ABSTRACT
Mursanto, A. R. (2016). Celie’s Rebellion Against Society through Lesbian Feminism as Seen in Alice Walker’s the Color Purple. English Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University.
This research discusses Celie, the main character of The Color Purple and how she rebels against society’s expectations through lesbian-feminism. The purpose of this study is identify how society’s expectations can affect the members of society physically and mentally, and Celie is an example of a member of a society that experiences such treatments.
There are three questions for this study. The questions are: “How is Celie described in the novel?”, “How is lesbian feminism portrayed in Celie’s character?”, and “How is Celie’s rebellion against society through lesbian feminism portrayed?”
The theories applied are theory of character and characterization, feminist theory, patriarchy, and rebellion. This study uses library research as a way of research. The primary source is the novel The Color Purple, while the secondary sources are various books and journals taken from the library and the internet.
There are three results found in this study. The first is the fact that Celie’s characteristics are pessimistic, submissive, indifferent, and caring. The second result is the fact that Celie portrays the act of lesbian-feminism through her relationship with Avery Shug. The third result is divided into two parts. The first part is about society during Celie’s era and the fact that it is a patriarchal society. The second part is about Celie’s rebellion through her relationship with Avery Shug and other women. Based on the findings in this research, it can be concluded that Celie does rebel against society’s expectations through lesbian-feminism. Celie rebels against society’s expectations during her time by creating a lesbian continuum relationship with Avery Shug and rebels against society’s expectations through various means and implicit actions. Besides all the things mentioned above, this novel can be used to enhance students’ real-life experience without having to experience it themselves and it is beneficial to use the novel The Color Purple in the Prose subject.
ABSTRAK
Mursanto, A. R. (2016). Celie’s Rebellion Against Society through Lesbian Feminism as Seen in Alice Walker’s the Color Purple. Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, JPBS, FKIP, Yogyakarta: Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Penelitian ini menganalisa karakter utama dalam buku The Color Purple yang bernama Celie. dan bagaimana dia berontak terhadap tatanan sosial melalui feminisme lesbian. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi bagaimana tatanan sosial dapat memberi pengaruh kepada individu dari masyarakat tersebut baik secara fisik maupun secara mental, dimana Celie dipakai sebagai contoh dari anggota masyarakat.
Terdapat tiga pertanyaan dalam penelitian ini. Pertanyaannya adalah: “Bagaimana
Celie digambarkan dalam novel ini?”, “Bagaimana feminisme lesbian digambarkan dalam karakter Celie?”, dan “Bagaimana pemberontakan Celie dalam masyarakat melalui feminisme lesbian digambarkan?”
Teori yang diterapkan adalah teori tentang karakter dan pengkarakterisasian, feminisme, patriarki dan pemberontakan. Studi ini memakai riset perpustakaan. Sumber utama adalah novel berjudul The Color Purple.
Terdapat tiga hasil temuan dalam penelitian ini. Hasil temuan yang pertama adalah fakta bahwa karakter Celie adalah pesimistik, submisif, acuh tak acuh, dan perduli. Hasil temuan yang kedua adalah fakta bahwa tingkah laku Celie adalah potret dari tindakan feminisme lesbian melalui hubungannya dengan Avery Shug. Hasil temuan yang ketiga dibagi menjadi dua bagian. Yang pertama adalah tentang masyarakat pada masa Celie yang merupakan masyarakat patriakal. Bagian kedua adalah pemberontakan Celie yang dilakukannya melalui hubunnya dengan Avery Shug dan wanita-wanita lain. Berdasarkan hasil analisis data yang didapatkan dalam penelitian ini, dapat disimpulkan bahwa Celie telah melakukan pemberontakan terhadap tatanan masyarakat melalui feminisme lesbian. Celie melakukan pemberontakan terhadap tatanan masyarakat pada masanya melalui hubungannya dengan Avery Shug dan memberontak terhadap nilai sosial melalui berbagai arti secara tindakan implisit. Selain itu, novel ini dapat digunakan untuk mendorong pengalaman hidup riil dari para murid tanpa harus mengalaminya sendiri. Novel The Color Purple juga dapat digunakan sebagai bahan dalam mata pelajaran Prose.
CELIE’S RE
BELLION AGAINST SOCIETY
THROUGH LESBIAN FEMINISM
AS SEEN IN ALICE WALKER’S
THE COLOR PURPLE
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Anastasia Ratnaningsih Mursanto
Student Number: 121214177
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
CELIE’S RE
BELLION AGAINST SOCIETY
THROUGH LESBIAN FEMINISM
AS SEEN IN ALICE WALKER’S
THE COLOR PURPLE
A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
in English Language Education
By
Anastasia Ratnaningsih Mursanto
Student Number: 121214177
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
ABSTRACT
Mursanto, A. R. (2016). Celie’s Rebellion Against Society through Lesbian Feminism as Seen in Alice Walker’s the Color Purple. English Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Yogyakarta: Sanata Dharma University.
This research discusses Celie, the main character of The Color Purple and how she rebels against society‘s expectations through lesbian-feminism. The purpose of this study is identify how society‘s expectations can affect the members of society physically and mentally, and Celie is an example of a member of a society that experiences such treatments.
There are three questions for this study. The questions are: ―How is Celie described in the novel?‖, ―How is lesbian feminism portrayed in Celie‘s character?‖, and ―How is Celie‘s rebellion against society through lesbian feminism portrayed?‖
The theories applied are theory of character and characterization, feminist theory, patriarchy, and rebellion. This study uses library research as a way of research. The primary source is the novel The Color Purple, while the secondary sources are various books and journals taken from the library and the internet.
There are three results found in this study. The first is the fact that Celie‘s characteristics are pessimistic, submissive, indifferent, and caring. The second result is the fact that Celie portrays the act of lesbian-feminism through her relationship with Avery Shug. The third result is divided into two parts. The first part is about society during Celie‘s era and the fact that it is a patriarchal society. The second part is about Celie‘s rebellion through her relationship with Avery Shug and other women. Based on the findings in this research, it can be concluded that Celie does rebel against society‘s expectations through lesbian-feminism. Celie rebels against society‘s expectations during her time by creating a lesbian continuum relationship with Avery Shug and rebels against society‘s expectations through various means and implicit actions. Besides all the things mentioned above, this novel can be used to enhance students‘ real-life experience without having to experience it themselves and it is beneficial to use the novel The Color
Purple in the Prose subject.
