女权主义在西方文学中的色彩基调：Feminism in Western Literature

1. Introduction引言

在过去的20世纪，女权主义经历了一个新的且强劲的发展。随着技术的发展和科学的突破，诸如弗洛伊德和他的意识理论、西方女性主义先驱西蒙娜·德·波伏娃和她的代表作以及圣经中的女性主义等，都伴随着理论在逐步发展。所有这些成就带来了一个系统性和综合性的理论基础。
In the last 20th century, feminism experienced a new and powerful development. With the technology and science breakthrough, different theories put forward, such as Freud and his Consciousness theory, the western feminism pioneer Simone de Beauvior and her masterpiece The Second Sex which was regarded as the Bible for feminism. All these achievement brought it a systemic and integrated theoretical basis.

此外，在文学领域​​（也有所发展），特别是女权主义作家强调他们观察女性在家庭和社会中的作用。这些文章打破了传统女性的形象和框架，她们勇敢地去挑战传统社会的新形象（2010年）。
Besides, in the literature area, especially the feminist writers emphasized their observation on woman’s role in family and society. These articles broke the frame of traditional woman’s image, shaped the fresh image who dared to challenge the traditional society bravely (2010 Ju).

女权主义的发展高峰是在20世纪70年代，这是一个与公民权利相一致的时代，这个时期是美国历史上最鼎盛的时期，经济迅速提振，学生运动狠狠的发展，女性步入社会阶层。

So that the peak process of womanism (feminism) was in the 1970s, which was consistent with the Civic Right Moment, this period was the most prosperous time in American history, the economy boosted rapidly, the Students Movement developed fiercely, woman stepped into society vastly, they tried to acquire the equal right with man (2009 Henian), they refused to stay at home, just be a kind mother and a qualified wife. All these factors stimulated black women, they welcomed a golden time. A lot of black feminism appeared, such Bell Hooks and Alice Walker.
 

However the world changed rapidly, the black women’s living state sometimes was ignored, for the feminism researchers and publicity, most of their efforts put on the Western society and American white women, rare efforts gave to black woman. Even in the peak period, the black women’s living state was neglected; some of the white women even were racists. Betty Friedan, “she has been criticized, correctly being narrowly middle class for simplistic argument that urges suburban women to plan their lives ahead” (2008 Margartet Walkers). “Currently feminism, she insists it is racist that had left many women bitterly disillusioned, white women behaved as if the movement belonged to them, Hooks says they ignored the fact that women are divided by all kinds of prejudice”(1984 Bell Hooks).#p#分页标题#e#
 

The Color Purple, the novel that would earn Walker the Pulitzer prize and bring her fame beyond her previous books and poetry, also brought fierce criticism from those furious with her portrayal of violent black men. But Walker's work has always been about the experiences and inner lives of black women – she coined the term "womanism" that describes a movement of black feminists who felt ignored by mainstream feminism. Most of the research assignment just focused on Celie’s fate and her awakening of the awareness of self-value, such as she refused to have sex with Mr.X, insisted to leave home with Shurg and even pursued true love. Other books put forward the symbolize of things that continually appeared in the book, for example, the letters, the God, the pants and the color purple. But rare attention put on some thing very detailed, such as Celie’s anger and she tried to kill Mr.X, she encouraged Squeak to sing public. In fact, all these things also indicated the author’s opinion, her womanism. So that the research paper will emphasis on these detail things to explore the black women’s fate and their fight rather than spare more attention on some themes that are theoretical and political.  

2. Back ground Information背景信息

Feminism is a collection of movements aiming at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights, Feminist theory exists in a variety of disciplines, emerging from these feminist movements and including general theories and theories about the origins of inequality, and, in some cases, about the social construction of sex and gender.

2.1 The Development of Feminism女性主义的发展

The history of the modern western feminist movements is divided into three "waves". Each is described as dealing with different aspects of the same feminist issues. The first wave refers mainly to women's suffrage movements of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (mainly concerned with women's right to vote). The second wave refers to the ideas and actions associated with the women's liberation movement beginning in the 1960s (which campaigned for legal and social equality for women). The third wave refers to a continuation of, and a reaction to, the perceived failures of second-wave feminism, beginning in the 1990s.

