Positive Relationships Present In Celie's Life example essay topic

What It Takes to Overcome Suffering When dealing with hardship in one's life, people deal with it in diverse ways. One may overcome suffering through their own thoughts and ventilation, or by through their relationships with themselves, other people, or even a higher being. Alice Walker, an African American writer, narrows the scope of suffering to a single, courageous woman in her novel, The Color Purple. Through this remarkable woman, Celie, Walker illustrates that even when life can't get any worse, one can overcome impossible odds. Alice Walker illustrates through Celie's triumph over Mr., one overcomes suffering through the presence of strong positive relationships.

The obstacles that Celie overcomes are indicative of the relationships that she acquires. Through the relationships that Celie forms with God, Sofia, Nettie, Shug, and the ultimate relationship she develops with herself, she is able to overcome the abuse and hardship that is present in her life and her past. Celie's upbringing was not one, that which someone would call typical. She must care for her brothers and sisters, and is already burdened with the cooking and cleaning of the household because of her mother's deteriorating health. And if that is not a harsh struggle enough, Celie is being continuously raped by the man she knows to be her father. Celie gives birth to two of her father's children, whom he sells after Celie gives birth.

She is tormented with the thoughts of her two born children, and why these horrible things happen to her. Celie is mistreated and abused day to day, and accepts this as the norm childhood. Not only is the young, innocent Celie raped Ventura 2 again and again, she is beat by this man, when she does something he does not approve of. "He beat me today cause he say I winked at a boy in church" (Walker 5). She is victimized by this man repeatedly and cannot help but only wonder why. She is thought of as nothing but a sexual object, and is taken advantage of over and over.

She is stepped on repeatedly by her stepfather and is threatened not to say anything. "You better not never tell nobody but God. It's kill your mammy" (Walker 1). She is silenced not to tell anyone about her explicit rapes because she knows it would kill her mother, and therefore only expresses her hardship to God. This poor young girl deals with hardship most adults do not even encounter, but handles it with her own prerogative. Because of harsh circumstances and an inability to speak up, Celie begins the struggle of her life at such a young age.

Celie's struggle comes to no conclusion, but continues in the same way with her marriage to Mr... "Celie is a woman who is victimized physically and psychologically by both her stepfather and her husband" ("Alice Walker" 422). The man she is sold to, known as Mr., is set up by her stepfather Fon so, not to be necessarily his wife, but his sex slave with no consequence. The actions of both her step father as well as her husband parallel each other in the way that they treat Celie with zero respect or dignity. ' "Mr. say... All women do good for-he don't finish...

Remind me of Pa" ' (Cutter 5). She is reliving the horrors of her childhood in the same way her husband as she did her father. Albert, Celie's estranged husband, treats her as though she was an object, not a person; an object that was only to be used by him and no one else. Albert had wished to marry another woman, but was given Celie, and therefore dissatisfied with the way things turned out. He takes out his dissatisfaction on his innocent wife, who knows nothing better than to do exactly as he tells her. Celie is manipulated physically and emotionally Ventura 3 by her husband, and leads an abusive life, which she accepts to be the normal.

Celie comes to the conclusion that "a girl is nothing to herself; only to her husband can she become something" (Walker 155). She comes to feel that she can never be her own person; she must live the life her husband gives her to live. A traumatic life and past can only mold one into who they will become. Celie's life is full of traumatic events and circumstances, and she struggles to no end.

Celie is completely stepped on by everyone around her, and fails to do anything about it. She sits back and is continuously raped, and beaten by the men in her life. She goes through such heartache as a child, and relives that same pain as an adult. She often contemplates why this happens to her, but lets it happen. She acknowledges the facts, that these horrible things are indeed happening to her, but she disregards what she knows, and dwells on what she is told.

She completely disregards what she knows to be true in her heart, but lives her life according to the way her husband wants her to live. She knows nothing better than this harsh, abusive life that tormented her soul as a child, and lets it happen once again in her adulthood. And that in turn leaves Celie with a harsh way of life, and is left with nothing, but her desires and deepest thoughts. Celie begins to write letters filled with her deepest thoughts.