ABSTRAK
Mursanto, A. R. (2016). Celie’s Rebellion Against Society through Lesbian Feminism as Seen in Alice Walker’s the Color Purple. Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, JPBS, FKIP, Yogyakarta: Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Penelitian ini menganalisa karakter utama dalam buku The Color Purple yang bernama Celie. dan bagaimana dia berontak terhadap tatanan sosial melalui feminisme lesbian. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi bagaimana tatanan sosial dapat memberi pengaruh kepada individu dari masyarakat tersebut baik secara fisik maupun secara mental, dimana Celie dipakai sebagai contoh dari anggota masyarakat.
Terdapat tiga pertanyaan dalam penelitian ini. Pertanyaannya adalah:
“Bagaimana Celie digambarkan dalam novel ini?”, “Bagaimana feminisme lesbian digambarkan dalam karakter Celie?”, dan “Bagaimana pemberontakan
Celie dalam masyarakat melalui feminisme lesbian digambarkan?”
Teori yang diterapkan adalah teori tentang karakter dan pengkarakterisasian, feminisme, patriarki dan pemberontakan. Studi ini memakai riset perpustakaan. Sumber utama adalah novel berjudul The Color Purple.
Terdapat tiga hasil temuan dalam penelitian ini. Hasil temuan yang pertama adalah fakta bahwa karakter Celie adalah pesimistik, submisif, acuh tak acuh, dan perduli. Hasil temuan yang kedua adalah fakta bahwa tingkah laku Celie adalah potret dari tindakan feminisme lesbian melalui hubungannya dengan Avery Shug. Hasil temuan yang ketiga dibagi menjadi dua bagian. Yang pertama adalah tentang masyarakat pada masa Celie yang merupakan masyarakat patriakal. Bagian kedua adalah pemberontakan Celie yang dilakukannya melalui hubunnya dengan Avery Shug dan wanita-wanita lain. Berdasarkan hasil analisis data yang didapatkan dalam penelitian ini, dapat disimpulkan bahwa Celie telah melakukan pemberontakan terhadap tatanan masyarakat melalui feminisme lesbian. Celie melakukan pemberontakan terhadap tatanan masyarakat pada masanya melalui hubungannya dengan Avery Shug dan memberontak terhadap nilai sosial melalui berbagai arti secara tindakan implisit. Selain itu, novel ini dapat digunakan untuk mendorong pengalaman hidup riil dari para murid tanpa harus mengalaminya sendiri. Novel The Color Purple juga dapat digunakan sebagai bahan dalam mata pelajaran Prose.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the omnipotent YAHWEH for giving me His
strength, patience, and blessings. My deepest gratitude for Him for staying with
me until the end and still giving me His Time for me.
There are many people whom I would like to dedicate my thesis. First, I
dedicate my thesis to my irreplaceable parents, Drs. Heribertus Djoko Mursanto
and Tatiana Sinung Pemuttyasih. Without their support, I am not who I am right
now. I thank them for being there for me. I would also like to dedicate my thesis
to my sisters Martina Sinung Marganingsih B.Eng. and Aghata
Nugrahaningsih S. E.
The last person I would like to give my greatest appreciation to my
advisor, Drs. Bambang Hendarto Yuliwarsono M. Hum. Despite the arguments
and the discussion, he stayed with me, assisted, and guided me until the end. No
words can describe how grateful I am for his guidance and perseverance.
During my hard times, many people helped me to preserve my positive
attitude until the end. The first one is my friend from English Letters Cicilia Dwi
Saputri. Nothing can express my thankfulness for being there for me from the beginning until the end. There might be differences between the two of us, and
time will drift us apart. Despite our differences, I will always consider her as my
closest friend during my university days. I also thank my other English Letters
friend, Theresia Aggarani, for being there when I need her.
Pongiyems or Cila, Tessa, Anis, Maria, and Eka. I thank them for always answering my questions and providing help when I am in trouble. I am also
greatly indebted to Mah Bro Cessa and Doni for being there for me when I was
almost at the end of my rope. I also thank Vania, Erlyn, and Dewi for being there
for me. The tiniest part of their time means the whole world for me.
I thank ELESP USD for giving me an amazing and incomparable
knowledge. I also thank natas, especially my batch Eva, Iswan, Vinsen, Ira, and
Rosa Vania, for giving me agonizing yet precious experience. Last but not least, I thank those who have accepted me as who I am and have allowed me to become
parts of their lives. May Jesus bless them and give them happiness.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
TITLE PAGE ... i
APPROVAL PAGES ... ii
STATEMENT OF WORK‘S ORIGINALITY ... iv
PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... . v
ABSTRACT ... . vi
ABSTRAK ... vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... x
LIST OF APPENDICES ... xii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ... 1
A. Background of the Study ... 1
B. Problem Formulation ... 4
C. Objectives of the Study ... 4
D. Benefits of the Study ... 5
E. Definition of Terms... ... 6
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED THEORIES ... 8
A. Review of Related Studies ... 8
B. Review of Related Theories ... 9
1. Theory of Character & Characterization ... 9
2. Patriarchy ... 11
3. Feminism ... 14
4. Rebellion... 18
Page
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY ... 22
A. Object of the Study... ... 22
B. Approach of the Study... ... 23
C. Method of the Study ... 24
CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS ... 26
A. Description of Celie‘s Character ... 26
B. Portrayal of Lesbian-Feminism in Celie‘s Character ... 33
C. Portrayal of Celie‘s Rebellion against Society through Lesbian-Feminism ... 36
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND SUGGESTIONS 46
A. Conclusions... ... 46
B. Implications... ... 47
C. Suggestions ... 48
REFERENCES... ... 50
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendices Page
Appendix I Biography of Alice Walker ... 52
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of five parts. They are background of the study,
objectives of the study, problem formulation, benefits of the study, and definition
of terms. The background of the study explores the story of the book and the
reasons why the novel is worth studying. In problem formulation, the research
questions are presented. Objectives of the study describes a list of benefits of
study, both for the researcher herself and other researchers. In the definition of
terms, the important terms that are needed knowing in the study are defined.
