father, [he] was weak in will” (29) Like Celie, Harpo was subjected to emotional and physical abuse by Mr. ______ and was forced to work in the fields all day. , “[sweating], cutting and plowing. » (29) Celie even acknowledged their similarity when she said, "Harpo is no better at fighting his father than me" (29). admitting the passivity of Harpo and herself. Harpo's wife Sofia, however, was a complete contrast to Celie's character. Celie admitted as much when she wrote, "I love Sofia, but she doesn't act like me at all." (38) While Célie struggled under the blows of Mr. ______ and Papa, Sofia chose “to fight [her] dad… [her] brothers… [and her] cousins ​​and uncles.” (42) It was she, not the male Harpo, who kept the upper hand in her marriage. Because she actually had the authority in the relationship between Harpo and herself, she represented the woman Celie aspired to be an "unbeatable" woman. (66) Like Sofia, Shug was a direct contrast to Celie's character. She possessed talent, beauty, and most importantly, authority over Mr. _______. As the novel progressed, the similarity between Celie and Harpo diminished, while the contrast between Celie and Shug and Sofia became less distinct. With encouragement from Shug and Sofia, Celie was able to avoid the submissive lifestyle she and Harpo once led. “You should hit Mr. _____’s head,” urged Sofia (44), wishing Celie would come out of her,.