can bear all the sorrows inflicted upon her just like when she talks to Nettie, before leaving from her husbands home, she says:
It worse than that, I think. If I was buried, I wouldnt have to work. But I just say, Never mine, never mine, long as I can spell
G-o-d I got somebody along. The Color Purple, 1982 p. 19.
From the quotation above, we can see that the life of Celie is worse than if she is buried. But she tries to always be strong to overcome all of her problem as
long as God with her. Although other women around her like Sofia and Shug Avery tell her that she
has to fight in order to improve her situation and to make Mr_____ recognize that he cannot treat her that way, Celie stays passive victim of her environment.
How bad the situation is for Celie becomes obvious as she states that living
this way with Mr____ and his children.
No men think that Celie is important. Celie always be a passive object that could not do something to help herself from the patriarchy. She is always abused
throughout her life, being sexual abused child and passive wife make her suffering all the time until finally there are things that encourage Celie s struggle against male
domination.
4.1.4 Lack of Education
Celie is not as pretty or as smart as her little sister, Nettie. She is largely uneducated. Her letters to God are written in non-standard dialect. it is raw and
honest and strong. Celies letters are unusually strong; they are evidence of an unusual strength in a very young woman. They are evidence of Celies painful
struggle to hold on despite all of the multiple horrors of her life. For the example, we can see the quotation below:
• My mama dead. She screaming and cussing. She scream
at me. She cuss at me. The color purple, 1982 p. 4
Actually, Celie want to write My mama dead. She screaming and cursing, She scream at me. She curse at
me.
• But I dont think he kilt it. The color purple, 1982 p. 5
Actually, Celie want to write But I dont think he killed it
Celie is not allowed to go to school by her stepfather. she received education by learning what her little sister was teaching her. It was believed that if the blacks
were kept uneducated then they would be ignorant about their rights and would not fight for freedom. The letter that gives a proof that Celie is not permitted to go to
school is: The first time I got big Pa took me out of school. He never care.
That I love it. Nettie stood there at the gate holding tight to my hand. I was all dress for first day. You too dumb to keep going to
school, Pa say. Nettie the clever on in this bunch. But Pa, Nettie say, crying, Celie smart too. Even Miss Beasley say so. Nettie
dote on Miss Beasley. Think nobody like her in the world. The Color Purple, p. 11.
From the quotation above, it is implied that Celie is one of the examples of contemporary African-American women who was not permitted to go to the school.
As Olinkas stated, “A girl is nothing to herself; only to her husband can she become something,” The Color Purple, p. 140. So, it is evident that the condition of African
American women at that time was hard. As the older daughter, Celie is expected to stay home and care for Fonso and the house, while Nettie attends school.
Fortunately, Miss Beasley and Nettie privately teach and coach Celie but it is difficult for her to learn because both her physically and emotionally beaten by her
abuse.
4.2 Sisterhood and Its Role in Celie’s Struggle Toward Man Domination