A. Background of the Study
A person does not build his personality and actions by himself. There are
other things that can affect his development, mainly society and the set of
demands expected by the members of the society. What is defined by society
affects the person‘s mindset and how his reaction toward society‘s demand. One
of the scholars even claimed that society is something that an individual cannot
escape from since he was small – ―Today's child has become the unwilling,
unintended victim of overwhelming stress – the stress borne of rapid, bewildering
social change and constantly rising expectations‖ (Elkind 2001, p. 62).
Meanwhile, the reactions to such expectations are varied. Some of the
reactions are passive, while some are rebellious toward society. Those who
respond by rebelling against society want a change, and the change starts from the
himself (Osho 2003, p. 10). To understand more about such reaction, novel
entitled The Color Purple by Alice Walker is an example of stories about one‘s
rebellious reaction toward society‘s expectations. The book was published first in
1982 and has been reprinted many times until today. It was made into a movie
directed by Steven Spielberg and a musical performance in Broadway.
The novel tells a story of a woman named Celie. Celie‘s life is far from
happiness, as she is raped by her father and has children. When her children are
born, they are secretly sold by her father as adopted children. Things do not stop
there, as her father is starting to eye her little sister, Nettie. However, Nettie is
soon arranged to be married to Mr. ____ (name intentionally not given). Feeling
sorry for Nettie, Celie volunteers herself to Mr. ____ and soon marries him.
However, later after moving into her new home with Mr. _____ and her stepson
Hippo, Celie hears that Nettie runs away from home.
Celie‘s life with Mr. ____ and Hippo does not go smoothly either. Celie is
constantly looked down upon and abused by her husband in the house. However,
everything changes when Avery Shug, Mr. ___‘s mistress, moves in into the
family. Admiring Avery Shug‘s individualistic lifestyle, Celie slowly enters an
intimate relationship with Avery Shug. Along with her relationship, Celie also
starts to copy Avery Shug‘s lifestyle, changing herself from a traditional obedient
housewife to an independent woman.
However, Avery Shug leaves Celie for another man. This causes Celie to
suffer in a slump and depression. However, she finds support from her family and
known as Albert), spends her time doing her clothing business, makes up with
Avery Shug and meets Nettie along with her children.
There are some aspects of the novel that can bring about one‘s curiosity. The
first one is Celie‘s character; how she has managed to adapt herself despite of the
unfortunate events surrounding her and how her character develops as the story
progresses. The second is the lesbian relationship between Celie and Avery Shug
and how it contributes greatly to Celie‘s character development. The last one is
the ―rebellion‖ Celie goes through, that is the pivotal moment where Celie
changes her character into a better one.
The Color Purple is a novel filled with wonders. The color of purple in its
title represents royalty that can also mean dignity and self-esteem. It indicates how
the main character, having lost her own value, slowly finds her value and dignity
as a human being. The purple also indicates how the main character slowly
appreciates the little things she overlooks before, as it is foreshadowed in the book
(p. 197).
The setting takes place in America during the 1930s at the rural Georgia.
Being a part of the Southern part of United States which supported slavery during
the Civil War, the after-effects of slavery lingered in Georgia. In such place where
the main character regains her sense of human being, she starts appreciating
herself. Through her relationship with another woman she rebels against society‘s
expectations. Celie is able to stand up as an independent woman who is able to
Because of the main character‘s inspiring life journey, the researcher chose
this book and its main character as her subjects of research. The researcher
admires the main character and how she is able to go through the agonizing events
without losing sight of who she is. The main character‘s unique way to rebel
against society‘s expectations inspire the researcher to be unique like the main
character. By exploring the relationship that is not touched by many people due to
its sensitive element, the researcher expects others to understand and to be more
open-minded regarding sensitive beliefs and cultures that are not familiar to us.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the aspects discussed above, three questions are formulated.
They are:
1. How is Celie described in the novel?
2. How is lesbian feminism portrayed in Celie‘s character?
3. How is Celie‘s rebellion against society through lesbian feminism
portrayed?
C. Objectives of the Study
The first objective is to describe the main character‘s personality and
traits. The aim of such research is to properly understand the main character as a
whole in order to contrast her behavior from the beginning and the middle of the
novel. Moreover, understanding the main character is necessary for discussing the
The second objective is to see how lesbian feminism is portrayed within
Celie‘s opinions and behavior. This objective is the most pivotal objective due to
the fact that this objective can decide whether Celie‘s opinions and behavior can
be seen as an act of lesbian feminism. Without result of this objective, the third
objective has no need for delving.
The last objective is to see how Celie‘s act of lesbian feminism can be
considered as a rebellion against society‘s expectation during Celie‘s time. In
order to achieve this objective, there are a couple of things that need defining.
D. Benefits of the Study
There are many benefits that can be gained from this study, especially for
the researcher. By conducting this study, the researcher can further understand the
concept of characterization and how to define a character based on certain factors.
The researcher will understand better not only about characterization but also of
lesbian-feminism. The researcher has a little understanding regarding lesbian
feminism despite of her interest in feminism. By researching one the branches of
feminism, the researcher will gain more knowledge of feminism and therefore
making her one step closer to the concept of feminism. Another concept the
re-searcher will also understand better is the concept of rebellion.
Such benefits will be gained not only by the researcher but also by the
readers. By reading this study, the readers will learn about the existence of
lesbian-feminism, something that many are not aware of unless they are studying
hoped that the awareness and interest of lesbian-feminism from the readers are
sparked. The concept of rebellion will also be exposed to the readers. With the
explanation of rebellion in this study, the readers will gain a better understanding
about rebellion. When lesbian feminism and rebellion are understood better by the
readers, it is hoped that the readers will be interested about the two topics and
delve further the concepts that are related to lesbian feminism and rebellion.
E. Definition of Terms
There are three important terms that will be used often in this study. The
three major terms are society‘s expectation, lesbian, and rebellion.
1. Society’s Expectation
According to McLeod (2013), there are two types of society‘s expectation;
society roles and society norms. Social roles are the roles that are assigned to each
member of society. Once a member of society is given that role, he is expected to
behave in accordance to the expectation given to that role.
Meanwhile, social norms are the standards of behavior that are supposed
to be obeyed by the members of society. The purpose of social norms is to create
order and to predict people‘s behavior (McLeod 2013). This research will focus
on society‘s expectations during Celie‘s time and how Celie responds to it.
