AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ANYSIA FERDITA WIKANTAYU
Student Number: 014214132
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
ANYSIA FERDITA WIKANTAYU
Student Number: 014214132
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv
Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.
(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sing the tune
Without the words
And never stop at all
(Emily Dickinson)
v
I want to thank God the Almighty because of His greatness I would be able to finish my thesis. I also want to express my gratitude to my advisor Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M.Hum. because without her guidance I would not be able to finish my thesis.
I thank my beloved father and mother in heaven. I am sure they are watching so I would be able to finish my thesis. I thank my lovely and only sister (Mbak Rien) who always encourages me to finish my thesis and my study. I thank her for taking care of me. I also want to thank my brother in law (Mas Alex) for his patience and for taking care of my sister.
I thank my friends in campus, The Cipika-Cipiki Plus, for their friendship. They give me many things to learn, things that I will never forget. To Ega, for the last moment, I thank her for the support she gave.
I also want to thank my big family, my grandfather, oma, uncles, aunties, cousins who always support me to finish my thesis.
I thank my best friends, Ijok, for the lessons he gave me. Last but not least, my gratitude goes to my very best friend Arba. I thank him for understanding me, giving me support and also his love.
vi
1. Theory of Character and Characterization ... 9
2. Theory of Psychology ... 11
B. The Homosexual Relationship between Celie and Shug Avery .... 36
C. Celie’s motivation of her HomosexualRelationship ... 43
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION … ... 49
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 53
vii
Character’s Homosexual Relationship as Seen in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple tells about an African American girl named Celie. Since she was a child, Celie was abused by her father and she also never has a happy life with her husband. Her fear of men led her into a homosexual relationship with a blues singer named Shug Avery. This novel is chosen to be analyzed because the writer is interested in the psychological problem which is the homosexual relationship that is often discussed and found lately in this era. The writer wants to see the motivation of the main character’s homosexualrelationship in the novel.
There are three problem proposed in this thesis. They are (1) How is Celie depicted in the novel? (2) How do the relationship between Celie and Shug Avery portray a homosexual relationship? (3) What is Celie’s motivation of her homosexualrelationship?
This study applied the library research. This research collected data and information from some research books and internet. The psychological approach is the most appropriate approach to analyze the story related to the motivation of the main character’s homosexual relationship and her childhood experience that influenced it.
viii
Character’s Homosexual Relationship as Seen in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
The Color Purple karangan Alice Walker menceritakan tentang seorang wanita Afrika Amerika bernama Celie. Sejak kecil dia menjadi korban pelecehan oleh ayahnya dan dia juga tidak pernah hidup bahagia dengan suaminya. Ketakutannya terhadap lelaki mendorongnya untuk mempunyai hubungan homoseksual dengan seorang penyanyi jazz bernama Shug Avery. Novel ini dipilih untuk dianalisa karena penulis tertarik pada masalah sosial tentang hubungan homoseksual yang banyak ditemukan dan dibicarakan oleh banyak orang sekarang ini. Penulis ingin mencari motivasi tokoh utama dalam hubungan homoseksualnya.
Ada tiga permasalahan yang diajukan untuk penelitian ini. Permasalahan tersebut adalah (1) Bagaimana penggambaran Celie dalam novel? (2) Bagaimana hubungan antara Celie dan Shug Avery menggambarkan sebuah hubungan homoseksual? (3) Apa motivasi Celie dalam hubungan homoseksualnya?
Penelitian ini menggunakan metode studi pustaka. Penulis mengumpulkan data dari buku dan internet. Pendekatan psikologi adalah pendekatan yang paling sesuai untuk meneliti cerita ini yang berhubungan dengan motivasi tokoh utama dalam hubungan homoseksualnya dan pengalaman masa kecil yang mempengaruhinya.
Dalam novel ini, kepribadian Celie dipengaruhi oleh pengalaman dalam hidupnya. Ketakutannya terhadap laki-laki dan trauma masa kecil membuat Celie memilih wanita untuk dicintai dan mencintainya. Kurangnya cinta dan kasih sayang membawanya kedalam hubungan homoseksual dengan seorang penyanyi jazz bernama Shug Avery. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa motivasi Celie dalam hubungan homoseksualnyaadalah kebutuhan akan cinta dan diakui keberadaanya. Cinta dan kasih sayang adalah perasaan yang penting untuk Celie. Shug Avery menjadi motivasi Celie untuk mempunyai hubungan yang baik dengan orang yang dicintainya.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
In literature, a story can explore many aspects of human lives. We can see literature as a reflection of reality. There is so much to learn about what or why something can happen either in reality or in a fiction story. The most important thing in a story is a character, which in reality is called human being, the one that experienced lives.
Charles E. Bressler in his book Literary Criticism stated that literature’s primary aim is to tell a story. The subject of this story is particularly human, describing and detailing a variety of human experiences, not stating facts or bits and piece of information. By doing so, literature concretizes an array of human values, emotions, actions, and ideas in story form. And it is this concretization that allows us to experience vicariously the stories of a host of characters. Through these characters we observe people in action, making decisions, struggling to maintain their humanity in often inhumane circumstances, and embodying for us a variety of values and human characteristic that we may embrace, discard, enjoy, or detest (1999: 11).
The writer is interested in the life of the character in the novel. By Charles E. Bressler’s way, we can find out the character’s life story through her/his experiences. The experiences can directly lead us to the emotion and actions of the character. We can also observe the character’s actions in making decisions,
and their effort to maintain their humanity in often inhumane circumstances, and embodying for us a variety of values and human characteristic that we may embrace, discard, enjoy, or detest.
The novel that the writer is talking about is The Color Purple. The Color Purple is a popular and controversial novel written by Alice Walker. In 1983, The Color Purple won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Walker the first African-American Woman to win, as well as the National Book Award. The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1985 and 2005 Broadway musical play. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Danny Glover as “Mr.____”, and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia. Next to the controversy of the novel about the portrayal of the male characters as mean, abusive, uncaring and disloyal, other critics also felt that Steven Spielberg was a poor choice for such a complex drama and that the film had changed or eliminated much of the book's defense of lesbianism. In the novel, Walker's writing reveals the transformative power of female bonding and female love. It offers frank portrayals of bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual relationships amidst situations that penetrate the core of female spiritual and emotional development (http://www.answers.com/topic/the-color-purple).