 

2.2 The Literature of Feminism女性主义文学

The feminism literature has developed in different countries, for instance, Virginia Woolf, a famous English writer, whose books focused on the interconnectivity of race, class, and gender and what she describes as their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and domination, her famous slogan—“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." A Room of One's Own (1929，Virginia Woolf) [5], encouraged thousand women and females writers to fight for their rights. Another feminism writer is Simone de Beauvoir, her masterpiece The Second Sex, which is regarded as the bible by the feminists. However, feminism literature’s performance is extraordinary outstanding in the United States in terms of scale and influence. Some critics said that feminism works first appeared in American literature during 19th last century. These works broke the traditional literature model which is full of bias to female characters, shaping a new female image that was dare to challenge the traditional society bravely. These new-age women resisted the various roles imposed by male, refusing to take children and family as their ultimate and highest duty, pursuing self-realization rather than self-sacrifice. What’s more, some radical female writers took the lead to representing feminism in literature; they called for equal right with male in gender relations. (Zhubing Zhong, 2010, 8) [8].#p#分页标题#e#
 

 In the middle of the 20th century, more and more female writers and feminism sprang up, such as Betty Friedan, Bell Hook, Alice walker and so on. They not only made a significant contribution to literature but also pushed forward the development of civil society and voiced female’s aspiration.

2.3The Development of Womanism女性主义的发展

The word womanism was adapted from author Alice Walker; she used the term in her book In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose. (1983, Alice Walker) [2] In her book, Walker used the word to describe the perspective and experiences of "colored women". “Womanist theology is a prophetic voice concerned about the well-being of the entire African American community, male and female, adults and children. Womanist theology attempts to help black women see, affirm, and have confidence in the importance of their experience and faith for determining the character of the Christian religion in the African American community. Womanist theology challenges all oppressive forces impeding black women's struggle for survival and for the development of a positive, productive quality of life conducive to women’s and the family’s freedom and well-being. Womanist theology opposes all oppression based on race, sex, class, sexual preference, physical ability, and caste” said by Delores Williams.

 

Womanism is a term commonly used in the context of academic theological studies. Some authors use womanism and black feminism almost interchangeably, as they have much overlap and share heroines and foremothers. Other experts make a distinction based on the prioritization of men. Both black and white feminists are primarily concerned with women, in contrast to women's roles in what they consider as male-centered society. Womanists have argued that the gains of second wave feminism and beyond were largely built around the lifestyles and options of highly educated, upper-middle class white women. Some womanists have also argued that negative unintended consequences resulting from feminist reforms have fallen heavily upon women of color - specifically in regard to the structure of the black family unit.

3. Introduction of the Author and the Novel作者和小说简介

3.1 Brief Introduction of Alice Walker艾丽斯·沃克的简介

Walker was born in Eaonton, Geogia, being the youngest of eight children. Growing up with an oral tradition listening histories from her grandfather, she began writing very privately. Walker became interested in the U.S. civil rights movement in part due to the influence of activist Howard Zinne, continuing the activism that she participated in during her college life with voter registration drives, campaigns for welfare rights and children’s programs in Mississippi.

Alice Walker participated the civil rights activities very positive, for example, she marched with thousands in August in the 1963 March on Washington. As a young adult she volunteered to register black voter. In March 2009, Alice Walker traveled to Gaza along with a group of 60 other female activists from the anti-war group Code Pink, in response to the Gaza war.#p#分页标题#e#

Walker's first book of poetry was written while she was a senior at Sarah Lawrence, In addition to her collected short stories and poetry, Walker's first novel, The Third Life of Grange Copeland, was published in 1970, In 1982, Walker published what has become her best-known work, the novel The Color of Purple. She has published a number of collections of short stories, poetry, and other published work. She expressed the struggles of black people, particularly women, and their lives in a racist, sexist, and violent society. Her writings also focused on the role of colored women in culture and history. Walker is a respectable figure in the liberal political community for her support of unconventional and unpopular views as a matter of principle.

 

3.2 The Color of Purple《紫色》

Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on female black life during the 1930s in the Southern United States, addressing the numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture.

Celie was a poor, uneducated fourteen years old girl, raped by her stepfather and born two children. Then she was forced to marry Mr.X, a brutal macho farmer. Mr. X treated Celie as an animal without a little respect. At the same time, he took a fancy to Nettie, Celie’s sister. After Mr. X was refused by Nettie, he forced Nettie to leave his home.

Mr.X brought his sick mistress Shurg home. Shurg sympathized Celie very much. She encouraged Celie to pursue her own life, got ride of Mr.X, and to be her own master. Gradually, under the influence of Shurg, Nettie and Sophia, Celie’s awareness of self-value awoke. She began to achieve her own value, and finally became an independent modern woman.