2. Lesbian-Feminism
Lesbian-feminism is one of the feminist movements who channel their
energies toward each other, to other women (Rich 1980, p. 650). Lesbian
between the two sexes in this world, as what Rich (1980) explains for
heterosexuality as the cause of inequality:
―Woman-identification is a source of energy, a potential springhead of female power, violently curtailed and wasted under the institution of heterosexuality. The denial of reality and visibility to women's passion for women, women's choice of women as allies, life companions, and community; the forcing of such relationships into dissimulation and their disintegration under intense pressure have meant an incalculable loss to the power of all women to change the social relations of the sexes, to liberate ourselves and each other.‖ (p. 657)
As it can be seen, lesbian feminism is a way for women to share each other‘s pain
and joy so that they can create a better life for themselves.
3. Rebellion
There are differences between revolution and rebellion. Despite of
people‘s misunderstanding, rebellion is something different from revolution.
Revolution is an organized effort by an organized group to change something
through force and violence. However, rebellion is the opposite of that. According
to Osho (2013, p. 11), rebellion is an individual effort. A rebellion has an aim, but
it focuses on the individual who is doing the rebellion because: ―Rebellion is not
oriented against the society, but is oriented towards a new man, a new humanity.‖
(Osho, 2013, p. 8). This research uses rebellion to see how Celie goes against
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED THEORIES
This chapter has three parts. They are review of related studies, review of
related theories, and theoretical framework. In review of related studies, some
studies of The Color Purple are mentioned briefly. Review of related theories
provides theories that are relevant for the study. Theoretical framework briefly
discusses how the theories are used in this research and in what aspects the
theories are used.
A. Review of Related Studies
There are three researches that had been conducted by English Education
students on the novel The Color Purple, specifically the main character Celie. The
first research is Setyorini‘s“Feminism Portrayed in the Main Character, Celie, in
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple”. It focuses on Celie‘s character development
and how the development fits into the definition of feminism.
The second research is Setyoningrum‘s “An Analysis of Celie’s
Personality Development in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple”. The research
focuses on Celie‘s character development as a whole and how her character
changes as the story progresses.
The last is Setyabudi‘s “Womanism in Alice Walker’s Novel The Color
Purple”. In this paper, the researcher focuses on an aspect called womanism.
responsibilities to knowledge. Womanism is commonly practiced in black culture,
which fits Celie since she is an Afro-American. For this reason, the research
delves further on the aspect of womanism and how it affects Celie‘s life.
This research is different from the three mentioned above. Although this
research focuses on Celie‘s character, it sees the development of Celie‘s character
through the aspect of lesbian feminism. Moreover, this research also focuses on
Celie‘s rebellious act, which is one of the pivotal moments in the novel.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character & Characterization
a. Theory of Character
Characters and characterizations are two things that are important in a
literature work, as a novel revolves around the character. According to Abrams,
characters are the people who are written and represented in the literary work. A
character‘s qualities are interpreted by the readers through their actions, words,
and expressions (Abrams 1998, p. 20).
There are two kinds of characters; major characters and minor characters.
Most of the time, major characters are the characters who are mostly involved in
major events that lead to the progress of the story, while minor characters are
characters that appear briefly to sharpen the major characters‘ developments
(Abrams 1998, p. 20).
As it can be seen, major characters are important aspects of a literary work
character, that is a main character should be delved further because its
presentation and development can actually shift a person‘s moral values (Henkle
1977, p. 87).
b. Theory of Characterization
By definition, characterization is how a character is presented in a literary
work through their action, speech, appearance, and others (Baldick, 1996 p. 30).
Because every character is presented in their unique ways, it is definite that every
character is different. Therefore, it is important to understand the characteristics of
a character in order to have a deeper understanding about the character.
According to Murphy in Understanding Unseen (1972), there are 9 ways
to understand a character through characterizations (p. 161 – 173). Six of the ways
are presented here. They are character as seen by another, speech, past life,
conversation of others, reactions, and thoughts:
1) Character as seen by another: the character is described through the
perspective of another character. The description can be either physical or mental
description (p. 162 – 163).
2) Speech: the character‘s personality is known through his speech and what
the character says (p. 164)
3) Past life: Past life can be used to characterize a character because past life
can be used to shape the character‘s personality. The past can be either from the
4) Conversation of others: A character‘s personality can also be known
through other people‘s words. The conversation about the character from other
characters can be used to characterize the person (p. 167)
5) Reactions: A character‘s reaction through various events and things that
happened in the story can be used to give more understanding regarding the
character (p. 168).
6) Thoughts: a character can be explored through the inner thought of the
character himself (p. 171 – 172).
2. Patriarchy
Most people know the term patriarchy as a family system where the father
is the head of the family, the highest ruling person within the family. However,
patriarchy is more than a system within the family. It is a situation where men
dominate women in many aspects, with family being one of those aspects (Milett
2000, p. 33).
According to some scholars, patriarchy has more than one form. Along
with Millett‘s definition of patriarchy, Firestone (1972) claims a biological base as
the reason of men‘s dominion over women. According to Pilcher and Wheleham,
Marxist feminists, patriarchy happens within society in the form of labor. Marxist
feminists believe that patriarchy happens due to the labor manipulation within the
house, where women are not paid when they work in the house (Pilcher &
Wheleham, 2004, p. 50). There are many different views and perspectives on
Due to the many different forms of perspectives on patriarchy, there needs
to be a set of standard to define and recognize patriarchy within the society. For
this reason, Walby (1991) defines six aspects of society where patriarchy can be
observed, to prove whether patriarchy exists within that society or not. The six
aspects are paid employment, household production, culture, sexuality, violence,
and state.
a. Paid Employment
In this section, Walby explores how patriarchy can be seen in the
workplace. She believes that more and more women are entering the workforce,
something that could hardly be seen before. However, despite of that, inequality
between men and women still happen. She believes that inequality between the
two genders appear in other forms such as payment, specific access, and others.
She claims that ―women are gaining access to the public sphere of paid
employment, but subordinated to men within it‖ (p. 59).
b. Household Production
Household production focuses more on women‘s decision on getting
married and doing domestic works. Walby believes that gender gap between men
and women is starting to diminish. More men are doing domestic labor, and
women are no longer bound to their husbands until death. Divorce rates are
increasing, and more women spend their time outside their house. Unfortunately,
the recent shift in gender gives a little benefit for women because society‘s
women, if they have children, are rarely able to earn sufficiently to keep
themselves above poverty line‖ (p. 89).
c. Culture
Walby compares the culture of the world in the past before and now.
