Book Thoughts: The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Spoiler Alert!!!!
Rating: *****

(Photo by: Erix L.)

I like browsing and visiting bookish websites, particularly Goodreads and Book Riot. I am also fond of listing down books that I want to read, books that were banned, books that are controversial and so on and so forth. In almost all those websites , Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” has been always present. What intrigued me the most was that it was included in the list of banned books.

I was tempted to buy a brand new copy; however, I’m a thrift shopper, secondhand addict and used books collector so I did my best to dig though the old books whenever I visit hippie stores. I found my copy, which is a 1983 paperback edition and you know what... the seller even gave me a discount.

My thoughts:

I have just started to seriously involve myself in reading literature related to slavery, racism or whatever you want to call it. I have a copy of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” that I haven’t read yet and a signet collection of literary works written by "black" authors/writers. 

The Color Purple represents the life of Celie. I don’t want to spoil the story here so I will just express my reflections, realizations and comments.

All I can say is that, yes, no wonder why the books had been banned. The book is quite straightforward and revealed a lot of things about the life of black people. May I stress the ff:

1. Men treated women as next to “nothing”. They only see women as instrument for procreation. They considered women as a very low kind of individual who must follow what the husband will instruct them to do. Women were not allowed to gain knowledge because men think that they should not become smarter than them. What would a man do with a wife who knows things that he already knew (more than he knows)?
2. God resides in you. Not in church, not in a specific place… He is everywhere and only those who will look inside themselves will find him.
3.  Most people have been ostentatious on how they glorify God, but what they only want is to reap praises from the others. Glorifying Him through appreciation of the things around you is enough to make him feel well loved because God is everything.
4.   Having a number of wives is considered “okay” or at least “moral”.
5. The feeling of watching the land of your ancestors being robbed from you is heart wrenching and frustrating. It reminds me of the history of my country wherein a number of countries conquered it. But past is past… you can always forgive and never forget… but burying grudges is not acceptable. Time flows, people change… but the past will be forever etched on the path that has been traveled by time.

In the agency I am currently connected with, the Gender and Sensitivity Program has been rigorous that’s why the book really affected me. I was seen by my colleagues shaking my head, nodding with my eyes enlarging because of some parts that were a little difficult to be immediately absorbed by my brain, my heart and my mind. (Drama!) 

Nowadays, the government has been working really hard to expedite awareness on Gender Equality in work environment. Well,  think it’s about time for men to realize that women are also capable of doing the so called “men tasks”. On the other hand, if women wants to be taken seriously as equal to me, they should not expect to be treated in a specific way because for sure they will not also treat men in a specific and special way. This is my opinion, please respect. I also respect the opinions of others.

As for me, I don’t expect men to give up their seats on the train, or to open the door for me, to carry my things because I want to be treated as equal. Of course, if men will insist to help, why not let them… but I will not expect. No expectation, no disappointment, no frustration, less comment, less misunderstanding.

FAST FORWARD:

Just a little caution, the accent and tone of the book is quite contagious. 

I can say that I may not be able to forget the story. This book is worth to keep.

Sincerely,

Erix L.