Thoughts on how she is abused, how she feels about herself, and a plea for an answer on why this is happening to her. Her letters are addressed to God. "Because she must survive against impossible odds, because she has no one to talk to, she writes about her life in the guise of letters to God" (Steinem 424). Celie confides to God all the misfortunes and horrors that she has been dealt with at such a young age. She has no one to disclose her emotions to, no one to trust or have faith in, which is Ventura 4 why she turns to God. .".. she must tell someone the truth and confirm her existence...

". (Steinem 424). Celie pleas to God for a sign on why she suffers, and trusts God to hopefully give her some sort of explanation. Although Celie confides to the fullest extent in God, she becomes restless and cannot handle being in the dark about her suffering. Celie soon discovers that her husband, Mr., has been hiding the letters that her sister, Nettie, has been writing to Celie for months. After becoming aware of this horrifying knowledge, Celie blames God for allowing Mr. to do such a horrible thing.

She is completely discouraged, for the person she held the utmost trust in "betrayed" her in a way that is unforgivable. She begins to feel apathetic towards God and blames him for the troubles she has been given. "Yeah, I say, and he give me a lynched daddy, a crazy mama, a low down dog of a step pa, and a sister I probably won't ever see again" (Walker 192). Celie feels that this relationship, alone, does not suffice to help her make it through. She needs some sort of reciprocation, and a knowing ness that someone is on the other side of her writings. When Celie reaches the end of her circuit with her letters to God, she begins to write to her sister Nettie.

Nettie is a missionary in Africa, but continues to keep in touch wither her sister through letters. They write to each other all their deepest thoughts and what is going on in their lives, what they come to realize is quite similar. They miss each other terribly, but their bond remains as strong as ever. "The years have come and gone without a single word from you. Only the sky do we hold in common" (Walker 189).

The relationship that Celie has with her sister is what keeps her going and keeps her life worth living. Nettie is "only one of two people that Celie truly loves" and cares about in her life ("Growth Throughout" 1). They have the type of bond that they can feel each other's presence, and know that the other is on the other side waiting for Ventura 5 response, and although they never hear from one another, it is given that the other remains. Even though there comes a point in time when Nettie is believed to be dead, she was never more alive to Celie. "How can you be dead if I still feel you? Maybe, like God, you changed into something different that I'll have to speak to you in a different way, but you not dead to me Nettie.

And never will be" (Walker 230). Both Nettie and Celie are going through hardship in their separate lives, which is why they resort to each other's letters to keep themselves from losing all hope and sanity. .".. these sisters need each other desperately, but each must mature and survive without response from the other" (Prescott 450). Although Celie knows and feels that her sister is with her, she discovers elsewhere that she might find an equally reciprocating relationship. As Celie continues to write her letters to Nettie, and keep that faith in the relationship she has with her, Celie develops a relationship that ultimately changes the way she looks at life. Celie befriends, Shug, her husband's occasional mistress, and develops quite a relationship with her. It was with Shug, that for the first time, someone needed her just as she needed them in a mutual relationship of love and respect.

"It is Shug Avery who forces Albert to stop brutalizing Celie, and it is Shug with whom Celie first consummates a satisfying reciprocally loving relationship" (Watkins 450). Celie has never experienced a real relationship before, and is completely taken by surprise when she discovers what real love and relationships is really like. Once Celie and Shug develop quite a relationship, after Celie took care of Shug when she had fallen ill, they begin to complement each other to become the people they hope to become. "Once Celie becomes Shug's friend and stops trying to be like her, she instead begins to learn from her and become her own person" ("Growth Throughout" 1).

Celie learns from Shug to confident in one's self and not o be constantly taken advantage of. Although Shug made a Ventura 6 change in Celie, Celie did in Shug as well, and they grew as people together. .".. they were both growing in their relationship at the same time because neither of them had had sexual experiences with a woman before" ("Growth Throughout" 1). Not only did they grow together but learned to love each with deep compassion. A first for Celie is that with Shug is the first time she has loved someone as much as the love she feels for Nettie ("Growth Throughout" 1).