Celie’s love life. A love with a woman named Shug Avery, Celie’s husband mistress. Despite her miserable life, it is the feeling that Celie considered to be her greatest feeling. A love that later on influences Celie to be a different woman. It is not just a love between sisters or best friends, its more like a love between man and woman. In other way, that kind of relationship can be considered as a portrait of homosexual relationship. That is why the novel is interesting to discuss about. What the writer tries to know is about Celie’s life and her relationship with Shug Avery. Why she chooses a woman to be loved and having homosexual relationship rather than loving a man.
Bisexual or homosexual relationship is a common issue to discuss lately. It is considered as a unique way of sexuality and interesting to discuss about. The existence of bisexual community interests many people around the world, not just from ordinary people but also the academic society. This minor community sometimes considers being negative, unusual, or weird to the society. There are a lot researches had been done about this topic to know more about this kind of people or community. Agreements and disagreements about this issue also rise in many countries. Different opinions and suggestions come from many people. The topic of this thesis itself discusses the character’s bisexual relationship.
Wellek and Waren in their book Theory of Literature state that analyzing literary works relation to psychology means studying theory of psychology that may present within works of literature (1956: 81). Hopefully, by using the psychological approach in analyzing the novel, the readers get some benefits from this thesis.
B. Problem Formulation
This undergraduate thesis discuss about the relationship between Celie and Shug Avery which is representing some problems in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. The problems are formulated into the following.
1. How is Celie depicted in the novel?
2. How does the relationship between Celie and Shug Avery portray a homosexual relationship?
3. What is Celie’s motivation of her bisexual relationship?
C. Objectives of the Study
In the objectives of the study, the writer tries to find out the answers of the problem formulation in the previous part.
human motivation, is to see Celie’s motivation related to her relationship with Shug Avery.
D. Definition of Terms
These are brief explanation about some terms that are used in this thesis in order to guide the reader to understand this thesis.
1. Characters
According to Abrams in A Glossary of Terms, character are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what the say-dialogue and by what they-do-the action (1981: 20). In other words, characters are the persons that is seen by the reader as the one who undergo the action and the dialogue in the work of literature.
2. Personality
According to Rita L Atkinson, Richard C Atkinson, and Ernest R Hilgard in Introduction to Psychology, personality is the characteristic patterns of behaviour and modes of thinking that determine a person’s adjustment to the environment (1981: 383). Knowing the character’s personality can be seen in her/his patterns of behaviour and modes of thinking
4. Homosexual behavior
activity, which is usually defined as the satisfying of personal sexual desires with another person of the same sex. It is important to distinguish between homosexual experience and homosexuality. Homosexual experience refers to sexual experiences in the company of same-sex peers, usually during preadolescence. In contrast, homosexuality is the primary sexual orientation of a person—one which typically is not solidified until the adult years (1981: 424).
5. Motivation
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
The Color Purple is a popular and controversial novel written by Alice Walker. In 1983, The Color Purple won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Walker the first African-American Woman to win the prize, as well as the National Book Award. The novel was also adapted into a film of the same name in 1985, which was directed by Steven Spielberg, and Broadway musical play in 2005. Despite the controversy of the novel about the portrayal of the male characters as mean, abusive, uncaring and disloyal, other critics also felt that Steven Spielberg was a poor choice for such a complex drama and that the film had changed or eliminated much of the book's defense of lesbianism. The Color Purple reveals the transformative power of female bonding and female love. It offers frank portrayals of bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual relationships amidst situations that penetrate the core of female spiritual and emotional development (http://www.answers.com/topic/the-color-purple).
Alice Walker was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement, particularly the fight against segregation and the restriction of voting rights to the literate, and also the Women’s Movement. She writes her experiences in fictional form in her early novel Meridian where she shows herself to be especially opposed to male domination. Walker continues writing in support of equality for Blacks and women (http://www.dreamhawk.com).
Deborah L. Madsen in her book Feminist Theory and Literary Practice
said that The Color Purple is Walker’s solution to create a feminist epistolary mode by adapt to Black women’s experiences. She is dwelt at some length upon Walker’s achievement in The Color Purple because in this text Walker addresses the key issues for feminists of colour: the acquisition of an effective literary voice, the oppression of women within their own ethnic group as well as within the dominant patriarchal racist culture, the control of feminine sexuality and the exploration of alternative means of experiencing sexuality, the reception of mainstream feminism by feminist of colour, and the embeddedness of the work of writers of colour within the historical and traditional context of their racial identity (2000: 221).
All Walker’s writings, her novels as well as her critical essays, explore key critical issues: the role of Black women artist; the connection between artists and Black communities and Black history; and the significance, and richness, of myth and Black culture. In The Color Purple, Celie’s liberation is part of her spiritual freedom from traditional Christianity. It is Celie’s friendship with a bisexual, economically independent Black woman which leads to ‘spiritual experience’. Walker makes explicit in the novel the notion that women best change our theories about experience by bonding sexually with other women. The novel also describes a version of animism ‘Dear God, dear stars, dear trees’ (Humm, 1994: 182-186).
from the views of feminism, gender, Black history, racial, culture this paper will discuss the novel from psychological view. The writer focuses on psychological side that discuss about the main character personality.
B. Review of Related Theories
The writer needs to use some theories that are considered relevant to this study. Since the thesis studies the main character personality, the first theory is the theory of characterization. The second theory is the theory on psychology that explains about the experiences that makes the personality changes or develops.
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Murphy in Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for overseas Student states that there are nine ways in which the author presents his character. Those are:
a. Personal Description
The author can describe a person’s appearance and cloths so that the readers will be able to figure out the personality of the character.
b. Character as Seen by Another
c. Speech
The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the persons in the novel through what the person says and it give us some clue to his character.
d. Past Life
By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life the author can give us clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, though the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
e. Conversation of Other
The author can also give us clues to a person’s character through the conversations of other people and the things they say about him.
f. Reaction
The author can also give us a clue to a person’s character by letting us know how that person reacts to various situations and events.
g. Direct Comments
The author can describes or comments on a person’s character directly. h. Thoughts
The author can give us direct knowledge of what a character is thinking about. i. Mannerism
Abrams state that character is the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work who has moral and certain type of person or quality are represented in their speech and action in the story. In his book A Glossary of Literary Terms , he says that:
Characters are the persons in a dramatic or narrative work, endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say i.e. the dialogue, and what they do i.e. the action. The grounds in a character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and action constitute his motivation (1981: 25).