Before, male-centered world was an unwritten rule for women. Women are
supposed to focus on their families and husbands instead of themselves (pp.
104-107). Now, the world is different. More women enter the workforce, and men no
longer deny the space for women. However, there are some aspects of women
where women are still degraded, with pornography being one of those aspects (p.
107).
d. Sexuality
Sexuality is another aspect where patriarchy can be seen. Walby claims
that patriarchy has less control over women‘s sexuality due to the facts that
society gives more favors on women‘s freedom now. Some of the freedom
allowed in society now are things such as divorce, no discrimination toward
women who have children out of wedlock, birth control, freedom of choosing
sexual partners, and so on. However, the pressure of domination is still there. It
can be seen in the reflection of women domination in pornographies, and some
societies still pressure women into marriage (p. 127).
e. Violence
Male violence exists in many forms. Some of the forms are rape, sexual
abuse, domestic violence, and sexual harassment (p. 128). The first-wave
wives is no longer legal (p. 147). Meanwhile, second-wave feminism has helped
in the intervention of abuse through counseling and support organizations (p.
147). Now, violence can be taken into a legal matter. However, despite of legal
intervention, the fact that there is no total elimination of abuse by men should be
taken seriously (p. 149).
and women who were found doing adultery were either put to death or excluded
from society just like a story of a novel entitled Scarlet Letter. Nowadays, women
are allowed to bring an abuse case into court. Everybody has the right to vote, and
―adultery‖ is no longer seen as a state crime (p. 188 – 201).
3. Feminism
Feminism offers an option that is out of patriarchal society. It can be seen
from Karen Offen‘s description of feminism (1998):
As it can be seen from Offen‘s description, feminism is one of the ways for
women
to be advocated in this world. Feminism attempts to create a society where women
are no longer treated differently by men. There are many forms of feminism in
this world. Below is a list of different types of feminism which is explained by
Maggie Humm in A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Feminist Literary Criticism
(1994):
a. Liberal Feminism
Liberal feminism focuses less on gender and more to the rights of women.
Liberal feminists seek for equality for women within the society, such as equality
within workplace concerning wage and equal rights for gaining education.
Overall, liberal feminism seeks for equal rights for women sexually and within
gender.
b. Radical Feminism
Unlike liberal feminism, radical feminism focuses on fighting against
women oppression. Liberal feminists believe that women are oppressed due to
their existence as women. Thus, biology and sex are the primary factors of women
oppression.
c. Marxist/Social Feminism
Social feminism focuses on broader aspects of lives, which are literature
and class. Marxist feminists believe that literature can represent women‘s
economically. Social feminists complete Marxist feminism by giving more details
concerning women‘s lives and give more values into them.
d. French Feminism
French feminism focuses on literature and the aspect that dominates
literature – language. French feminists and patriarchy does exist within literature,
and it can be seen in the language of literature. For this reason, many who believe
in this aspect of feminism attempts to discourse the language within literature,
finding evidence of patriarchy within in.
e. Psychoanalytic Feminism
Inspired by Freud‘s theory, psychoanalytic feminism is mainly about
re-lationship within family and hidden desires. Rere-lationship between a mother, a
father, and their children is deeply investigated in this Freud-related feminism.
Moreover, psychoanalysis feminists have the tendency to seek out the hidden
parts of a person/character, such as his implicit desires, his subconscious needs,
and others. They seek out for things that are not explicitly stated, therefore trying
to read the lines between a person or a character‘s behavior.
f. Post structuralism/deconstruction/postmodernist Feminism
Poststructural feminism sees literature and language as subjects that cannot
be separated from the condition or situation when it was created. Meanwhile
deconstruction believes that terms or subjects that are being studied must be
isolated from the rest and delved further in order to understand its concept as a
whole, starting from its origin to the reason of its existence. A good example of
into the common stereotype of women wanting children (a culture). By
connecting two different ideas, society tries to define gender, and deconstruction
feminists are against such ideas. Unlike its ―siblings‖ postmodernism is a whole
new study of feminism.
Postmodernism tries to study those aspects together without having to
unify them into a unified idea. Postmodern feminists believe that diversity is
important, so that ideas can be related with each other without having to
individually separate them.
g. Black Feminism
Black feminism sprang up around 1974, when black feminists or their
literature works were not mentioned often during that time. This movement
started due to the fact that black authors and works were rarely or even hardly
mentioned at all. This movement counterattacks the misunderstood concept of
black people by attacking the negative concept of black people and literature
works created during that time. Alice Walker, the author of The Color Purple, is
an example of black feminist.
h. Lesbian Feminism
Lesbian feminism started when more women were dissatisfied with the
result of feminist wave. Lesbian feminism believes that the best way to express
dissatisfaction towards patriarchal society is by channeling their energies toward
other women, that is starting the relationship between the two women. However,
as time passed by, many women encounter such relationship among each other
the absence of sexual relation has become something common, leaving those with
such experience have no place to fit in – they are neither lesbians nor
heterosexuals. For such reason, Rich (1980, p. 648) creates the term ―lesbian
continuum.‖ The term ―lesbian continuum‖ is used for women who are close to
each other without the need of having sexual relation between them. This way,
Women who have such experience can fit in with other lesbian feminists. Jill
Johnston (1973) also expresses a similar opinion:
―The word lesbian has expanded so much through political definition that is should no longer refer exclusively to a woman simply in a sexual relation to another woman. The word in fact had pornographic implications as though lesbian was a woman who did nothing but enjoy sex, and implication employed as a tool of discrimination. The word is now a generic term signifying activism and resistance and the envisioned goal of a woman committed state‖ (p. 278)
In conclusion, lesbian-feminism becomes the haven for some who are
dissatisfied with results given during first-wave feminism and second-wave
feminism. They channel their feminist ideas to other women, sexually or not. It
becomes a form of feminism which focuses on women, by women, and for
women.
