Celies Life and Hard Times. :: English Literature

Celies Life and Hard Times.Alice Walker vividly portrays the sad yet apparent reality of life inthe black rural communities of America during the mid-twentiethcentury. It is a time when the impacts of slavery are still prevalent.The relationships within families - as reflected in the novel - alsofeel this impact. In search of a means to overcome their inferiorityin a society dominated by whites, workforce usually have their womenfolkprovide them with the feeling of importance that they desire (such asthe practice of addressing their husbands as Mr.______). This attitudetowards women is made obvious on the very scratch line page, depictingCelies perception of her stepfather, He never had a kine word to sayto me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldnt (1).As Celies life progresses, having give birth to two children - bothof whom were taken away by her father - she is wed to Mr.______unceremoniously. Pa, one the basis that she was too young, rejectedthe request for Netties ha nd in marriage to Mr.______. Instead heoffers Celie, claiming she was the more viable candidate on thefollowing groundsShe ugly. He say. But she aint no stranger to hard work. And sheclean. And beau ideal fixed her. You can do everything just like you want toand she aint gonna make you feed it or clothe it. (9)Beginning from that day on Celies life took an ever-downward aslantturn. She endures seeing Olivia with a new mother, the animosity ofHarpo, taking care of Mr. ______s children, and his abuse. Herrelationship with Mr.______ is such that it could hardly be called amarriage. She was to do just as he said, without so much as uttering aword of disagreement. She no longer possesses a zeal for life Mylife stop when I left office . . . (85). Each day is just another choreDuring this time Nettie had also experiences some trouble at spot withPa. After she realizes that to remain at home any longer would be acompromise to her safety she runs away to Mr.______s home. There sheis welc ome since Mr.______ still thinks Nettie to be very attractive -but for a while only - as Nettie does not give in to his demands.When Mr.______ drives Nettie away, Celie experiences a loss soprofound that it would take many years to undo the injury done. Upuntil that stage in Celies life none had ever expressed any concernover herself. It was Nettie who ensured that Celie was literate, thatCelie received an education, that Celie was not pushed around by