Meanwhile, Roger B. Henkle in his book Reading the Novel says that characters are divided characters into major and minor character. The characters that are observed most often in the story can be considered as major characters. The major characters perform as the key structural function in the story. Because of that, the readers will give his full attention to these major characters in order to understand the story. On the other hand, the minor characters perform more limited functions. They can function in various ways: as elements of society that develop the human context or human condition being issued in the story; as an ordinary character; as a character which is very contrast to the major characters or they can be symbols of aspects of something (1977: 100).
2. Theories on Psychology
There are many studies in psychology that explores human development including their early development that is happen in their childhood step. In his classic textbook, Modern Psychopathology, Millon said,
In the first year of life, children engage in a wide variety of spontaneous behaviors. . . . Throughout (the) years, then, a shaping process (takes) place in which the range of initially diverse behaviors becomes narrowed, selective and finally, crystallized into particular modes of seeking and achieving. . . . Thus, . . . the child develops a distinctive pattern of characteristics that are deeply etched . . . and pervade every aspect of his (or her) functioning. In short, these characteristic are the essence and sum of his personality, his automatic way of perceiving, feeling, thinking and behaving (Everly and Lating, 2004: 10).
The statement means that the first year of life is the important development of a child’s life. The development can shape the child’s personality in the next year of his/her life.
a. The Impact of Child Sexual Abuse
According to Cynthia Crosson-Tower in her book Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect, there are some effects from a sexually abusing family:
i. Traumatic Sexualization
ii. Betrayal
iii. Powerlessness
Powerlessness refers to the process in which the child’s will, desires, and sense of efficacy are continually contravened. The basic kind of powerlessness occurs in sexual abuse when a child’s territory and body space are repeatedly invaded against the child’s will. Powerlessness is then reinforced when children see their attempts to halt the abuse frustrated. It is increased when children feel fear, are unable to make adults understand or believe what is happening, or realize how conditions of dependency have trapped them in the situation. The effects from powerlessness are obviously fear and anxiety, which reflect the inability to control noxious events. Many of the initial responses to sexual abuse among children are connected to fear and anxiety. These fears and anxieties may extend into adulthood as well. A second major effect of powerlessness is to impair a person’s sense of value and coping skills. Having been a victim on repeated occasions may make it difficult to act without the expectation of being re-victimized. Finally, these victims may feel powerless to thwart others who are trying to manipulate them or do them harm (Tower, 2008: 396).
iv. Stigmatization
community. Children may be additionally stigmatized by people in their environment who now impute other negative characteristics to the victim (e.g., loose morals or “spoiled goods”) as a result of the molestation. The effects of sexual abuse in relation to the dynamic of stigmatization is that child victims often feel isolated, and may gravitate to various stigmatized levels of society. Stigmatization also results in a sense of being different based on the (incorrect) belief that no one else has had such an experience and that others would reject a person who had (Tower, 2008: 393-395).
v. Anger
Beside feel powerless because of their inability to protect themselves, victims may also fell powerless to control their anger. The anger stems from being used or victimized, being out of control or vulnerable, and being unprotected. They may also fell anger at their own helplessness or powerlessness. Sometimes the victim turned her anger inward because she was unable to direct it toward the appropriate person. A common technique used with victims is to have the individual write a letter expressing this rage to the perpetrator or to the unprotecting parent. For some, the pain and sadness resulting from the writing are sufficient to exorcise much of the anger. Because anger is so deeply felt but so difficult for victim to label or express appropriately, its existence often impedes the forming of healthy relationships (Tower, 2008: 397).
vi. Relational Imbalance
express feelings appropriately and thereby have meaningful communication with intimates; strong needs to have others meet their needs and low self esteem. Dysfunctional relationship is a result of an incestuous family. Adult who were abused often seek the all-loving mother who will give them unconditional love their mothers did not. Feeling understood only by partners with similar backgrounds (Tower, 2008: 398-399).
vii. Multiple Victimatization
The individuals, especially women, who were victims of incest have a higher incidence of repeat victimatization. Because women have been conditioned to be victims, they are more likely than men to be victimized again. Most of us assume that the world is comprehensible and meaningful and that we are personally invulnerable. Once these perceptions become distorted, it is difficult for individuals to test and avoid danger. Often they become victims again (Tower, 2008: 399-400).
b. Theories on Homosexuality
homosexuality. Gays and lesbians are just as likely as heterosexual to have come from either a “disturbed family” or a well-adjusted family.
According to Georgene H. Seward in her book Sex and the Social Order, many children experience sexual aggressions by adults, which have usually been assumed to endanger normal development. In a study of sexual behavior in a large group of normal and abnormal women no causal connection could be traced between the abnormality and the early sexual episodes. Apparently aggressions occurring before puberty did not predispose the individual toward the development of mental disorders in adult life. It has been found however, that they sometimes leave in their wake negatives attitudes toward sex which are unfavorable for the marital happiness and in certain cases they may lead to homosexuality. The book also said that lesbian and bisexual women are trying to recover from forces such as the devastating effects of terrible emotional/physical neglect or physical and/or sexual abuse, often inflicted within a chaotic chemically dependent family system. It said that lesbian and bisexual women are suffer from emotional/physical neglect or physical and/or sexual abuse (1954: 133).
For Freud, disharmony and disease resulted from the failure of the love instinct to develop normally (McClelland 1985: 334). He also said that properly functioning love was essential to mental and physical health. The statement means that disharmony in a relationship comes from the failure of the love life development. And disease comes from love that is not functioning properly.
c. Theories on Human Motivation
According to David C. McClelland in his book Human Motivation, motivation refers to conscious intents. The subject matter of motivation has to do with “how behaviour gets started, is energized, is sustained, is directed, is stopped.” In another words, motivation has to do with the why of behaviour, as contrasted with the how or the what of behaviour (1985: 4).
Herbert L. Petri in his book Motivation: Theory and Research also mentions that the concept of motivation is also used to explain differences in the intensity of behavior. More intense behaviors are considered to be the result of higher levels of motivation. Additionally, we often use the concept of motivation to indicate the direction of behavior. An approach to understanding the activation and direction of motivation has pointed out that our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes can motivate us. Some theorists also said pointed out that we are socially motivated. We interact with others, and this interaction both generates and directs behavior (1981: 3-4).
type that the writer discusses here is love and affection. Love involves strong feeling toward other individuals induced by sympathetic understanding, ties of friendship, or affection. As an emotion, love has special meaning to the adolescents. It generates a positive feeling from another person. Up to this time, the adolescent has directed affection toward parents, siblings, close relatives, and friends. Pleasant associations have caused the adolescents to maintaining these feelings. Love seems to be more totally encompassing (1982: 74).
