PAGEPAGE30PILGRIM’SPROGRESS:CELIE’SPURSUITOFFEMALESELF-CONSCIOUSNESSINTHECOLORPURPLEAbstract:ThisessaydiscussesthecourseoftheheroineinTheColorPurple,Celie’spursuitofherself-consciousness.Eventhoughherlifeisfullofhardship,Celiepersistsinlookingforherself-consciousnessandfinallyshesuccessfullyachievesthevalueofherself.Thisessayisbasedonhistoricalevidencesandwomanism.ItanalysesCelie,ablackwomangrowingupintheSouth.ShewritesletterstoGodinwhichshetellsaboutherlife——herrolesasadaughter,awife,asister,andamother.Inthecourseofherstory,Celiemeetsaseriesofotherblackwomenwhohelpshapeherlife:Nettie,Celie'ssister,whobecomesamissionaryteacherinAfrica.ShealsobecomesCelie’sspiritualdependenceafterCelieknowsthatGoddoesn’texitinreality,andtheguardianofCelie’stwochildrenwhosymbolizeCelie’shope;ShugAvery,theBluessinger,whoherhusbandMr.Xisinlovewith,andwhobecomesCelie’ssalvation;Sofia,thestrong-willeddaughter-in-lawofCeliewhosestrengthandcourageinspireCelie.Celiefinallygetsridofthosetroubleswhichhavebeenbotheringher.Throughtheconstantawarenessofthelifeandtheinfluencefromafewwomenaroundher,sherealizeshertrueself,havingherownwork,life,family.Andatlastsheforgivesherhusbandwhichsymbolizesthecompromisebetweenblackwomenandblackmen.Thereisaspecialspiritonher.Thespiritisthatshedarefightwithadversity,darepursuitlife.Andthereisalwaysastrongbeliefofoptimisminher.Thisessaynamesthecoursepilgrim’sprogress.Keywords:CelielettersblackwomanwomanismGodTheColorPurple論文摘要本論文探討的是《紫色》這部小說(shuō)中的女主人公，茜利，在她充滿(mǎn)坎坷困苦的一生中，去不斷的追求女性自我意識(shí)并最后實(shí)現(xiàn)自我價(jià)值的過(guò)程。本文從歷史角度及女性主義入手，分析茜利，一個(gè)生長(zhǎng)在美國(guó)南方的黑人婦女，寫(xiě)信給上帝去講訴她作為女兒、妻子、姐姐、媽媽的角色的一生。同時(shí)，有幾個(gè)影響了她一生的黑人婦女，聶蒂，她的妹妹，一個(gè)非洲的傳教士，她不但是茜利認(rèn)識(shí)到上帝不可能真正走入她的生活中幫助她后的精神寄托，也是象征著黑人婦女希望的茜利的兩個(gè)孩子的監(jiān)護(hù)人；莎格.埃佛里，藍(lán)調(diào)歌手，她丈夫的情人，成為了她的拯救者；索非亞，她的兒媳，意志堅(jiān)定，一直激勵(lì)著她。最后，她終于擺脫了一直困擾她的那些煩惱。通過(guò)對(duì)生活的不斷認(rèn)識(shí)，以及周?chē)膸讉€(gè)女人對(duì)她的影響，找到了一個(gè)真實(shí)的自我，完全擁有了自己的工作，生活，家庭，并原諒了她的丈夫。在她身上有一種精神，一種敢于與逆境搏斗的精神，敢于探索人生的精神和對(duì)自己對(duì)生活充滿(mǎn)信心的樂(lè)觀主義精神。最后她實(shí)現(xiàn)了自己的人生價(jià)值，自我意識(shí)得到了體現(xiàn)。本論文稱(chēng)這個(gè)過(guò)程為天路歷程。關(guān)鍵詞：茜利；信；黑人婦女；婦女主義；上帝；《紫色》ContentsⅠ.Introduction……….........1Ⅱ.PursuitofSelf-consciousnessthroughSuffering………………...……….6A.CulturalandHistoricalBackground61.Womanism……………62.HistoricalEventsoftheNovel’sComingintoBeing.……….…....…11B.ExplorationofSelf-consciousnessthroughSuffering…………...…….121.TwoOppressionsUpontheBlackWomen…….……122.Celie’sUnusualChildhood……………….………………...……….133.Celie’sUnhappyMarriagelife………………...…….144.TheStepson’sWife,Sophia’sAffection……………..……………...155.Shug’sComingintoCelie’sLife…….………………166.Celie’sLeavingforHerOwnLife…..….…………...187.Nettie’sLetters………...………….…198.WomenThemselves,theOnlyGoddessestoSaveThemselves....….209.TheFinalIndependenceofCelie……………..………………..……21Ⅲ.Conclusion…………...….24Notes…………………...