Abstract The research question of my extended essay is "How patriarchal and colonial oppression is expressed in Alice Walker's "The Color Purple?" The essay explores the themes of colonial subordination, gender oppression and the representation of gender relations ... Written in the backdrop of the 20th century American patriarchal society is the epistolary novel 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker. Alice Walker likes to call herself a 'womanist'3 writer, which as described by her is a 'feminist of color or a black feminist ... class- based oppression. The term 'womanist' w...

• Word Count: 3403
• Approx Pages: 14
• Grade Level: High School

The women in The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, are abused, mistreated and battered by the men in their lives. The protagonist, Celie is repeatedly raped by her stepfather. She is later given to a ... rapist is her father. Pa repeatedly calls Celie dumb and ugly and forces her to drop out of school. Smith comments in her critical essay, "The Ecospirituality of Alice Walker", that Pa uses insults and rape as a way to further control Celie, causing low self-esteem, resulting in a her lack of effort to stand up for herself ... with a more submissive woman named Squeak. "Harpo little yellowish gi...

• Word Count: 2865
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School