People appear to have a basic need or desire to be with other people. David C. McClelland in his book Human Motivation defined affiliation imagery as the concern over establishing, maintaining, or restoring a positive, affective relationship with another person or persons. The need to affiliate with others includes sexual contacts, but it is much broader, including various types of emotional interpersonal attachments that may grow out of natural contact (1985: 348).
To complete the analysis on human motivation, the writer uses the theory of motivation from Abraham Maslow. According to Abraham Maslow in
The Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is:
Values such as truth, honesty, beauty, and goodness provide meaning to the life of the self-actualized people. The picture Maslow gives us of the self-actualized people is a very positive one. The self-actualized individual is no longer motivated by deficiencies but is motivated to grow and become all that he or she is capable of becoming. Self actualization constantly stimulates people to test their abilities and expand their horizons.
C. Theoretical Framework
personality in her childhood life. Once this is done the answer of the first problem formulation is obtained.
Second, the characters and their relationship in the novel are examined using the theories on psychology which is theories of homosexuality. This theory helps the writer to analyze the reason why their homosexual relationship happens.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the study
The object of the study is a novel, The Color Purple, which was written by Alice Walker, a novelist who was born Eatonton, Georgia in 1944. It is first published in 1982 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in New York. In this analysis the writer uses the 1982 edition. The Color Purple is also her novel which wins the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 as well as the National Book Award. The novel was also adapted into a film of the same name in 1985 and 2005 Broadway musical play. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Danny Glover as “Mr.____”, and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia.
The Color Purple is about a black woman named Celie who is raped by her stepfather and always gets the cruel treatment from her husband, Mr. ___. One day Mr. ___ brings her lover, a jazz and blues singer named Shug Avery, to Celie’s house. Later Shug gives her motivation to release herself from Mr. ___ domination and making a better life without male domination. In the novel, Walker's writing reveals the transformative power of female bonding and female love. It offers frank portrayals of bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual relationships amidst situations that penetrate the core of female spiritual and emotional development.
B. Approach of the study
To answer the problem formulation in this analysis, the writer uses the psychological approach. Psychological approach is the most suitable approach to use in this analysis because this approach deals with characters, human relationship, personality development, and human motivation.
According to Rob Pope in his book An Introduction to Language, Literature and Culture that psychology for our purposes can be initially defined as the understanding of mental and emotional processes as these relate to language, literature and culture. Furthermore he said that:
Literature, and more generally writing, figures both as an object of psychological study and as therapeutic practice. We can study other people’s poems, plays, novels, auto/biographies and journals for what these tell us about their ‘inner’ lives (1998: 96).
The writer wants to analyze the main character’s motivation in her bisexual relationship and her personality development. Lewis Leary in his book A Study and Research Guide also said that a psychological approach is an approach that applies principles of modern psychology to characters or situation within a literary work or to the person who wrote the work (1976: 57).
C. Method of the Study
The method that the writer used to analyze the problems was library research. There were two kind of data used to analyze the problems. First, the novel written by Alice Walker’s The Color Purple which was first published 1982 was used as the primary data. Second, the secondary data were the books that were used to provide the theories. Some articles and reviews obtained from the Internet sites were also used. There were several stages undertaken in order to answer the problems formulated.
Firstly, the writer read the novel, The Color Purple as the primary data. Re-read the novel was one of the ways to understand more and to analyze it. After reading several times, the writer was interested in the personality of the main character and her bisexual relationship with the other characters.
Secondly, the writer decided to form the problem formulation. The three problem formulation was analyzed the main character. The first problem formulation was about the main character herself. The second was to see her homosexual relationship with the other character. And the third problem formulation was to see the main character’s homosexual relationship motivation.
Thirdly, the writer decided to use psychological theories to analyze the main character. The writer also decided to apply the psychological approach to analyze the novel.
Fifth, the theories and references from the library and the Internet were gathered to analyze the novel.
Sixth, the writer made the conclusion toward the analysis. The conclusion was made from the whole analysis. The important points in the analysis were gathered and were put in the chapter conclusion.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
Homosexual relationship is one of the themes that can be found in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Here the writer wants to analyze the motivation of the main character’s homosexual relationship. The characterization of the main character is the first parts that the writer wants to analyze. The second part is to see the main character’s homosexual relationship. And the last part is about the motivation of the main character’s homosexual relationship.
A. The Characteristics of Celie
Celie is the main character in the novel not just because she is observed more often in the story but also she becomes the narrator through her letters to God and her sister, Nettie. Here are the characteristics of Celie that can be found in the story.
1. Celie is uneducated
Celie is a poor African American girl living in the South. It can be seen from her grammar and language that she is less educated. Her father did not let her to go to school.
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 one in this bunch (p. 11).
Celie’s father does not care that Celie likes to study. He forbids Celie to go to school because she has to do the household works and also taken care her little brothers and sisters. Her father thinks that Celie is not clever but she is good at running the house.
Celie thinks that she is not smart even though her sister says the opposite and tries to teach her patiently. Her lack of learning things makes her thinks that there is no change for her to run away and free from her miserable life. She thinks that she must be smart and pretty to get what she wants.
I could figure out a way for us to run away. Us both be hitting Nettie’s schoolbooks pretty hard, cause us know we got to be smart to git away. I know I’m not as pretty or as smart as Nettie, but she say I ain’t dumb (p. 11).
Celie is always trying to learn everything that Nettie teaches about. But she finds it difficult to understand more about many things. She just knows that Nettie is smarter than she. ‘I feel bad sometime Nettie done pass me in learnin. But look like nothing she say can git in my brain and stay. She try to tell me something bout the ground not being flat. I just say, Yeah, like I know it. I never tell her how flat it look to me’ (p. 12). The difficulty in learning things make Celie forget her plan to run away, so the next step that she is going to do is to get survive.
When eventually she lives with Shug Avery in Tennesee, she still does not care about her education and language. Darlene, a woman who helps her sewing, tries to teach her and tells her how important education is. The same as Nettie, Darlene never stop teaches and corrects Celie’s words.
peoples think you dumb. Colored peoples think you a hick and white folks be amuse.
What I care? I ast. I’m happy.
