“The Color Purple” is a story about the social position of African-American women, written by Alice Walker in 1982. The book talks about pretty sad and explicit events in the lives of the most vulnerable members of the nation.  

It is a known fact that it used to be okay for white people to think of themselves better in comparison to those of other skin colors. But that’s only one form of judgment and discrimination experienced in the world. In this story, Alice Walker demonstrates other levels of injustice and inequality. Even the slaves used to have their own prejudices.

It used to be that a man would hold absolute power over a woman, and even a small boy would feel that girls are inferior to him. So imagine the very bottom of the social pot, where Celie, a young black girl, finds herself living. She has no education or job, her father constantly abuses her and murders her children. Celie isn’t alone – throughout her miserable life, she meets other women just like her, whom men treat as weak, emotionless and powerless creatures they own.

“The Color Purple” is a story about women, but it’s also about men. The book portrays men who are against slavery, they advocate for rights of the African Americans, yet they buy their wives like groceries, beat and rape them, punishing them for being female.

“The Color Purple” is a strong and powerful book. It is provocative in the sense that it demonstrates the multiple layers of gradation in the American society. It is about upbringing and feelings. Despite the violence, the protagonists of the book grow up and learn their lessons. They learn to think differently, to feel their emotions and to trust themselves. Each one of them has a painful way to get there: through suffering, through compassion, through sudden moments of enlightenment.

It’s time for the readers to get their own share of enlightenment and realize that women rights aren’t granted, they were earned in an unequal fight and many soldiers were lost in the battle.

Author: Ralph Boyd