A Lacanian Reading of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple

Abstract

Themes like racism and sexism, the role of the artist, the relation between art and life, the process towards “spiritual health and self-definition” of the characters and environmental issues are Walker’s main Themes. She also writes about “the oppressions, the insanities, the loyalties, and the triumphs of black women” (The Temple of My Familiar, p.250, 2004). She says herself that she is “preoccupied with the spiritual survival, the survival whole of [her] people.”(p.250).

In The Color Purple the protagonist and narrator Celie, starts writing letters to God. Celie is abused and raped by her father who takes away her children after they are born. Eventually, father marries Celie off to a man who is just as abusive as he himself is. New husband, Mr.__ simply marries Celie to take care of his four children, look after his house, and work in his fields. After several decades abroad in Africa Celie and her sister have a blissful reunion, and though they are now old women, the readers will get the sense that they’ve just begun the best years of their lives.