Compare and Contrast Essay

Compare and Contrast Essay

2007

Outline

Introduction

The differences between the characters of Celie and Shug Avery

Celie and Shug in their relation to patriarchal power and male domination in the society

Voice of the characters as a form of participation in verbal space of power relations

The similarity between Celie and Shug

Inversion of mother-daughter model

Conclusion

The novel The Color Purple ' by Alice Walker is an outstanding example of African American fiction that deals with the position of women in the Southern society . The

protagonist of this Bildungsroman the black girl Celie makes her way to self-identification and fulfillment , overcoming double oppression because of her race and gender . However , apart from Celie , a range of highly individualized characters , both men and women , inhabit this novel and try to find their true identity . As Ferrell points out , structurally , the novel uses character contrasts , presenting five women , each at a different level with regard to personal freedom , to portray the cultural variation present in rural Georgia and to some extent as it , exists in Africa (102

Of great interest is the character of Shug Avery , which is clearly opposed to Celie in the beginning of the story . This report argues that the differences between these characters visualize the major motifs of the novel , i .e . patriarchal male domination and liberation of woman via articulation and self-fulfillment . Furthermore , despite their differences , Celie and Shug complement each other and engage in a mutually compensating relationship , the configuration of which changes from mother-daughter and teacher-pupil model to sisterly union

At first glance the characters of Celie and Shug Avery are strikingly different . Celie is battered fourteen-year-old woman /child who , after having been raped by her stepfather , was married to a neighbor farmer who needed a mother /maid for his children from a previous marriage (Christophe , 65 . Shug is an attractive and mature woman who is a talented and acknowledged singer she is a kind of femme fatale ' who chooses her men by herself and in some time leaves them for a new attraction . At the end of the novel Celie becomes more similar to Shug she also comes to be financially and spiritually independent , realizes her creative potential and learns to articulate her voice in the social interactions , especially with men who used to oppress her

Moreover , Celie is a more holistic character than Shug . She starts from complete dependence and being oppressed , and gradually develops into an independent and self-conscious woman . Shug , however , is more of an ambiguous character . She is condemned by the society for sexual licentiousness ad is known for her fleeting affairs with men . When Celie first hears about her , she is having an affair with a married man Mr .___ , and bore him children . She engages into love affairs and quickly gets bored , abandoning her lovers and making them suffer . This implies that she is equally supercilious in other interpersonal relations . However , in relationship with Celie she demonstrates an opposite side of her personality , being warm and supportive...