Trapped in Society

The role that gender plays in the novel “The Color Purple” is quite significant to the plot. The supremacy that male characters hold over female characters shapes not only the characters themselves but also the stereotypes given to them. A motif that has been evident throughout the novel so far is trees. As I noted in my notebook, “I know trees fear man” (Walker 22) and “The trees...He got bout five dozen in his trunk” (Walker 24-25). The author is using trees as a symbol to represent the oppression that women face under men. For example, the women are seen as useful for things that fall under the category of “women work” (Walker 21) such as cleaning, cooking, dealing with the kids, etc. While the women perform their instituted duties, the men give their unnecessary feedback and beat them restlessly just because they want to and because they believe it’s just what they’re supposed to do. Therefore the women are oppressed by both racism and society’s gender roles. While it is obvious that these women are trapped within this life, we still see their defiance as they grow and stand up for themselves. A character that heavily portrays this is Sofia. As Harpo tried to beat Sofia, she fought back and said “But I’ll kill him dead before I let him beat me” (Walker 52). Even though my group is not too far along in the novel, we have already seen notable growth of the female characters. We see them come together and support each other. At the beginning of the novel celie was shy and conserved. Now, Celie is more confident and has grown as she strives to become her own person outside of the stereotypes of society.