An Analysis Of Shug’s Androgyny In The Color Purple

As one of the most influential black women writers in the United States, AliceWalker explores the poor living conditions of black women, and reveals their tragiclives in her masterpiece The Color Purple. In the hope of finding a way to survivefrom the unfair living conditions for black women, Walker embodies androgynoustraits to one of the minor characters, Shug, in the novel. The purpose of this thesis isto analyze the androgynous coexistence of feminine and masculine traits in Shug’scharacter so as to help readers better understand the significance of The Color Purple.In Shug’s character, there are both feminine and masculine qualities. Thefeminine qualities are shown in her identities as both mistress and singer. Her kind-heartedness and attractiveness make her a charming woman. The masculine qualitiesinclude her rebellious spirit and inclination of dominating others. As a minor character,Shug greatly influences both the female and the male protagonists. Due to Shug’sinfluence, Celie, the heroine of the novel, grows into a mature woman with femaleconsciousness and Albert transforms into a mature man who treats black womenequally. At last, thanks to her androgynous character, a harmonious coexistence isachieved between Shug and the other characters in the novel. It can be concluded thatShug’s androgynous characteristics and personality remove the mental differencesbetween female and male characters and establish a harmonious relationship betweenthe two genders.