4. Rebellion
Not many people believe that rebellion and revolution are two similar
concepts with similar ideas. Although there are similarities between rebellion and
revolution, with the concept of achieving a certain goal as one of their similarities,
the approach to reach the certain goal is done differently. Revolution tends to
become a riot, while rebellion is an individual movement that can be peaceful if
―Revolution is individual, nonviolent, peaceful. It is out of love. Rebellion is not against something, but not for something. Revolution is so much engaged in being against, it forgets for what all this fuss is being made. It is anger. But anger cannot create a better society. Rebellion is not oriented against the society, but is oriented toward a new man, a new humanity.‖ (pp. 7 – 8)
If rebellion is not revolution, then what is rebellion? According to Camus
(1992, p. 13), a philosopher from France, rebellion is a concept when someone has
decided to change something in his life. A rebel, the person who is doing the
rebellion, is standing at that point of his life where he decided to change
everything. Camus uses the example of a slave saying ―no‖. Camus claims that a
slave, saying no, is an act of rebellion. The slave does that because he realizes that
everything [the oppression] has reached its limit and needs stopping. For that
reason, the slave says ―no‖, starting his rebellion against the authority above him.
There are conditions and requirements for rebellion to happen. A scholar
named Bartlett, in her book entitled Rebellious Feminism (2004), briefly explains
Camus‘ conditions for rebellion to occur in four steps. Those four steps are
rejection of oppression and affirmation of human dignity, solidarity, friendship
and primacy of concrete relationship, and valuing of imminence:
a. Rejection of Oppression and Affirmation of Human Dignity
According to Bartlett, rejection of oppression happens when one has
experienced the oppression (p. 5). His rebellion starts when he decided to stop the
oppression, regaining his dignity and humanity as a human being with the right to
refuse. For Bartlett, ―rebellion is that moment when the slave refuses enslavement,
limit has been crossed that causes them to recognize their fundamental worth‖ (p.
5).
b. Solidarity
Despite the fact that rebellion is an act done by a single person, there is an
element of solidarity which involves another person and exists within rebellion.
Bartlett uses one of Camus‘ novels, The Plague, as a way to explain solidarity. In
her explanation, Bartlett explains that Rambert (one of the characters in The
Plague) does an act of rebellion (p. 79 – 80). He does so by doing things differently with the other citizens of Oran due to his lack of unified feeling among
the citizens. However, as time passes by, Rambert finds himself having the same
goal with the other citizens – staying in the city despite of the plague. By doing
something different from the society but having the same goal, Rambert does an
act of rebellion. Different ways, but same goal – that is what solidarity within
rebellion is
about (p. 80).
c. Friendship and Primacy of Concrete Relationship
Despite of the importance of solidarity for rebellion, there is another
aspect that is much more important that solidarity. That aspect is no other than
friendship. What Bartlett talks about is not just a mere friendship, but a deep
relationship that surpasses even the feeling of solidarity (p. 112). Bartlett
emphasizes that Camus believed in friendship more than solidarity. The
importance of friendship is due to fear of the result of solidarity if it does not
―Solidarity and compassion may too easily become regarded as an empathy for the ‗bleeding crowd,‘ and for humanity in the abstract. Camus feared such abstract love that would sacrifice one‘s friends living in the present in the name of a far-distant era of universal friendship.‖ (p. 111 – 112)
d. Valuing of Immanence
Camus stresses the importance of nature within the act of rebellion. He
shows his belief in nature in Lyrical, where he ―lived on almost nothing, but also
in a kind of rapture… It was not poverty that got in my way; in Africa, the sun
and the sea costs nothing… The lovely warmth that reigned over my childhood
freed me from resentment‖ (p. 7). He believes that a rebel must go back to his root
which involves nature in order to achieve peace and goal the rebel needed.
Without nature, rebellion is not a rebellion; it is just an act of destruction and
no-thingness.
C. Theoretical Framework
There are four theories applied in this research. They are theory of
character and characterization, patriarchy, feminism, and rebellion. All of the
theories are applied by reading the book and highlighting the important events,
actions, and thoughts of the necessary characters in the book.
Theory of character and characterization is used to define Celie as a
character in this novel in order to understand Celie‘s character better. This is done
by reading the book and sees the characteristics of theory of characterization
Feminist theory, to be specific lesbian-feminism, is used to define the
relationship between Celie and Avery Shug. This is to see how lesbian-feminism
is portrayed in Celie‘s character and how deep the relationship between Celie and
Avery Shug is.
After examining lesbian feminism within Celie‘s character, the researcher
goes further by answering Celie‘s rebellion against society through lesbian
feminism. First, the researcher defines society through patriarchy theory. After
that, the researcher uses theory of rebellion to see the characteristics of rebellion
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter consists of three parts; they are object of the study, approach
of the study, and method of the study. Object of the study presents a physical
description of the novel. Approach of the study describes the approach used to
analyze the problems presented in this paper. The third part, method of study, is
the procedure of conducting the research and the steps done in order to analyze
the problems.
A. Object of the Study
The object of the research is a novel entitled The Color Purple. The novel
was published in 1982 by Harcourt Brace Javanovich and has been reprinted
many times since then. This 244-page novel is a little bit unique, as the format of
the novel is in the form of letters. Each chapter is a letter written by the main
character Celie to her sister Nettie and God. There are also some letters written by
Netie found in the novel. There are totally 91 letters. Most of the letters to Nettie
are about Celie‘s daily activities and the unfolding events in her life, while
Nettie‘s letters to Celie are about Nettie‘s adventure as a missionary in Africa.
Taking place in the southern part of America, the novel tells the story of a
woman named Celie and her endurance to go through her daily activities. Celie
goes through various events, from being married to Mr. ____ who discriminates
Celie‘s perspective on women. Between those events, major events which affect
Celie also happen, such as meeting her stepson‘s wife Sophie and finding the
hidden letters written by her sister Nettie. As the events unfold, Celie‘s character
slowly changes from a meek obedient black wife to an independent woman.
The Color Purple has received numerous adaptations. In 1985, it was
adapted into a movie with Stephen Spielberg as its director. The actors were
Whoopi Goldberg, Daniel Glover, and Oprah Winfrey. Although not winning any
awards, the movie was nominated in Academy Awards for 11 categories. In
20015, the novel was adapted into a musical performance in Broadway. It was
produced by Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones, Harvey Weinstein, and Oprah Winfrey.
The musical performance was nominated for various categories in Outer Critics
Circle Award and Tony Awards, winning Best Leading Actress for Tony Awards.
In 2008, a radio adaption of the novel was aired in BBC Radio 4, consisting of 10
episodes with the duration of 15 minutes for each episode. The radio adaption
received Silver Drama Award by Sony Radio Academy Awards in 2009.