…….27Bibliography………………....29Pilgrim’sProgress:Celie’sPursuitofFemaleSelf-consciousnessinTheColorPurpleⅠ.IntroductionAliceWalkerisoneofthemostimportantandprominentcontemporaryblackAmericanwomanwriters.Sheisanovelist,acritic,andapoetatonce.HernovelTheColorPurplecausesthecritics’attentionsduetohernewconceptionanduniquetechniques.Afteritspublicationin1982,thenovelimmediatelybecamethebestsellerintheUnitedStates.In1983,itwonboththePlitzerandtheAmericanBookAward.In1984,itwasadaptedforfilmbyStevenSpielberg.AliceWalkerbecamethefirstPlitzerwinneramongtheAmericanblackwomenwriters.SheroseonthestageoftheAmericanliteraturelikeabrilliantstarandhasbecomewellknowntoeveryfamily.AliceWalkerwasborninEatonton,GeorgiaonFebruary9,1944.Ablackchildbornintopoverty,Walkerstartedherlifewithmanydisadvantages.HerfamilylivedassharecroppersintheDeepSouth.Attheageofeight,WalkerlosteyesightinoneofhereyeswhenanelderbrotheraccidentallyshotherwithaBBgun.Herchildhoodwastypicallikeotherblackwomenofhertime;sheoftenhadtoconfrontracismandsexualabuse.Duetothelossofeyesightandscarsonherface,Walkersoongrewisolatedfromtherestofhercommunity,spendingmostofhertimereadingandwritingaboutpeoplearoundher.Duringthisperiod,shedevelopedadeepbondwithhermotherandotherwomenrelativeswhoinspiredhertobecomeanindependentblackwoman.Despitetheseobstacles,Walkergrewuptobequitesuccessful.Shegraduatedatthetopofherhighschoolclassandsoongraduatedfromcollege.WalkerlivedinMississippiduringtheCivilRightsMovementandwasanavidactivistforminorityandwomen’srights.In1983,WalkerwasawardedthePulitzerPrizeforhermostfamousnovel－TheColorPurple.Walkerwillberememberednotonlyasanaward-winningauthor,butalsoasaleaderforblackwomenAliceWalker’sachievementsasawriterareequallyathomewithpoetryandfiction--it’sworthrememberingherfirstappearanceinbookformasapoet,notasanovelistorfictionwriter.Indeed,asanessayistaloneshewouldbeanoteworthypresenceinAmericanletters.Butitishernovelsthatsheisbestknownfor,anditishernovelsthatthefullcomplexityofhervisionismostevidentin.Untilnow,Walkerhaspublishedfivenovels:TheThirdLifeandGrangeCopeland(1970),Meridian(1976),TheColorPurple(1982),TheTempleofMyFamiliar(1989),andPossessingtheSecretofJoy(1992).Hershortstorieshavebeencollectedintwovolumes－InLove&Trouble(1973)andYoucan’tKeepaGoodWomanDown(1982).Walker’spublicationofpoetryhaskeptpacewithhernovels－HercollectionsareOnce(1968),FivePoems(1972),RevolutionaryPetunias&Poems(1973),GoodNight,WillieLee,I’llSeeYouintheMorning(1979),andHorsesMakeaLandscapeLookMoreBeautiful(1984).Shehaspublishedtwoimportantcollectionsofherownessays,－InSearchofOurMothers’Gardens(1983)andLivingbytheWord(1988);asignificantcollectionofthewritingsofZoraHurston;andayoungadultbiographyofLangstonHughes.TheColorPurple,AliceWalker'sthirdnovel,waspublishedin1982.Thenovelbroughtfameandfinancialsuccesstoitsauthor.Italsowonherconsiderablepraiseandmuchcriticismforitscontroversialthemes.Manyreviewersweredisturbedbyherportrayalofblackmales,whichtheyfoundundulynegative.Whenthenovelwasmadeintoafilmin1985byStevenSpielberg,Walkerbecameevenmoresuccessfulandcontroversial.Whileshewascriticizedfornegativeportrayalofhermalecharacters,Walkerwasadmiredforherpowerfulportraitsofblackwomen.Reviewerspraisedherforheruseoftheepistolaryform,inwhichwrittencorrespondencebetweencharacterscomprisesthecontentofthebook,andherabilitytouseblackfolkEnglish.Reflectingherearlypoliticalinterestsasacivilrightsworkerduringthe1960s,manyofhersocialviewsareexpressedinthenovel.InTheColorPurple,asinherotherwritings,WalkerfocusesonthethemeofdoublerepressionofblackwomenintheAmericanexperience.Walkercontendsthatblackwomensufferfromdiscriminationbythewhitecommunity,andfromasecondrepressionfromblackmales,whoimposethedoublestandardofwhitesocietyonwomen.AsthecivilrightsmovementhelpedshapeMs.Walker'sthinkingregardingracialissuesathome,italsoshapedherinterestinAfrica.Duringthe1960s,astronginterestinethnicandracialidentitystimulatedmanyAfricanAmericanstolookfortheirrootsinAfrica.TheprimarythemeofTheColorPurple,though,reflectsWalker’sdesiretoprojectapositiveoutcomeinlife,evenundertheharshestconditions.Hercentralcharactertriumphsoveradversityandforgivesthosewhooppressedher.Thiscentralthemeofthetriumphofgoodoverevilisnodoubtthesourceofthebook’sgreatsuccess.ThecolorpurpleisaboutthirtyyearsofthelifeofCelie,asouthernblackwomanbornattheturnofthetwentiethcentury,andgrowingupintheSouth.Inherteens，sheisrapedbyherstepfather,whosellsthetwochildrenwhosemotherisCelie.CelieismarriedofftoAlbert,whomshecallsMister.AlbertexpectsCelieasawife,toworkinhisfieldsandtoaccepthisbeatingswhichwas,acommonbeliefintheworldamonghusbandsatthattime.Hersister,Nettie,runsawaybecauseofthemistreatmentofherstepfather,andlaterisadoptedbyablackmissionarycouplewhotakeshertoAfrica.Thenovelconsistsofthreesetsofletters:Celie’sletterstoGod,abouttheincestandabuseshecannotspeakorwriteoftoanyoneelse;Nettie’sletterstoCelie,mainlyaboutherexperienceinAfrica;andCelie’sletterstoNettie,emphasizingthethemeofsisterhoodatthecoreofthisnovel’sconcerns.CeliewritesletterstoGodinwhichshetellsaboutherlife--herrolesasadaughter,awife,asister,andamother.Inthecourseofherstory,CeliemeetsaseriesofotherBlackwomenwhohelpshapeherlife:Nettie,ShugAvery,Sofia,andSqueak.Throughoutthestory,though,Celieisthecenterofthiscommunityofwomen,theonewhoknowshowtosurvive.Thispaperwilldiscussthistopic“howtheblackwomanfinallyfindherrealvalueoflife”throughseveralparts:unitstructureofBlacks;thefateofBlackslaves;thecharactersofthenovel.Ittalksabouttheblackwomen’sstatuesinthesocietyandthecontradictionbetweentheBlackandtheWhite,thenbetweenwomenandmen.Therealvalueatlastbreaksthroughtheunitofthesociety,thecommunityofBlacks,andthentheoldwaythattheyhold.Itexpressesthewholemeaningfromthecharacteroftheauthor,thehostinthenovelandthecommunityofBlacks.Theaimistotellwomen’srealvalueoflifeinthesocietyofUSAandtheworld.Ⅱ.PursuitofSelf-consciousnessthroughSufferingA.CulturalandHistoricalBackground1.WomanismWalker'sworksareallinseparablefromherdeepunderstandingofthehistoryandcultureoftheSouthwhichprovideherwithawayofseeingthecontemporaryworldandafieldofexpressingthetruemeaningoflifefortheblackpeople,especiallyblackwomen.Walkersensedthemiseryofblackpeople,especiallywomen,manyofwhomhavelivedthemostmiserablelifeatthebottomofAmericansocietyforlong.Blackpeoplesufferedfrominhumaneslavery,plunderandoppression.Andtoday,theystillliveinadreadfulplightunderracialdiscriminationandsegregation