The Essays I wrote

The Color Purple

"I think us here to wonder, myself. To wonder to ast. And that in wondering bout the big things and asting bout the big things, you learn about the little ones, almost by accident. But you never know nothing more about the big things than you start out with. The more I wonder, he say, the more I love.

"And people start to love you back, I bet, I say." (Walker 283)

Throughout Alice Walker's The Color Purple, the phrase "Actions speak louder than words" is a major theme and factor in the lives of not just the main character, Celie, but within every character. Celie especially understands this. She sees and feels the changes of her friends, her family, and the other people around her. Celie's opinion of the people she lives with is tied directly with the comparisons of her life and theirs. It is why she admires Sofia and Shug; they do the things that she wished she could do. The way they carry themselves, the way they stand up for themselves, and the things they do have a tremendous effect on Celie. They do not have to tell her anything, because the way they act tells her about them. This leads to Celie's jealous act on Sofia and her falling in love with Shug.

Celie also forgives those who have wronged her in some way by taking into consideration their actions. Sofia forgave Celie when she suggested to Harpo to beat Sofia up. Add that to the fact that she just does not like being mad, and so she doesn't. Celie tells Sofia, "I can't even remember the last time I felt mad, I say. I used to git mad at my mammy cause she put a lot of work on me. Then I see how sick she is. Couldn't stay mad at her. Couldn't be mad at my daddy cause he my daddy. Bible say, Honor father and mother no matter what. Then after while every time I got mad, or start to feel mad, I got sick. Felt like throwing up. Terrible feeling. Then I start to feel nothing at all." (Walker 41-42) Putting aside the fact that this mentality probably came from all the abuse she dealt with, this lack of anger puts her in the position to assess people without her judgment being clouded by anger. One of the most prominent of examples would be Celie's relationship with Albert. He beats her, uses her, isolates her from her family, outright abuses her, and does not care until the leading events after Shug appears. After time, he understands her and proves himself not with just words but by his actions. He stops abusing her, he starts conversing with her, he tries not to be overbearing, and he defends her. And she understands. "He ain't Shug, but he begin to be somebody I can talk to." (Walker 276)

This is how The Color Purple relates to the underlying ideology of "One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility." (Eleanor Roosevelt) The characters' thoughts and morals are truly expressed by what they do. The Color Purple has strong female characters who really show the meaning of what Eleanor Roosevelt said. Sofia, who really speaks and acts on her mind on, well, on everything. The link between what Sofia says, what she thinks, and how she acts is like her personality, straightforward and no-nonsense. She fights back against people who try to do something that is against her personal thoughts. Nettie, who is calm and educated, goes to the African tribe and really sets the idea of educated women with her independent acts, her kindness, and her insightfulness. In her own peaceful way, she fights back against injustice and inequality. Shug, who is independent and outgoing, does not want anyone to drag her down. She boasts her independence, encourages it, and why shouldn't she? All of them, even if they do not realize it at first, understand that the choices they make are ultimately their own responsibility.