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B.A. Thesis Chapter 3 Black women?s approach to emancipation

nature and life. In her last letter, Celie begins with Dear God Dear stars, Dear trees, Dear sky, Dear peoples. Dear everything. Dear God, this succession of addresses reveals that the notion of God in her mind has changed. Celie has new conception of God, He is everything and everything is God and this opens her eyes to the outside world, and thus revives her. She realizes that the new God exists in her, as a spiritual power and an inner support to her. When Celie discovers that she is a part of “the creation”, that she fits into the natural order of the world, actual redemption occurs. She finally has self-reckoning and importance. Since Celie can love herself, she can love others. 3.2.3 Economic Freedom

Virginia Woolf says in her essay A Room of One’s Own that ―if a woman wants to write novels, she must have money and a room of her own.”(Woolf 52) That is to say, economic freedom is the medium that enables a woman to do things according to her own will and that is a crucial condition for her total emancipation.

In the novel, Celie?s poverty is shocking. When she is a teenage girl, she is almost naked “He say why don?t you look decent? Put on something. But what I?m sposed to put on? I don?t have nothing” (Walker 5) Working day and night in the house and fields for several decades, Celie has nothing under her name. When she is married, it is Celie and her step-son Harpo who work in the fields, but the product belongs to the

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B.A. Thesis Chapter 3 Black women?s approach to emancipation

master of the family---Albert. When she announces her leaving, she is deprived of everything by her husband. Celie?s poverty makes her stay in an inferior family position. She likes wearing her favorite color----the purple or a little red in it, but she is forbidden to do so, because her husband won?t want to pay for her. Fortunately, Celie, as a black woman without any formal education, has talent in making pants. With the help of Shug, Celie leaves for Memphis and begins to learn how to earn money by making pants. She accepts Shug?s advice and opens her own clothing company--- Folkspants Unlimited Company. Sofia also does not hesitate to help Celie in her new business. When women obtain economic independence, they gain freedom of thinking, because they do not depend on men any more. Celie manual labor becomes a creative artistic activity, in which she discovers her wisdom and artistic beauty, and realizes her self-confidence. As she sits on Shug's dining room floor, visualizing herself made pants; she begins to trust in her own creativity and her own existence as a vital, contributing member of society. Celie?s economic freedom in The Color Purple indicates the turn-around point within her life. It strengthens her life's meaning and gives her a position within society. Moreover, her new business Folkspants, Unlimited provides her with the means to go out and discover the world on her own without waiting for others to interpret it to her.

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B.A. Thesis Conclusion

Conclusion

Alice Walker?s The Color Purple is a novel that wonderfully portrays the gradual forming of a new black woman, Celie, who evolves from patriarchal oppression to awakening and independence.

Walker is a very committed writer who refuses the notion of ?Art for Art?s sake?. This is quite evident in The Color Purple since not only does she describe the evils of racism and sexism that African American women suffered from, but she even goes further as she proposes an outlet, a solution to their situation, a path to follow in order to escape the evils of patriarchy and live a descent life. Celie, a poor and uneducated African American girl, is able to change her situation. She is a symbol of hope that impresses the readers by her strength, faith and courage. From exploring her process, it seems that female bonding is one of the main elements that women need in order to emancipate. Nettie, Sofia and Shug help Celie a lot in her emancipation. Nettie, the sister, the teacher and the eternal hope helps Celie in writing her sufferings down on paper. Sofia, on the other hand, acts like a mentor for Celie. In fact, with her rebellious spirit, she exerts a critical effect on Celie?s awakening. Sofia?s bravery immensely touches Celie; she makes Celie realize that women can be independent, strong and courageous, and that saves Celie from a

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B.A. Thesis Conclusion

humiliating condition and paves the way for a new free self.

Therefore, we can see the womanist in Celie. She has developed from a young girl, forced to act in an adult way, into a woman who displays signs of all the criteria for having achieved a womanist development: she has grown up (not just acting as though she is), she is in charge of a business, a house and, in short, her life. She is serious. She has a universalist perspective, and most importantly, she loves. Celie?s experience ends in a real triumph. Her fight is a successful example for all women who are still under patriarchal domination. This shows that Alice Walker?s true intention from writing this novel to point out a bright way for the freedom and liberation of black women as well as all other oppressed women all over the world.

In The Color Purple, Walker builds a way where man and woman establish ideal relationships. Her message is that women must stand up against the unfair treatment they receive at the hands of men and that they must do this by helping one another. The women in the novel, even those who have interests in the same men, nevertheless band together to support and sustain one another throughout the novel. People who used to suffer in their struggling ultimately succeed and win their happiness they deserve. Thus The Color Purple does not only exhort black women but all other oppressed women in the world that they are able to live an independent life both physically and economically. In order to be free

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B.A. Thesis Conclusion

from patriarchal domination and establish harmonious relationship with men at last, women should learn how to be independent and keep on fighting against the prejudice and the patriarchal domination from men as it is commonly said: any revolution starts in mind. So if a woman wants to change her life she has to fight as Celie did.

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