,whichhasbeendifficulttoraveloutsincetheblacksteppedontheland.Thehistoryofblackpeopleitselfhasbeenimbuedwithhumiliation.Thedivisionoflinesofcolorwas,andisstillrigidlyinplace,thoughthecivilrightsmovementconstantlyclaimscreditfordesegregationinschools,housingandpublictransportation.InthestateGeorgiainwhichWalkergrewup,itwasillegalforablackpersontoenterapublicrestaurant,libraryorswimmingpool.HermarriagetoawhitemanwasalsoillegalinthestateofMississippi.Itisthusclearthat,blackfemales,togetherwithblackmaleshaveundergonegreathardshipsfromracialprejudice,yettheyhavealsobeenfrettedbysexualdiscriminationinside.Blackmenfrequentlyventdepression,frustrationandindignationontheirlong-sufferingwives,whocanfindnowheretotakeitout.Sufferingfromracialandsexualoppression,blackwomenhavetoenduremorethanblackmenandwhitewomen.Theyevenlivebeyondthemarginwhereblackmenandwhitewomenarerespectivelykept,inthewhitepatriarchalsociety.Miserablelifeexperiencesstimulatedblackwomentowriteforthemselves.However,ithadbeenexcludedoutofthe“mainstream”ofAmericanliteratureforalongtime.AliceWalkerdiscoveredthatheryearsatfirstaprestigiousblackcollegeandthenaprestigiouswhiteonehadleftherwitha“blindspot”inhereducationforthereshecouldhear“notonewordaboutearlyblackwomenwriters”1.AftermovingtoMississippiin1976,sheauditedacourseatJacksonStateUniversitytaughtbythepoetMargaretWalker,oneofthefewblackwomenwriterswhoseworkswereinprint.Ironically,eventherethefocuswassolelyonblackmalewriterssuchasLangstonHuges,RichardWright,RalphEllison,andJamesBaldwin;blackwomenwriterswerementioned,butnotread,partlybecausetheirworkswerelargelyunavailable.Sincemostofthewritingwereoutofprint,orcastoff,WalkercouldonlyfoundZoraNealeHurston-anexcellentblackwomanwriter’snamefrom“verbalfootnotes”ofwhiteauthoritativetheories.WhenaskedwhyblackwomanwriterhasbeensoignoredinAmerica,Walkeranswered…she'sawoman.Criticsseemunusuallyill-equippedtointelligentlydiscussandanalyzetheworksofblackwomen.Generallytheydonotevenmaketheattempt;theyprefer,rather,totalkaboutthelivesofblackwomenwriters,notaboutwhattheywrite.And,sinceblackwomenwritersarenot-itwouldseem-verylikable-untilrecentlytheyweretheleastwillingworshippersofmalesupremacy--commentsaboutthemtendtobecruel.2Beingneglected,blackfemalewritershadtobekeptinastateofsilenceforlong.Soreaderscouldonlyseeblackwomenimages-slavesorviragos-inthewhiteliteratureorblackmalewriters’works,whichcouldnottrulyorobjectivelyreflectblackwoman’sworldinsideout.Asaresult,since1970s,AliceWalker,alongwithmanyotherAfrican-Americanwomenwritersandcritics,advocatedBlackFeministMovementfromdifferentrace,class,andculturalexperiences.TheyendeavoredtoexplorethecomplexityofblackwomanhoodinwhiteAmericasoastoquestfortheirownliterarytradition.In1983,AliceWalkercoinedthetermwomanismtoreplacethewordfeminismandtoexpressherappreciationofherownfemalegender.ShedefinesthewordwomanistintheprefaceofheressaycollectionInSearchofOurMothers'Gardens(1983)essentiallyastheonewhoiscommittedtothesurvivalandwholenessofentirepeople,maleandfemale.Thisideasignificantlyexpandsthetheoryoffeminism,thuscoalescesarichcrosssectionofwomenunderthegenericconceptionofwomanist.Awomanistisidentifiedas“awomanwholovesotherwomenorsometimesindividualman,sexuallyand/ornonsexually,awomanististheonewholovesmusic,lovesdance,lovesthemoon,lovesthespirit,loveslove,lovesthefolk,lovesherself.”3Comparedwithfeminist,theconceptofwomanisthaswiderhumanitarianconcerns,andgainsmoredimensionsintermsoftheirconstitution.Tobemorespecific,womanismhasthefollowingcharacteristics,whichareshowninTheColorPurple:a)WomanistssearchforthesourceofliterarycreationinAfro-Americanwomenheritageandtradition.TheyemphasizethatAfro-AmericanwomenheritageandtraditiongiveAfro-Americanwomencreativity.b)WomanistsattributeAfro-Americanwomen’smisfortunetothecombinedracismandsexism.Whiledisclosingpatriarchy’soppressionuponAfro-Americanwomen,womanistspointoutthatracismcorruptsAfro-AmericanmenandconsequentlydeepensAfro-Americanwomen’ssuffering.c)Womanistsattachgreatimportancetosisterhood,whichistheescapehatchfortheoppressedAfro-Americanwomen.d)WomanistsbelievethatAfro-Americanwomen’sself-respectandself-improvementwillinfluenceAfro-Americanmenandultimatelywillmakethemgetridoftheirpatriarchalprejudiceandmakethemrespectwomen.e)WomanistsbelievethatmutualunderstandingandcommunicationbetweenAfro-Americanmenandwomenwillimproveandperfecttheirrelationship.Tosumup,awomanistisapsychologicallyroundedhumanbeing,orasisputbyWalker,“womanististofeministaspurpletolavender.”4Womanism,otherwiseknownasblackfeminism,isaformoffeminismatadeeperlevel.InretrospectofWalker’swomeninherearlierworks,notablythoseappearedinherstorycollectionInLoveandTrouble:StoriesofBlackWomen(1973),thecharactersfighthelplesslyagainsttheiroppressorsinahostileenvironmentwithaconfusedsenseofself.Mostofthemexperiencecertaindegreesofidentitycrisis.Foronereason,theystillremainonthelevelofphysicalexistenceatmost;thegoalofspiritualwholenessisyettobeachieved.Foranother,thesewomenaretooisolatedtosupporteachotherintheirhelplessstruggle.Downtroddenbysophisticatedpowerrelationsanddeceivedbytheideologicalmisconceptionaboutthemselves,manyofthemfindthemselveslackofpowertoaltertheirlivesotherwise.Toeffectanychanges,therealbattlewithwhateverformofoppressionhastobeginfromone’sheart.Disillusionedastheymightbeintheirlives,Walker’slavenderwomenstrivetoexplorethepossibilitiesoflifeandtoachievetheirselfhood,thatis,asenseofthemselvesasautonomous,self-directedindividuals.AndthesefiguresattainedtheirpurplecolorinWalker’smostnotednovelTheColorPurple(1982).Inthisbook,anarrayofblackwomencharacters,eachexperiencingvariousformsofbaptismofself-discovery,emergeswithdignityfromtheirpilgrimage.Insteadofhavingtheirself-identitydefinedbytheirmenoranyexternalforces,thesewomenlearntodefinetheirownselves.2.HistoricalEventsoftheNovel’sComingintoBeingTheColorPurpleissetintheAmericanSouthfromthe1920sto1940s;inevitablyitreflectssomeeventsofthattime.1ntheearlytwentiethcenturytheSouthwasstilllargelyruralandagricultural.Sharecroppingreplacedslaveryasthecentralsourceofblacklabor,uponwhichsouthernagriculturestillrelied.However,itmadenochangeforblacks’hardlives.Povertywaswidespread.From1915,manyblacksbrokeawayfromsharecroppingtoseekabetterlifeintheindustrialnortherncities,participatingintheexodusfromtheSouth.ThisiscalledtheGreatMigration.Howeverforthosewhostayed,bothmenandwomen,liferemainedhard.Theyhadtostruggleunderthetwinburdensofextremepovertyandentrencheddiscrimination.Bythe1920s,afteralmosthalfacentury’spostCivilWarperiodofReconstruction,AfricanAmericansintheSouthaswellaselsewherewonlittleimprovementoftheircivilrights.AidedbyareactionarySupremeCourt,theSouthernbacklashagainstReconstructionhadsolidifiedintotheJimCrow’sregimeofenforcedsegregationbetweenblacksandwhitesandwhitedomination.Basedontheprincipleofwhitesupremacy,JimCrowlawscreatedseparatesocietiesforblacksandwhites.Fromtheaterstodrinkingfountains,andfromschoolstotheatersandcemeteries,blackswerefacedwithsignsthatturnedthemaway.Restrictionsconstantlyremindedblacksoftheirinferiorstatusinthewhite’seyes.Asidefromcreatingseparatesocietiesforthewhitesandblacks,JimCrowlawsensuredthatwhenblacksandwhitesdidmix,theywoulddosoontermsthatguaranteedwhitedominance.LikeJimCrowlaws,whichflourishedinthesouthfromthe1880stothe1930s,lynchingaroseasawhitereactionagainstblackfreedom,awayforSouthernwhitestocontroltheblacks.LynchinghadsexualandeconomicaspectsintheSouth,foracommonexcusewastheallegedrapeofawhitewomanbyablackman.AsblackantilynchingcrusaderIdaB.Wellspointedout,arapechargecouldbeprovokedbyconsensualrelationsbetweenablackmanandawhitewoman,orbynothingmorethaneyecontactthatawhiteperceivedasathreat.Itcouldfurthermoreserveasamanufacturedexcuseforgettingridofablackmanwhowasprosperingfinancially,oronewhoseattitudewasnotsubmissiveenoughtopleaselocalwhites.TheColorPurplereflectsthehistoryofAfricanAmericans’hardlifeatthatperiodoftime.B.ExplorationofSelf-consciousnessthroughSuffering1.TwoOppressionsUpontheBlackWomenPeoplemayknowaboutracialdiscriminationandsexualdiscrimination,buttheymaynotknowhowextensivetheyare,howtheyworkandhowtheyareinterrelated.ThefollowingmuchcelebratedpassageinHuston'sTheirEyeswereWatchingGodcangiveusanaccurateanswer,“sothewhitemanthrowdowntheloadandtelltheniggertopickitup.Hepicksitupbecausehehasto,buthedoesn'ttoteit.Hehandsittohiswomanfolks.TheniggerwomanisthemuleoftheworldssofarasIcansee.”5Themuleoftheworld-thisistheroleblackwomenareforcedtoplayinthedomestic,socialandpoliticalcircumstances,andthisisalsothefateoftheblackwomeninTheColorPurple.Inthisnovel,AliceWalkersparesnodetailsanddelineatesaclearpictureofthetwooppressionstheblackwomenendure.Blackwomendon’thaveanyrightinthesociety.Theythinkthattheyshouldhavenorightsbefore,andtheyaretoldthattheyshouldobeytheirfathersandtheirhusbands,Imeansthattheyshouldobeytheirfathersbeforetheygetmarriedandobeytheirhusbandsaftertheygetmarried.Throughalltheirlife,theylivelikeaslave,likeananimal.Butitisnotright.Becausenowadays,everyonehasequalrights,humanbeingsareequal.Nooneisaslavetoanother.Sotheblackwomenmustrealizethattheyshouldfightfortheirequalrights,fortheirsocialstatus,andfortheirownhappylife.Theycanchoosewhatkindoflifetheylike,whatjobtheywant,evenwhatevertheywantwhichisnotoutoflaw.2.Celie’sUnusualChildhoodCeliebe