“It takes all I’ve got to keep from crying.” I make wood for myself. Celie, I tell myself. The Color Purple’s protagonist, Alice Walker, said: “That’s why I know that trees fear people.” (23) Celie’s early speech was characterized by meekness. Celie’s behavior changed as the book progressed. She became more resilient and dignified. Alice Walker’s novel developed Celie by using literary techniques, such as symbolism and juxtaposition.
The tone is a key tool in personifying the character of a novel. The Color Purple is a good example. Celie, in her subservient position, did not respond to abuse. Celie once said, with a depressed voice, that she would passively yield whenever she felt forced to participate in sexual acts, and let her Pa (or Mr. ______) “get there” to enjoy himself. Whatever I am thinking. No matter how I feel. He’s the only one. Celie’s hopeless surrender is a constant. She was convinced that she would suffer the same fate as her sister Nettie if she refused to give in: “I imagine Nettie is dead.” She ran away, but she fought. What’s the point? What good does it do? “But I’m still alive.” (22) Evidently, Celie thought that wishing for a passionate love life would lead to her death. So, Celie chose hopelessly to live a life indifferent and full of pain.
“I cannot even remember when I last felt mad… awful feeling. Celie, recalling her apathy, said: “I felt nothing at first.” (44) The apathy she felt towards the novel’s end dissipated when Nettie wrote her. The first time she ever felt resentment. Celie expressed her anger in a bold manner. She told Mr. ______ that “you are a lowdown canine, you’re what’s bad… It is time to leave for the Creation”. It’s time to leave you and enter into the Creation. It was a very vindictive act. Celie’s tone of spite was evident again when she responded to Mr. ______ verbally abusing her with “I curse you.” You can’t have anything you want until you make it right with me. You will be punished twice for each lick of your tongue. You will spend your time in jail if you decide to do me harm …” (213) Celie became independent because she refused to be bullied by Mr. ______.
Symbolism can be used by writers to express certain ideas in their characters. Pants are a good example of a symbolism in action. Celie’s choice of pants in her wardrobe represents her masculinity. Celie became self-sufficient and confident through her pants. Celie’s pants factory enabled her to become independent from Shug and Mr. _____ despite Mr. ______’s discouragement: “You are not getting one dime of my money… you nothing at all.” No one like you is going to the North. The only thing that you’re fit to do here in Memphis, however, is to be Shug’s servant.
Celie’s self-esteem was essential for her to break free from subservience. Celie’s religion helped her to achieve this. Shug taught Celie to believe that God is the inner force behind all of nature’s colors, including purple. Celie’s obedient state is symbolized in the color of purple because it is ignored in many fields. Celie became a true lover of nature after she adopted Shug’s religion. Celie admired the color of purple as well as her existence. Celie described her room as “everything purple and red except for the floor painted brightly yellow.”
The Color Purple’s characters are also identified by symbolism. Alphonso, Albert and Celie, Celie’s male equivalents, established themselves as “kings” of the house, with the women and the children as inferiors. Instead of calling themselves “Kings”, they were called “Pa” (father) and “Mr.” ______” were borne, respectively. It would be considered disobedient to call their “inferiors'” first names. Celie referred to Mr. ______ as “Albert”, and Pa was called “Alphonso”. This signifies their subordination over Celie.
This literary element is used to show the difference or similarity between two individuals. Walker used this literary technique to compare Celie with the other characters. Harpo, the son of Mr. ______, is a character that parallels Celie’s subordinate status. Harpo may be “nearly the size of his dad, but [he] is weak in will” (29) like Celie Harpo has been the victim of emotional and/or physical abuse from Mr. ______. He was made to sweat, chop, and plough in the field all day.
Celie, on the other hand, was completely different from Sofia. Celie wrote that Sofia “didn’t act at all like me” (38) while Celie was beaten by Mr. ______, Pa and her brothers, Sofia “fought [her] dad… [her] siblings… [and] [her] cousins or uncles.” (42) Sofia maintained control over her marriage and not Harpo. Shug, who was in control of Harpo’s relationship with her, represented Celie as the woman that she wanted to be. She was talented, beautiful and, most important, had authority over Mr._________.
The novel progressed and the similarities between Celie, Shug, and Sofia lessened. Celie’s submissive life with Harpo was no longer possible thanks to Shug and Sofia. Sofia encouraged Celie by saying, “You need to smack Mr. _____ in the face.” Shug encouraged Celie in a similar way to look at life, love and God from a fresh perspective. It was this perspective that made Celie “at peace with God” (255). Shug provided Celie with money for her pants factory. Celie was able to achieve her goals by assimilating the influences of Sofia and Shug.
Celie declares confidently at the end of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, “I am a pore, I am black, and I might be ugly, but I will still be here.” (214). The protagonist did not always speak with such audacity. Celie’s submissive nature was evident in the first chapters of the book. Celie’s self-respect was only achieved towards the end. Alice Walker effectively detailed this independence through the use of language tools such as symbolism, tone and juxtaposition.