How is confinement presented in the novel the color purple?

Answer 1

If you read the course book like everybody else has to, you will probably find the answer!!!!

Firstly what confinements are there? These are all linked, these mainly relate to women however men are confined for example, racially and also u could look at them being in the confines of love, where the braver stronger women like sofia and shug, intimidate the men and use them. Sofia for ex. is physically intimidating yet defencively.

Physcological confinement: -bullying, fear in the mind holds Celie, verbal abuse knocks her confidence. Also sofias power over the white girl she brings up. Celie hates her body, has never seen herself naked, has been intimidated too much to be a person, she is a shell, her breasts are for breast feeding and for men's pleasure and she has never seen her privates just experienced pain from unstoppable rape.

Physical Confinement: Physical intimidation from her being beaten, prison of Sofia, phyically not able to run away. Rape. Unstoppable pregnancies

Cultural Confinement: Expectations of women to stay in the house, married off young to someone she does not love (Celie) The work she is expected to do is confined. Shug is ususual and not accepted socially. Women not expected to drive. Expected to have babies and look after them. Also the afican tribespeople, the Olinkas are confined in their traditions and sacred beliefs also psycological.

Gender confinement: Women intimidated by men in status, speaking, working, 'yes sir' 'no sir' beating allowed. Having to keep up men's reputation. Men being allowed to give away daughters to whomever, women no choice in marriage. This also goes for the white women, for example the mayor's wife cannot drive because she isn't worth teaching, the car is bought so as to not be outdone by a 'colored' (racial)

Racial Confinement: due to colour differences, have to be respectful, behave a certain way etc ( sofias behaviour had disastrous consequences)

Educational Confinement: Unable to coninue education linking to their cultural expecations of their 'father' Intelligence undermined in women (celie and nettie)

Sexual Confinement: Men having the upper hand. Doing what they want when t

hey want, mistresses etc Also confinement to men whereas celie loves shug. Here is a woman who has been used and beaten down for years until shug comes on the scene, sexy, glamourous and worshipped by men. She enables celie to have her first enjoyable sexual experience and treats her lovingly and sets her confines of thinking free. To me this shows the confinement of men being taught how to look at women over the years for example 'albert' married to celie, there comes a time when he too is freed in his thinking

Marrital Confinement: FOr whites and colored being stuck with the same husband, although this changes later in in the book with the introduction of free woman shug. No freedom to chose husband out of love, celie does not know love until she meets shug who shows her what its about, to care for celie, to love her body and teach her to love her body where as she has been confined for so many years.

Family Confinement: Following your father's wishes, and then your husband and looking after your children etc

Religious Confinement: Going to church following tradition and set 'rules' yet shug shows her expression of God as being free

Creative confinement: This aspect is shown by people not allowed to be themseles, not allowed to express their true thoughts and creativity. Also celie's skills show themselves later on as she builds up her pants making business. She has the intelligence and the practical skills that for so long have been locked away.

All these are presented through characters and interaction, the plot and events that unfold, the use of letter writing showing hiddeness, rather like the letters fomr Nessie that are never opened but are locked away. So therefore this is also symbolic, there are many symbols that show confinement. Sofia for example shut in the car having not been able to see her children for so many years and only being allowed to see them for 15 minutes.

These are just some thoughts I quickly brainstormed to get you going if you need help on this one. Please add your own answers if you have an y added inspiration that might help me :)

Answer 2

In "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, confinement is presented through the physical and emotional abuse suffered by the protagonist, Celie, at the hands of her father and husband. Celie experiences confinement in the form of limited freedom, lack of choice, and powerlessness. Through Celie's journey towards self-discovery and empowerment, the novel explores themes of liberation and breaking free from societal constraints.