But she say I feel more happier talking like she talk. Can’t nothing make me happier than seeing you again, I think, but I don’t say nothing. Everytime I say something the way I say it, she correct me until I say it some other way. Pretty soon it feel like I can’t think. My mind run up on a thought, git confused, run back and sort of lay down.
You sure this worth it? I ast.
She say Yeah. Bring me a bunch of books. Whitefolks all over them, talking bout apples and dogs.
What I care bout dogs? I think.
Darlene keep trying. Think how much better Shug feel with you educated, she say. She won’t be shame to take you anywhere (p.183).
2. Affectionate to women in her life
Celie is an affectionate girl to woman in her life. First is to her mother. She love and care about her even though her mother does not know that. It is because her father tells her many lies about Celie that makes her angry to Celie. Although her mother can not loves and protect Celie as she should be, because her mind is disturb by her husband incident that he is lynch by the white people, Celie still loves her. ‘Maybe cause mama cuss me you think I kept mad at her. But I ain’t. I felt sorry for mama. Trying to believe his story kilt her’ (p. 7).
knows a woman named Shug. Celie’s mind turns to Shug Avery. Celie feels that Shug have everything that Celie does not have, she is beautiful and independent. Celie loves her unconditionally. Celie cares for Shug when nobody cares for her, even though Shug herself does not like Celie taking care of her. But finally, Shug likes being treated with full of love by Celie, it soften her heart.
I work on her like she a doll or like she Olivia- or like she mama. I comb and pat, comb and pat. First she say, hurry up and get finish. Then she melt down a little and lean back gainst my knees. That feel just right, she say. That feel like mama used to do. Or maybe not mama. Maybe grandma. She reach for another cigarette. Start hum a little tune (p. 48).
3. Introverted
Celie is introverted to everyone in the beginning of the story. Under her father’s threats, she only opens to God about her life since He is the only one that she knows. Since then, she never tells anyone about her bad experiences. After Nettie leaves the house, she seldom tells her feeling and problems to other persons. All she can do is just keep silence even though many hard times happen to her. It shows when her mother asks her about her pregnancy. Instead of telling her the truth, Celie tells her mother that the baby belongs to God. ‘She ast me bout the first one. Whose it is? I say Gods. I don’t know no other man or what else to say’ (p. 4).
4. Passive
Every bad experience that happens to Celie is written in her letters to God. It is the only way that she could express her feeling. She is passive dealing with those situations. There are no actions to change or oppose people that mistreat her. Furthermore, she thinks that she is unable to protect herself. Unable to protect herself makes Celie accept what her father does to her and let the sexual abuse continues. She is afraid of her father that he is going to kill her mother if she tells anyone about it. ‘You better not tell nobody but God. It’d kill your mammy’ (p. 3). From the beginning of the story Celie only thinking about how to get survive and keep silence. She thinks that the only way to survive is if she follows everybody’s demand. Because of her powerlessness, Celie also can not do or says anything when her father makes her to marry Mr. ___. Then, even though she gets all the mistreatment even by Mr. ___‘s children, she never wants to fight back. It shows when Nettie tries to convince her not to let Mr. ___’s children mistreats her.
Don’t let them run over you, Nettie say. You got to let them know who got the upper hand.
They got it, I say.
But she keep on. You got to fight. You got to fight.
But I don’t know hot to fight. All I know how to do is stay alive (p. 17). Celie also thinks that a fight could not make things better. She is thinking it when she sees what happen to Nettie. In order to get survive and have a place to stay, Celie decided to keep passive.
Eventually, Celie feels unable to prevent others who are trying to manipulate or do them harm. Then multiple abuses happen without any resistance from her.
Shug Avery comes in Celie’s life and changes everything. Knowing what happens to Celie and because she loves Celie, Shug decides to take Celie to her house in Tennessee. With Shug’s support, Celie have the courage to do something for her life and leaves Mr. ___.
You lowdown dog is what’s wrong, I say. It’s time to leave you and enter into the Creation. And your dead body just the welcome mat I need. Say what? He ast. Shock.
All round the tables folkses mouths be dropping open.
You took my sister Nettie away from me, I say. And she was the only person love me in the world.
Mr. ___ start to sputter. ButButButButBut. Sound like some kind of motor.but Nettie and my children coming home soon, I say. And when she do, all us together gon whup your ass (p. 170).
5. Survivor
Celie is completely a survivor. She survives from multiple abuses. In powerlessness and the will to protect her sister Nettie from her step father, Celie has to make herself to be the victim of her father’s abuse again. Celie loves her sister very much. Celie does not want Nettie to have the same mistreatment from their father. Nettie is the only one that she cares about much.
I ast him to take me instead of Nettie while our new mammy sick. But he just ast me what I’m talking bout. I tell him I can fix myself up for him. I duck into my room and come out wearing horsehair, feathers, and a pair of our new mammy high heel shoes. He beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to me anyway (p. 9).
got it from the first day she moves to Mr. ___’s house. Her powerlessness makes Celie becomes victim of multiple abuses.
I spend my wedding day running from the oldest boy. He twelve. His mama died in his arms and he don’t want to hear nothing bout no new one. He pick up a rock and laid my head open. The blood run all down tween my breasts. His daddy say Don’t do that! But that’s all he say (p. 13). Celie is a survivor because she can survive from multiple abuses that happen to her for a long time. After she knows Shug Avery and learns from her, she finally comes to be a better woman and learn a lot from her past. Celie survives from her miserable life and begins her new happy life with Shug Avery, Nettie and also her children.
6. Afraid of man
Celie is afraid to most of man in her life. It begins from her childhood life when her father abuses her many times and forces her to work on everything in the house. Her experiences in her life with her father makes Celie thinks that men are the one that have power over all.
He beat me today cause he say I winked at a boy in the church. I may have got something in my eye but I didn’t wink. I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them (p.7). Celie is also afraid of her husband Mr.___. She is afraid because she thinks that without him she can not survive. He is the one who owns everything in the house including his children. Celie thinks that men are abusing and mean. That is why she is afraid of them.
After she knows Shug Avery and becomes an independent woman, Celie is not afraid to man anymore. Celie begins to recover her relationship with Mr. ___. Mr. ___ also realizes his mistakes and tries to have a better relationship with Celie.
And then, just when I know I can live content without Shug, just when Mr. ___ done ast me to marry him, this time in the spirit as well as in the flesh, and just after I say Naw, I still don’t like frogs, but let’s us be friends, Shug write me she coming home (p. 239-240).
