Redemption in Alice Walkers Color Purple Essay - 1194 Words

Redemption in The Color Purple Alice Walker grew up in rural Georgia in the mid 1900s as the daughter of two poor sharecroppers. Throughout her life, she has been forced to face and overcome arduous lessons of life. Once she managed to transfer the struggles of her life into a book, she instantaneously became a world-renowned author and Pulitzer Prize winner. The Color Purple is a riveting novel about the struggle between redemption and revenge according to Dinitia Smith. The novel takes place rural Georgia, starting in the early 1900s over a period of 30 years. Albert, also known as Mr._____, and his son Harpo must prevail over their evil acts towards other people, especially women. Albert and Harpo wrong many people†¦show more content†¦When Albert recognizes his need to change, he has reached his first step towards redemption. Harpo’s redemption comes about much more quickly than Albert’s does. Perhaps this is because Harpo is not as stubborn or awful as his father, or perhaps because there was always love between him and his wife, Sofia; however, he still does great wrongs towards Sofia and women and general. He has been taught that a man should be above all women in every aspect. Harpo eventually learns that he cannot control Sofia, he tries to beat her at first; but she ends up hurting him badly. Harpo’s first step towards redemption is concluding that he and Sofia truly love each other, and that he needs to treat her well if he wants to keep her (Walker 38). Even after understanding this, he does not truly learn how much Sofia means to him until she is taken from him (Walker 89). Albert was able to overcome the stereotype set upon him, and all he grew up learning to become a person. He had to evaluate how he treated people in his life, and take action to correct his mistakes. Albert discovers reflection that makes him a defined person, despite his reflective manner at the end of the novel; he remains in the area of possibility (Davis 405). While Albert reflects on his faults, he learns that â€Å"†¦morality is not an external dictate. It doesn’t matter if you love the wrong people, †¦or whether you have money, or go to church, †¦whatShow MoreRelatedAlice Walkers Themes of Womanism, Community, and Regeneration1968 Words   |  8 Pages7th February 2011 Alice Walkers Themes of Womanism, Community, and Regeneration Alice Walker is considered one of the most influential African American writers of the 20th century, because of her raw portrayal of African American struggles and the injustices towards black women. She was the first African American female novelist to win both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for The Color Purple. Her work is appealing and powerful because â€Å"Walkers novels can be read as anRead MoreThe Color Purple: Reflections Of Alice Walker Essay728 Words   |  3 PagesAlice Walker grew up in rural Georgia in the mid 1900s as the daughter of two poor sharecroppers. Throughout her life, she has been forced to face and overcome demanding lessons of life. She transferred the struggles of her life into a book, that got her awarded a Pulitzer Prize and she became known as a world renowned author. The Color Purple is a compelling novel about redemption and revenge. The conflict between racism, sexism, and the power of strong female relationships is how Al ice expressedRead MoreExamples Of Womanism In The Color Purple1866 Words   |  8 PagesWritten in 1982 by Alice Walker, The Color Purple is a Pulitzer-Prize winning novel about one Southern black woman’s life of abuse and journey of self-discovery in the search to reunite with her sister. With film and Broadway adaptations, the story has reached raving audiences all over the world and has come with a significant amount of both acclaim and criticism. In this essay, I will establish how Alice Walker subverts stereotypes associated with black female sexuality through the relationshipRead MorePurple Hibiscus by Chidimanmanda Ngozi Adichie1203 Words   |  5 PagesChidimanmanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author, her first ever novel Purple Hibiscus was criticised for addressing the important issues of postcolonial studies such as violence against women and brutal feminism. Alice Walker is an American author as well as a poet, her bestselling novel The Colour Purple was firmly criticised on showing the severity of feminist injustice Feminism is a movement defining the equality and rights for women. Feminism opens potential meaning in these novels as it creates