Freedom in the Darkness

“Somewhere there are free People: they are laughing; they are happy; they are blonde and the dark haired man is hoping at least his children will be.” In Alice Walker’s poem All the Fast Car Ads Look Crazy Now, it seems this man is unhappy due to his appearance. However, at the core of this stanza is an underlying theme: freedom lies within. While she has written about many topics over the years, this theme seems to be central to all of Walker’s works. In fact, the same theme is found in The Color Purple, her most acclaimed novel.

The essence of freedom can be found within the pages of this novel. It’s portrayed by the characters, woven into the plot, and hidden in the irony. This novel is a great teacher of how the journey to freedom begins. It uses simple themes and strong characters to convey what freedom is and how to get it. One of the simple themes is sexism. This is conveyed through a generational pattern of spousal abuse. For example, Albert (Mr.____) begins beating Celie almost as soon as they get married, believing it will make her obey him as her husband. Similarly, Harpo tries to beat Sophia, so she will submit to his wishes. The pattern is broken; however, when Sophia resists Harpo’s abuse by fighting back. She states, “I love Harpo, God knows I do. But I’ll kill him dead before I let him beat me (40).” Sophia is able to break the chains of repetition with her high self-esteem. She is telling readers that freedom starts within.

Not only does she use simple themes to express where freedom begins, but Walker also does an amazing job of building strong, round characters. Each one promotes the growth of another, or, in some circumstances, the detriment. For example, Albert beats Celie into submission, and she learns not to pursue anything in life. She states, “This life be over soon, Heaven last always (42).” However, when she befriends Shug Avery, Celie begins to learn more about the world, little by little, and her spirit is slowly awakened. She states, “I’m pore, I’m black, I may be ugly and can’t cook, but I’m here (207).” She has her freedom.

The irony of the story is: each character is gaining freedom within, yet is still subjected to the enslavement of a prejudiced society. For example, Sophia is the one character in the novel that exudes strength physically, emotionally, and verbally. This becomes her downfall, and also her contribution to change. Just like she refused to back down in her fights with Harpo, she also refuses to back down in the fight for social freedom. However, because she’s so aggressive, she suffers. The book states, “When I see Sophia I don’t know why she still alive (86).”

Although she endures great pain, Sophia’s suffering promotes great change. She states, “I’m telling you I won’t be able to love your son. You can love him as much as you want, but be ready to suffer the consequences. That’s how the colored live (266).” By being candid, Sophia changes the perspective of many characters, and allows them to see something new. This begins the path to social freedom.

Another impactful aspect of the story is the setting. It’s vague in terms of time and location; however, this allows the situational setting to shine. Diction, tone, and irony are used to introduce readers to the harsh situations in the novel. For example, racial slurs are used throughout the novel, and there is a clear message that African Americans must be submissive. When speaking to Celie about her real father, Pa states, “Your daddy didn’t know how to get along. Whitefolks lynch him… The fact is you got to give ‘em something. Either your money, your land, your woman or your ass (182).” This clearly shows a time of struggle for the African American community.

Due to the fact that time and location aren’t merely stated, readers have a stronger emotional engagement with the text. For example, Celie states, near the beginning of the book, “I spend my wedding day running from the oldest boy…He pick up a rock and laid my head open (12).” To have a narrator being abused almost immediately is shocking, but it’s even more shocking to have one that’s abused in her home, and socially rejected outside of it. Because there’s little reference to time and location readers don’t know what to expect until it happens; therefore they feel the repression and abuse as it comes along.

Not only is the novel impactful, but it’s also timeless. It’s able to evade time by dealing with common and relatable issues. For example, Celie states, “The news always sound crazy. People fussing and fighting and pointing fingers at other people, and never even looking for no peace (210).” Likewise, things of this nature can be found just as easily in today’s society. For example, social media is bombarded with negativity. There are many examples of people arguing on social media, and it seems no one is looking for peace; everyone just wants to be right.

The theme of inner peace is used to combat controversy, which makes the novel versatile. It conveys a lesson that everyone can connect with, and apply to many different circumstances. Readers will be able to take this book and grow from it, by learning how much power lies in inner peace.

Alice Walker uses multiple writing tools and techniques to create an embodiment of essential life lessons. This novel is sure to evoke emotion, and provide a new perspective on historical concepts. It will continue to touch hearts, impact lives, and inspire growth for years to come.

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple: A Novel. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1982.

Print

Walker, Alice. "All the Fast Car Ads Look Crazy Now." Alice Walker The Official

Website for the American Novelist Poet. Wordpress, Feb.-Mar. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

<http://alicewalkersgarden.com/>.