The Salvation Power Of Lesbian Love In The Color Purple

Women issue is a world-wide issue. Women's development especially for women's social identity and position attracts more and more attention in the whole world. Alice walker's The Color Purple is concerned about a Southern American black woman Celie's suffering in the patriarchal society. However, with the help of the same-sex Shug the heroine Celie becomes independent not only economically but psychologically and spiritually. What and how women (particularly for black women) should do in the patriarchal society is worth studying. This thesis attempts to discuss why Celie lacks her female subjectivity and how Celie gains her independence. Hence, this thesis aims at illustrating an outlet through which those women can turn to women when facing the patriarchal oppression. To put it in a specific way, the writer adopts the lesbian criticism to the studies of the relationships between the heroine Celie and her husband's lover Shug. This kind of relationship saves Celie from the abyss of male-centered society. This thesis consists of four chapters and a conclusion. Chapter one is a brief introduction to Alice Walker's works and a literature review. Chapter Two focuses on Celie's suffering in the patriarchal society. Chapter Three makes a profound exploration of how Celie becomes independent. Chapter Four centers on the change of the relationship between Celie and her husband. The last part is the Conclusion which restates the main points of the thesis and the significance of the novel The Color Purple.