7. Obedient
Celie is an obedient girl. She always does what her father asks her to do. She does all the house work. In her letter to God, Celie feels that she is a good girl but she never gets any better treatment or even affection from her parents. “I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me” (p. 3). As a father, Celie’s father is supposed to love and give what Celie needs. What her father does to her betray Celie as a child by her father. She also follow her father’s demand to not to tells anyone about the sexual abuse. She does not resist when her father give her to marry Mr. ___. She also follows her husband and his children demand to do all the work.
Mr. ___ children all bright but they mean. They say Celie, I want dis. Celie, I want dat. Our Mama let us have it. He don’t say nothing. They try to get his tention, he hide hind a puff of smoke.
Don’t let them run over you, Nettie say. You got to let them know who got the upper hand.
They got it, I say (p. 17). 8. Frigid
not handle the situation happens to her. Celie’s life development is obviously disturbed by the physical and spiritual abuse that she gets from her step father, who she thought as her real father, and also Mr. ___ whom later she is married with. Celie is sexually abuse by her step father for a long time, resulting two babies from him. It obviously influences Celie’s entire life and also her mind.
He never say a kine word to say to me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t. First he put his things up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my tities. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it. But I don’t never git used to it (p. 3). The disturbance about her sexuality happens to Celie makes her confuse and having misconception about her sexual self-concepts. Here, we can see that Celie is too young to deal with motherhood.
When I start to hurt and then my stomach start moving and then that little baby come out my pussy chewing on it fist you could have knock me over with a feather (p. 4).
Her father’s maltreatment is inappropriate for her mental development in that age. Deal with such thing is unexpected for young Celie because she does not know what best she should do about it. Celie’s traumatic events in her early life with her father influences Celie’s sexuality life later on. Confusion about her sexual identity and difficulty with her marital happiness result from this traumatic events.
Celie never likes to be with her husband and to have sexual activities with him. She can not find the pleasure of it because of her bad experience about the same thing from her father. Celie tells Shug her feeling about it.
Mr. ___ can tell you. I don’t like it at all. What is it to like? He git up on you, heist your nightgown round you waist, plunge in. most time I pretend I ain’t there. He never know the difference. Never ast me how I feel, nothing. Just do his business, get off, go to sleep (p. 68).
9. Ugly
Celie is not too beautiful for a girl. It shows when Celie’s father says something about her appearance to Mr. ___. ‘She ugly, He say. But she ain’t no stranger to hard work’ (p. 9). When Shug come to the house and sees Celie for the first time, she also says that Celie is ugly. ‘ She look me over from the head to foot. Then she cackle. Sound like a death rattle. You sure is ugly, she say, like she ain’t believed it’ (p. 42).
B. The HomosexualRelationship between Celie and Shug Avery
Homosexual relationship in this thesis is analyzed through the characters in the story. This thesis only selects characteristics that show important matter about homosexual relationship. The characters that represent homosexual relationship are analyzed with the theories of homosexuality to see what and how the homosexual relationship appears in the story. The relationship between the characters in the story is meant to help to see what motivation of the main character’s homosexual relationship is.
of and to be loved. After the death of her mother, Celie turn her attention and all of her love to Nettie. Forced by the bad situation, Celie and Nettie could not be together for a long time. Celie’s husband tells Nettie to leave the house because she would not do his wishes. And finally Nettie leaves Celie to get her freedom. Instead of searching her freedom also, Celie choose to stay in order to get survives because she believes that she cannot survives without men even though they hurt her so much and never give respect to her.
Celie hear about Shug Avery first when she listen the conversation between her father and Mr. ___ about Shug Avery. Celie asks her new mammy, her step father’ new wife, and she brings Celie a picture of a woman that Mr. ___ being in love with. Her curiosity brings her to another experience in her life. She feels different when she sees at the picture because she feels that the woman in the picture is the most beautiful woman she ever seen. Celie sees glamorous and an independent woman from the picture of Shug Avery, the things that Celie does not have.
Shug Avery was a woman. The most beautiful woman I ever saw. She more pretty than my mama. She bout ten thousand times more prettier them me. I see her there in furs. Her face rouge. Her hair like something tail. She grinning with her foot up on somebody motorcar. Her eyes serious tho. Sad some. I ast her to give me the picture. An all night long I stare at it. An now when I dream, I dream of Shug Avery. She be dress to kill, whirling an laughing (p. 8).
And when Shug Avery finally comes to town to sing with her orchestra, Celie is overwhelmed.
Lord, I wants to go so bad. Not to dance. Not to drink. Not to play card. Not even to hear Shug Avery sing. I just be thankful to lay eyes on her (p. 25).
Celie wants to know everything about Shug Avery. She is interested with Shug Avery since she sees her in a picture. She even gets curious with every single thing that related with Shug Avery.
But I got million question to ast. What she wear? Is she still the same old Shug, like in my picture? How her hair is? What kind of lipstick? Wig? She stout? She skinny? She sound well? Tired? Sick? Where you all children at while she singing all over the place? Do she miss ‘em? Questions be running back and forth through my mind. Feel like snakes. I pray for strength, bite the insides of my jaws (p. 26).
When Shug Avery gets sick and Mr. ___ takes her home, Celie is not angry her husband brings another woman home. Since it is Shug Avery, Celie is very welcome with it. It shows when the first time Shug Avery is brought by Mr. ___ home, Celie is happy when she sees Shug’s feet. “I think my heart gon fly out my mouth when I see one of her foots come poking out” (p. 41).
Celie becomes more interested to Shug Avery. Celie wants to be a man for her. What Celie feels is the same as when a man sees a woman body. “First time I got the full sight of Shug Avery long black body with it black plum nipples look like her mouth, I thought I had turned into a man” (p. 45). Feels like she is a man to Shug Avery makes Celie shaking when she wash her body. “I wash her body, it feel like I’m praying. My hands tremble and my breath short.
care just like Shug is her mother or her grandma. It shows Celie’s lack of affection because of her experience in the past.
I work on her like she a doll or like she Olivia—or like she mama. I comb and pat, comb and pat. First she say, hurry up and git finish. Then she melt down a little and lean back gainst my knees. That fell just right, she say. That feel like mama used to do. Or maybe not mama. Maybe grandma. She reach for another cigarettes. Start hum a little tune (p. 48).