B. Approach of the Study
For the problems presented in this paper, there are two kinds of approaches
used to analyze the problems. The approaches are sociological approach and
feminist approach. This research uses sociological approach in order to analyze
society‘s expectation demanded by society for Celie and see whether the
expectation influences Celie as a character. By using sociological approach, this
opinion at the beginning of the novel. Using sociological approach also helped to
understand how society‘s expectation set the standard for Celie and the reason for
Celie lowering herself below others. A clearer explanation can be seen from
DiYanni, a scholar, and his statement. DiYanni (1571) states that: ―Sociological
critics emphasize the ways power relations are played out by varying social forces
and institutions.‖
The second approach, which is the feminist approach, is an approach
which focuses on society and how it is related to the gender assignment in society.
Feminist approach is described as―…the ways in which literature (and other
cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and
psychological oppression of women‖ (Tyson). By using feminist approach, this
research will see how society in Celie‘s life can be considered as a patriarchal
society and how Celie is marginalized due to the fact that she is a woman and a
housewife.
C. Method of the Study
In order to complete the analysis, I used the library research as the method
to gather the necessary data for the analysis. After collecting the data, the data was
analyzed according to the theories and approaches explained in chapter 2 and
previous section. The primary data for this analysis was the novel The Color
Purple written by Celie Walker, while the minor data to support the analysis were
from other sources such as books, journals, internet, online articles, and others.
Literary Theory 1890 to the Present (Longman Literature In English Series); Rebellious Feminism: Camus’s Ethic of Rebellion and Feminist Thought; The Rebel: An Essay of Man in Revolt; The Hurried Child: Growing Up too Fast too Soon; The Dialect of Sex; Reading the Novel: An Introduction to the Techniques of Interpreting Fiction; Sexual Politics; Understanding Unseen; Living on You Own Terms: What is Real Rebellion; Fifty Key Concepts in Gender Studies; and Theorizing Patriarchy. Two journals were used. They are: ―Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence‖ and ―Defining Feminism: A Comparative
Historical Approach.‖ An online article related to psychology entitled ―Social
Norms‖ was also used in this research.
In analyzing Walker‘s The Color Purple, firstly the researcher read the
novel many times to gain deeper understanding about the story of the novel.
While reading, the researcher took notes of the important things in the novel that
can be used for the analysis. Second, after gathering the necessary data for the
analysis, then the researcher analyzed the main character Celie based on the
approach and the theories with the gathered data as the support for the analysis.
After analyzing the problems, the researcher proposed suggestions for
future researchers. Lastly, appendices were provided, containing summary of the
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
There are three sections in this chapter. The first is the description of
Celie‘s character. The second is the portrayal of lesbian-feminism in Celie‘s
character, and the third section is about Celie‘s rebellion against society through
Lesbian-Feminism.
A. Description of Celie’s Character
This section focuses on the first research question which focuses on
Celie‘s character. Celie can be categorized as a major character of the novel. From
the beginning until the end, Celie is thoroughly mentioned and goes through
almost all of the events in the book. This is in accordance of Abrams‘ definition of
a main character which stated that major characters are mostly present in most of
the events in the novel. For this reason, it can be assumed Celie is a major
character of The Color Purple.
Due to the fact that Celie is a major character of the book, it is important to
define her. Being a major character, Celie‘s overwhelming presence in the book
plays a pivotal role for both the story and the readers. This is in accordance with
Henkle‘s opinion in his book Reading the Novel. In the book, Henkle claims that
major characters need to be given a special attention (1977, p. 87). After all, main
characters are the ones who can change the readers‘ perspective as they progress
In order to explore Celie‘s character, an analysis of her character is done.
The analysis is done by using Murphy‘s theory of characterization. According to
Murphy (1972, pp. 161 – 173), there are nine ways of characterization. To analyze
Celie, six of the ways are employed.
1. Submissive
In the beginning of the novel throughout her life before meeting Avery Shug,
Celie is depicted as a submissive person who is willing to obey the authority that
is considered above her in society. Despite of the excessive abuses done to Celie,
she goes through the abuses without much protesting. This can be seen right at the
beginning of the novel, where Celie obeys her father‘s command to ―do what your
mammy wouldn‘t‖ (p. 1). The sexual abuses done by Celie‘s father goes on until
Celie bears two children from her father.
Another evidence of Celie‘s submissive side is her obedience toward her
husband, Mr. ____, and his family. This can be seen in page 12 after her wedding.
She wants to cut Mr. ___‘s children‘s hair, but Mr. ___ forbids her to do so. In the
end, all Celie does is untangling the children‘s hair (p. 12).
As it can be seen, Celie never tries to lift a finger against Mr. ___‘s children,
which is similar to Mr. ____‘s action for his children. Celie narrates Mr. ___‘s
domestic abuses to her (p. 23). She claims that Mr. ____ beats her like how he
beats his children – except that Mr. ____ rarely beats his children. However, Celie
gives Mr. ____ a passive reaction when Mr. ____ beats her up, claiming that she
―make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie, you a tree. That‘s how come I know
and does nothing. The only thing she does is praying to God and pour her stories
in the letters.
Thus, considering Celie‘s past life, reaction, and thought, it can be
concluded that Celie is a submissive person. She never talks back and obeys the
commands given to her without voicing her own opinions. If she is abused, she
keeps silent and bears it all by herself.
2. Pessimistic
Besides submissive, Celie has a pessimistic side of her. She never sees
anything in a bright light She sees everything as a suffering for her. Even during
her sexual intercourse with Mr. ___, she regards it as something debauched and
can only appreciate it when she visualizes herself as Avery Shug (p. 12). Another
indication of Celie‘s pessimistic nature is during her conversation with Nettie
about Mr. ___ and his children:
―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.
talking back against Mr. ____ and his child Harpo. In the end, the Carrie is given
a harsh warning by Mr. ___, resulting in Carrie‗s crying and never coming back.
say nothing. I think about Nettie, dead. She fight, she run away. What good it do?
I don‘t fight. I stay where I‘mtold. But I‘m alive‖ (p. 22).
Based on Celie‘s thoughts, silent speech, reactions, and conversation of
others, it can be seen that Celie is a pessimistic person. When she has intercourse
with Mr. ____, she sees sexual intercourse as a disgusting act. When Celie is
given a push to fight back by Nettie and Carrie, Celie refuses to do so. Instead, she
tells Nettie that she only knows how to be alive and not fighting back.