Celie is a woman forever changed having Shug in her life. Celie not only finds this type of inspiring relationship in Shug, but in Sofia as well. Celie also develops a relationship with Sofia. Sofia is the wife of her husband's son, Harpo. Sofia deals with an abusive, deceitful relationship in her life, but her methods of attacking it are far different than Celie's. Sofia is a strong, bitter woman, who completely attacks her husband to let him know she will not tolerate any of that nonsense.

"When I see Sofia I don't know why she still alive" (Walker 86). Celie often wonders how Sofia is still alive, because the way she handles similar experiences, is so different than her own. Sofia is an incredibly strong individual, and Celie looks upon that with admiration, and eventually stops viewing her behavior with curiosity and starts viewing it with esteem and hope. "Sofia is a woman who won't let anyone walk over her and Harpo learns that when he tries to beat her so that she will be as obedient to Celie" ("Growth Throughout" 1). At the same time, which creates a sort of irony, Sofia looks up to Celie. Sofia looks up to the calmness and composure that Celie constantly displays, and never lets her heartache get the best of her.

Sofia views Celie's actions as very admirable, while Celie would tend to view herself being taking advantage of. "Every time they as me to do something, Miss Celie, I act like I'm you. I jump right up and do what they say" (Walker 88). Sofia regards Celie as a very strong woman, and for the first time has a different Ventura 7 view of herself, as something other than a weak object. It is at that turning point where the old Celie turns into the new Celie, and from there there is no turning back. The changes that happen in Celie's life speak volumes about her changed character.

Celie stands up to and then comes to terms with Albert, her distanced husband. "You a lowdown dog is what's wrong I say. It's time to leave you and enter into the Creation. And your dead body is just the welcome mat I need" (Walker 207). She speaks up to him for the first time ever, and is on her own for quite some time. Then a changed Celie is reunited with her once estranged husband, but on a very different note.

Their relationship changes immensely, as does the way they feel about each other. "They saw things in each other that they never knew the other had. They couldn't believe it themselves that the other had so much to offer the other " ("Growth Throughout" 2). He views her now as a person, and no longer as something that is to be owned. Not only has Celie's change changed herself, but she has changed other people, most specifically her husband, for the better as well.

"Her husband mends his ways after living alone and asks Celie to marry him in body as well as in soul. He now loves Celie and has learned to respect her as a woman" ("Growth Throughout" 10). The change in Albert is just one of many, that results from the positive relationships present in Celie's life. Celie, an exuberant and courageous character, undergoes an immense change with the help of these strong relationships that are now present in her life.

Celie learns to stand up for herself and leaves her husband. She has become an independent woman, who can now suffice for herself, and no longer depends on anyone else". You make your living, Celie, she say. Girl, you on your way" (Walker 221). Shug opened the doors for Celie to be own her way to being an independent woman. She opened up a shop, in which she makes and sells pants.

She makes her Ventura 8 life have meaning, which in turn makes her develop a sense of respect for herself. Because she has reconnected back with herself, Celie is now stronger than ever before. Celie now knows the way she should be treated, thanks to the inspirational women who taught her about life. Celie, now a much changed type of woman, can now be proud of who she is, and can sleep with a clear conscience knowing that her life is just the way she wants it.

Alice Walker illustrates in her novel, The Color Purple, that through Celie's triumph over Mr. Albert, one has the ability to overcome suffering through the presence of strong positive relationships. Through Celie's relationships with God, Nettie, Shug and Sofia, Celie overcomes the suffering that exists in her life and reconnects back to herself. These women have created amazing bonds with one another and are stronger as one, while at that same time overcoming their own obstacles. The women in The Color Purple build a wall of camaraderie around themselves.

They share in each other's pain, sorrow, laughter, and dreams. They applaud each other's achievements. And they come to each other's rescue. They are sisters in body as well as in spirit and the spirit cannot be broken (Parker-Smith). They grow and are profound as one group but also as individuals. Celie, while being part of a group who overcomes it all with flying colors, grows as a woman on her own as well.

"Celie is a woman who is victimized physically and psychologically... but manages to survive and emerges as a stronger person" ("Alice Walker" 422). Celie beats impossible odds presented to her, and benefits in the end from her experiences. How one deals with suffering may differ person to person, but what matters is the outcome, and how ultimately the self-perseveres.