Celie cares about Shug Avery and so does she. And this is the first time somebody repays her attention and treats her very well. Celie feels it when Shug Avery gives Celie a song named after her. “First time somebody made something and name it after me” (p. 65).
Celie feels safe when Shug is around because Mr. ___ will not able to beat her. It is the protection that Celie never had before. She never feels safe because every man in her life abuses her and every woman that she cares leaves her. In order to make Mr. ___ stop beating Celie, Shug delays her leaving.
He beat me when you not here, I say. Who do, she say, Albert?
Mr.___, I say.
I cant believe it, she say. She sit down on the bench next to me real hard, like she drop.
What he beat you for? She ast. For being me not you.
Oh, Miss Celie, she say, and put her arms around me.
Us sit like that maybe half a hour. Then she kiss me on the fleshy part of my shoulder and stand up.
I won’t leave, she say, until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you (p. 66-67).
she is the same as other man that also likes Shug Avery. It shows that Celie’s past experience changes her mind and personality. A woman is meant to be with a man, but not for Celie. Her fear of man leads her to unhappy life. So, she begins to not to think about any man, because they abusing and mean.
All the men got they eyes glued to Shug’s bosom. I got my eyes glued there too. I feel my nipples harden under my dress. My little button sort of perk up too. Shug, I say to her in my mind, Girl, you looks like a real good time, the Good Lord knows you do (p. 72).
Celie’s relationship with Shug is not just a relationship between two people that are in love. Because the absence of a mother figure in Celie’s childhood, Celie feels comfortable and loves Shug just like she is a mother to her. According to David C. McClelland book Human Motivation that homosexual people often to have miserable relationship with the opposite parents that lead them to search a figure to replace the absent mother/father. Celie’s miserable relationship with her father leads her to search a figure to replace her absent mother. It also leads her to have a homosexual relationship with Shug Avery as the replacement of a mother figure that Celie does not have in her past life. .
Me and Shug sound asleep. Her back to me, my arms round her waist. What it like? Little like sleeping with mama, only I can’t hardly remember ever sleeping with her. Little like sleeping with Nettie, only sleeping with Nettie never feel this good. it warm and cushiony, and I feel Shug’s big tits sorta flop over my arms like suds. It feel like heaven is what it feel like, not like sleeping with Mr. ___ at all (p. 98).
that Shug loves. But then, by knowing what happens, she turns her attention to Celie. She feels sorry for Celie because of the maltreatment that Celie gets. Finally she gives her love back to Celie to help and support her.
And when I come here, say Shug. I treated you so mean. Like you was a servant. And all because Albert married you. And I didn’t even want him for a husband, she say. I never really wanted Albert for a husband. But just to choose me, you know, cause nature had already done it (p. 105).
Being an independent woman does not always give comfort to Shug Avery. She also does not get enough love from her parents when she was a child. So when Celie treats her with full of care, she begins to soften her heart and mind. Shug knows in order to get the freedom to do anything she likes, she had to be strong and independent. She does not want any men control her life and being dependent to. She even can not get along with her parents because they do not understand her.
One thing my mama hated me for was how much I love to fuck, she say. She never love to do nothing had anything to do with touching nobody, she say. I try to kiss her, she turn her mouth away. Say, Cut that out Lilie, she say (p. 103).
Being treated with full of love by Celie makes Shug Avery turns her attention to Celie. At first, she only cares about Mr. ___. And then, she wants to know Celie’s entire story, she asks Celie to tell her all the people that she loves. When the situation gets worse for Celie, Shug always helps and protects her. She gives Celie a way out to get what she wants. When Celie knows that her father is not her real father, Shug asks her to go with her.
But I feels daze.
My daddy lynch. My mama crazy. All my little half brothers and sisters no kin to me. My children not my sister and brother. Pa not pa.
You must be sleep (p. 151).
Celie finally decides to stays with Shug Avery. The reason Shug takes Celie away because she loves her and could not stand Celie being treated like that. She wants a better life for Celie. Celie also had the courage to go because of Shug’s love and support. ‘I brought you here to love you and help you to get on your feet’ (p. 179). The relationship between Celie and Shug Avery gets stronger in their new place. Celie is very happy with her new life with Shug Avery. And with Shug Avery support on her back, Celie begins to develop her life. It is proved that their relationship leads Celie to have a better life and to be a better woman with her freedom. ‘I am so happy. I got love, I got work, I got money, friends and time’ (p. 183).
becomes more sexually vibrant and self-confident. Relationships among women form a protection, providing mutual love in a world filled with male violence. Female ties take many forms: some are motherly or sisterly, some are in the form of mentor and pupil, some are sexual, and some are simply friendships.
Celie comes from a disturbed family and experiences aggression by her step father. It obviously influences Celie’s normal development. Because of that, Celie is having negatives thoughts toward sex and it affects her marital life. Georgene H. Seward said in her book that bisexual women are trying to recover from effects of terrible physical and/or sexual abuse. Homosexual women are also often to have miserable relationship with the opposite parent that led them to search a figure to replace the absent mother. Celie’s miserable life with her step father leads her to search a figure to replace her absent mother. Freud also said that disharmony and disease resulted from the failure of the love instinct to develop normally. Celie’s need for love and affection is fail to express normally. Her relationship with people especially men are always not working properly because the abuse that she gets from them. Celie then tries to recover her need of love to express through Shug Avery and having a homosexual relationship with her.
C. Celie’s Motivation of her HomosexualRelationship
behavior, as contrasted with the how or the what of behavior (1985: 4). In this thesis, the writer tries to analyze the motivation of the main character’s bisexual relationship. How Celie’s homosexual relationship started, energized, sustained, directed and stopped is going to discuss here.
Herbert L. Petri in his book Motivation: Theory and Research also mentions that an approach to understanding the activation and direction of motivation has pointed out that our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes can motivate us (1981: 3-4). It is also said that we are socially motivated. In this novel, the writer analyzes the main character’s thoughts, feelings and attitudes through her social life to see her motivation.