3. Caring
Despite of harsh treatments given to Celie, not a little amount of love for
her sister escapes from her. She cares for her sister Nettie deeply to the point
where she tells Nettie to marry Mr. ____ so that Nettie can escape from their
father and gets a better life (p. 5). Celie‘s love for her sister can also be seen
where Mr. ____ has not decided to accept Celie as a bride:
―It took him the whole spring, from march to June, to make up his mind to take me. All I thought about was Nettie. How she could come to me if I marry him and he be so love struck with her I could figure out a way for us to run away.‖ (p. 9)
Although they ends up living separately due to Celie‘s marriage, the
distance between the sisters does not stop Celie for loving Nettie. In fact, Celie
welcomes Nettie whole-heartedly when Nettie runs away from home (p. 17 – 18).
The two are bonded as time goes by. Unfortunately, the two have to be separated
again due to Mr. ___‘s lustful glance. After that, Nettie disappears until Celie
Based on her past events and Celie‘s reactions, it can be concluded that
Celie
is a caring person. When she cares for someone, she is willing to do whatever it is
necessary to protect that person. It can be seen from Celie‘s action when Mr. ____
lusts after her and when Nettie escapes from home. No matter what the situation is,
Celie will always care for her sister.
4. Indifferent
If Celie loves her sister, what she feels toward Mr. ___ and his children is
the opposite. In fact, Celie‘s feelings to Mr. ____ incline toward hatred. This can
be seen when Celie snaps on the dinner table, claiming that Mr. ____ and his
children make her life feel like hell (p. 202). However, the major reason for
despising Mr. ___ is the fact that Mr. ___ is a man. This can be seen during a
conversation between Mr. ____ (who is later revealed as Albert) and Celie at the
end of the novel:
―He say, Celie, tell me thetruth. You don‘t like me cause I‘m a man? I blow my nose. Take off they pants, I say, and men look like frogs to me. No matter how you kiss ‗em, as far as I‘m concerned, frogs is what they say.
I see, he say.‖ (p. 258)
Although Celie‘s hatred toward men is not explicitly explained, readers can
implicitly find the reason during one of her conversations with Avery Shug. In
their conversation, Celie claims that she feels scared when she is raped at the age
of fourteen. Moreover, the one-sided sexual intercourse makes the
fourteen-year-old Celie suddenly see male‘s genital in an unpleasant way, triggering her fear of
Despite Celie‘s fear of men, her indifference toward Mr. ____‘s children is
due to the treatment they give to her. Everything starts during Celie‘s wedding,
where one of Mr. ___‘s kids ―cracked her head‖ open until it bleeds (p. 12).
Another sign of Celie‘s indifference toward the children can also be seen in one of
her letters, where she claims that ―Mr. ___ children all bright but they mean.‖ (p.
17). Finally, Celie‘s true feelings regarding of Mr. ____‘s children can be seen in
page 30. In that page, readers can see other‘s opinion on Celie‘s good treatment to
the children. However, Celie refutes society‘s praises, claiming that she feels
nothing to them despite of the good treatment she gives them:
―Everybody say how good I is to Mr. ____ children. I be good to them, but I don‘t feel nothing to them. Patting Harpo back not even like patting a dog. It more like patting another piece of wood. Not a living tree, but a table, a chifferobe.‖ (p. 30)
From Celie‘s past life, reactions, and thoughts, Celie can be seen as an indifferent
person. She is caring to those she cares about, but she can also be indifferent to
those she has no love for.
5. Brave
Although Celie possesses many negative traits, Celie also possesses
positive traits with brave personality as one of those positive traits. Celie‘s
bravery can be seen when she announces her departure from the house during
dinner (pp. 201 – 203). During the announcement, Celie is able to find the courage
to complain to Mr. ____, showing her brave personality against her husband when
society expects her not to do so (p. 202). Celie‘s brave personality can also be
Celie never tries to go to her stepfather‘s house. However, after knowing about
her former ―father‖, Celie finally has the courage to visit her stepfather and
confirms her relationship with her stepfather. Celie‘s action of affirming the truth
shows her brave personality, as she is willing to know the truth about her family
despite of the lack of knowledge she has about it. Celie is willing to step outside
her comfort zone and confirms the truth about her family, displaying her brave
personality.
6. Unyielding
Celie is not only brave, but she is also unyielding. When Celie decides to
do something, she sticks to it until the end. This can be seen during her
announcement during dinner and she sticks with the decision of leaving the house
despite of Mr. ___ protesting against her departure:
―Mr. ____ start up from his seat, look at Shug, plop back down again. He look over at me. I thought you was finally happy, he say. What wrong now? 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.‖ (pp. 201 – 202).
Celie‘s unyielding personality can also be seen when she takes care of
Avery Shug when Avery Shug arrives for the first time. Avery Shug gives Celie
the cold shoulder when she meets Celie for the first time (p. 49), but Celie sticks
to Avery Shug and takes care of Avery Shug until Avery Shug recovers. Another
part of the novel that shows Celie‘s unyielding personality is when Celie keeps on
loving Avery Shug although Avery Shut leaves Celie for another man:
Despite of the painful experience Avery Shug gives to her, Celie chooses to
continue loving Avery Shug, showing her unyielding personality no matter how it
is.
As it can be seen, Celie‘s character has many forms at the beginning of the
novel. Her characteristics are submissive, pessimistic, indifferent, but also caring.
Celie is also brave and unyielding. Such characteristics of Celie already exists at
the beginning at the novel and continue to be like that before the appearance of
Avery Shug who affects her life. The answer to the first research question is
important as it is mentioned in Section C which focuses on Celie‘s rebellion
against society‘s expectations.
B. Portrayal of Lesbian-Feminism in Celie’s Character
This section aims to answer the second research question which seeks to
find the portrayal of lesbian feminism in Celie‘s character. Based on the analysis,
it can be seen that Celie does the act of lesbian feminism in her character through
her relationship with Avery Shug.
The intimate relationship between Celie and Avery Shug can be seen in
when Celie is getting along with Avery Shug. Shug is the person who is able to
arouse Celie‘s long-lost physical desire. This can be seen during one of Celie‘s
sexual intercourse with Mr. ___, where she needs to visualize herself as Avery
Shug in order to ―enjoy‖ the intercourse with Mr. ___ (p. 12). Moreover, the