Celie is an affectionate and loving woman. She has a natural compassion to people around her. Despite her miserable life, there is love feeling that she always has to share to the people she care of. Furthermore, emotional energy is a strong motivator for many adolescents behavior is stated by Hershel D. Thornburg in his book Development in Adolescents. Love involves strong feeling toward other individuals and it also has special meaning to the adolescents. It generates a positive feeling from another person (1982: 74). This feeling is the feeling that Celie would stand up for.
that she is trying to hold on. At first, she considers these thing as the most important things to get survive even though she gets all the mistreatments. This situation makes Celie stuck in this level of needs. It also because, in order to get the first level of needs complete, she suffer lots of abuses. It shows that Celie can not complete her second level of needs which is the safety needs. The second level of needs is to feel secure and safe; to seek pleasure and also avoid pain. The life that Celie has been through does not consist of these things. She does not feel secure and safe. She can not find any pleasure and she can not avoid pain in the beginning of her life. It is all because of her father and her husband’s maltreatment that she gets when she live with them. Her father’s sexual abuse makes her does not feel secure and safe.
gives up and never stops sending letters to Celie. It shows how much they love and care each other.
Nettie’s departure leaves Celie nobody to be loved and to loves her back. It makes Celie’s life empty because no one loves her and gives any attention to her. She only gets another bad treatment from her husband and also his children. That is when Shug Avery comes to her life and makes Celie can express her feeling again. Her interest to Shug raises her feeling of affection. Through Shug she can give her love and attention. Shug is her motive to get her belonging and love needs.
Shug’s entrance in Celie’s life opens Celie’ mind and thought. It is true that Shug Avery and Celie are women. Their love should have been like friendship or best friend. But in this story, they raise their relationship from only friends to become a lover. They love each other and having a homosexual relationship.
Celie and Shug Avery’s relationship begins when Shug stays with Celie and her husband. Even though Shug is her husband mistress, Celie is already interests with her long before she comes. Shug Avery is sick and Celie is take after her with full of love and compassion. Celie considers Shug Avery is a perfect woman. She has things that Celie does not have. She is beautiful, smart and independent. Everything in her makes Celie loves her. Celie loves her unconditionally.
feels like a man when she is looking at Shug’s body. Her fear of man changes her mind and considers man as mean and abusing. But she is not afraid to woman, so she can express her feeling to woman around her. And then she gives her affection to Shug Avery. Shug Avery is her motivation in order to express her affection and love feeling. The reason that Celie can change herself is Shug Avery. For the one that she loves, it feels like she could do anything for her. And when Shug Avery loves Celie back, it is the time when Celie finally reach her belonging and love needs. The belonging and love needs consists of things like to affiliate with others, to be accepted, and to give and receive attention. Celie’s homosexual relationship with Shug Avery gives her a place to be accepted. Celie’s efforts to give attention to Shug Avery are worth because Shug also gives her attention back. Through Shug Avery also that Celie finally achieves her safety needs. Shug Avery makes her feel secure and gives her pleasure with her love. She also teaches Celie to avoid pain and regain her freedom as a woman. Celie gets more than a love.
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
Celie is the main character in the novel that writes letters to God about her life. Many things happen in her life that forms her personality. Celie is an affectionate girl to woman in her life. She loves and cares about her mother and also her sister Nettie. Because Celie loves her sister so much, she always tries to protect Nettie from her father’s abuse. Then Celie starts to know a woman named Shug. Celie’s natural affection comes up when Shug Avery gets ill and nobody cares for her. Celie loves her unconditionally. Celie is introverted to everyone in the beginning of the story. Under her father’s threats, she only opens to God about her life. She never tells anyone about her bad experiences. All she can do is just keep silent even though many hard times happen to her. When Shug Avery comes to Celie’s life, Celie begins to open up her mind and thought. Celie is passive. She just acts passively dealing with those maltreatments. There are no actions to change or oppose people that mistreat her. Furthermore, she thinks that she is unable to protect herself. With Shug’s support, Celie have the courage to do something for her life and leaves Mr. ___. Celie is a survivor. She is survivor from multiple abuses. Celie survives from her miserable life and begins her new happy life with Shug Avery, Nettie and also her children. Celie is afraid to most of men in her life. It begins from her childhood life when her father abuses her many times and forces her to work on everything in the house. Celie is also afraid of her husband Mr.___. She is afraid because she thinks that without him she can
not survive. Celie is an obedient girl. She always does what her father asks her to do. She does all the house work. She also follows her husband and his children demand to do all the work. Celie is frigid. The sexual abuse from her father when she is a child makes her trauma with her sexuality. It influences her marital life later on. She never happy with her husband and does not like to have sexual activities with him. She can not find the pleasure of it because of her bad experience about the same thing from her father. Celie is not too beautiful for a girl. It shows when Celie’s father and Shug say something about her appearance.
man, because they are abusing and mean. Celie’s lack of mother figure in her childhood makes her feels comfort when she is with Shug Avery. Celie’s miserable relationship with her father leads her to search a figure to replace her absent mother. And it leads her to have a homosexual relationship with Shug Avery. Shug Avery opens up Celie’s mind. Since Celie considers Shug Avery as a lover, a mother, a sister and also her guardian, she is always accept what Shug tells her. She is Celie’s motivation. She feels sorry for Celie because of the maltreatment that Celie gets. Finally Shug gives her love back to Celie to help and support her. Celie decides to stay with Shug Avery. Celie also have the courage to leave the house because of Shug’s love and support. The relationship between Celie and Shug Avery gets stronger in their new place. Celie is very happy with her new life with Shug Avery. And with Shug Avery’s support on her back, Celie begins to develop her life. It is proved that their relationship leads Celie to have a better life and to be a better woman with her freedom. Celie's sense of self actualization develops as a result of watching and learning from Shug. Shug serves as a model for Celie, a woman who represents everything Celie’s lacks. Celie's love and care have softened Shug's heart and made her more gentle and nurturing, while Celie has become more sexually vibrant and self-confident.
thing as the most important things to get survive even though she gets all the mistreatments. In that unhappy life, Celie needs something or somebody to express her feeling. First, she expresses it through her letters to God. Then, she realizes that she needs someone to be loved and to love her. It is the third level of the hierarchy of needs that consists of things like to affiliate with others, to be accepted, and to give and receive attention. Shug’s entrance in Celie’s life open up Celie’ mind and thought. Her interest to Shug raises her feeling of love and affection. Through Shug she can gives her love and attention. Shug is her motive to get her belonging and love needs. Celie’s bisexual relationship with Shug Avery gives her a place to be accepted. Celie’s efforts to give attention to Shug Avery are worth because Shug is also gives her attention back. Through Shug Avery also that Celie finally achieve her safety needs. Shug Avery makes her feels secure and give her pleasure with her love. She also teaches Celie to avoid pain and regain her freedom as a woman. Celie gets more than love. Celie’s motivation of her homosexual relationship is belonging and love needs.
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