4. The Black Woman’s Pursuit of Self-value黑人女性对自我价值的追求

At the beginning, Celie was an ignorant and innocent girl; she did not know what were love, respect and happiness. But after she married, some great people, such as Sophia, Shug, and Celie just like the light in the dark, made her future brilliant. Their spirit encouraged her. Then she began refused to stay at home, started to own her business, traveled around. Even though there were so many difficulties dangerous, she still went forward bravely and determinedly. These parts will be divided into four subtitles: struggles for self-respect, pursuit of love, against violence and dedication to education and social-management. 

4.1 Struggles for Self-respect对自我尊重的斗争

At the beginning of this story, Celie was treated like an animal rather than a human, for example, when her stepfather introduced Celie to Mr.X, he said, “she ugly, but she ain’t stranger to hard work and she anin’t gonna make you feed it or clothe it”(Alice, 2008, p10) [1] and when Mr.X came to see her, he just “still up on his horse, he look me up and down, Pa rattle his paper, move up, he  won’t bite, he say”. (Alice, 2008, p12). For the men, Celie was just a tool to make their life better, to take care of their baby, to make their house clean and to satisfy their sexual desire. At this time, she did not know how to be a woman, she knew nothing about herself. Nobody respected her; and she even did not know how to respect herself.#p#分页标题#e#

But gradually, she was influenced by her black sisters. Her blood-sister—Nettie,  was given some education, Nettie felt sorry that Celie lost her chance to have education, so she determined to impart knowledge in Celie,she told Celie, “do not let them run over you, you got to fight, you got to fight”. Nettie insisted to teach Celie to learn knowledge; she was the first teacher who inspired Celie to strive for her self-respect. Nettie’s influence on Celie was far more than this, in Nettie’s later letters, she conveyed and described the scene she saw in her trip and experience, all of which made Celie extremely hate racialism. Nettie was Celie’s first enlightenment teacher. 

 Another woman, who was independent, strong-will and self-determined named Sophia. When they first met, Sophia fought against her father-in-law in public. Her behavior shocked Celie, letting her know that there was another woman who leaded a totally different life, and bringing her a ray of hope. Sophia fought with Harpo and her own family, she told Celie “all my life had to fight” and gave Celie a suggestion that “you ought to bash Mr.—head open”(Alice, 2008,p39) [1]. And Sophia slapped the mayor and beaten his wife. Celie began to understand that everyone in the world had the right to fight for equality. In a degree, Sophia was Celie’s idol.

The last black sister who gave Celie both love and courage was Shug. Shug gave her hope when she was in dark, and helped her to know about herself, encouraged her to think independently. She helped Celie found the letters which were hidden by Mr.X and encouraged her to fight against Albert.

Under the influence of these people, Celie began to say no to Mr.X, refused to be a sexual tool, and requested Mr.X to show his respect to her and Sophia. From a innocent and blind girl, she finally became a mature woman.

 

4.2 Pursuit of Love追求爱情

There were two men who played an important role in Celie’s life. The first one was her stepfather, to which Celie was just a substitution of her mother, a sexual tool, and a servant. He took advantage of Celie’s ignorance and timidity and raped her. Celie even gave birth to two babies. And for Celie, her stepfather was a rude, irritable and imperious man; she did not gain a piece of love from him.

Another man was Mr.X. Celie thought she will have a new life after she got married, getting rid of pain and unpleasant. However, she did not expect that there was another trap waiting for her. That was endless torture. Mr.X did not want to marry Celie at first. To him, the marriage with Celie was a fair business; for he can get a cow as compensation. Celie would be a qualified “wife”, she can cook, looked after her children and swept house. As her stepfather said, “she good with children, pa say, never heard her say a hard word to nary one of them. She can work like a man”. Obviously, what she got from Mr.X was sexual abuse，curse and family violence.#p#分页标题#e#

Celie’s stepfather and Mr.X, both wanted to control Celie. They treated her as a servant, a sexual tool, but never a human, they just wanted to get everything from her, but never wanted to give a little.

Shug was different for Celie. She played a profound factor at self- knowing and self- appreciation. She leaded Celie to know her body, helped her learn about physiology and sex, she opened a door which inspired Celie to be a woman. What was more, Shug encourage Celie to appreciate her inner beauty, helped her constructed a new awareness of woman’s value. All these gave Celie an absolutely different definition of life and live. She fell in love with Shug whose love was pure. She ignored Mr.X’ warning and threat “woman can not love with woman” or “Shug was an amorous woman, she can not love you long time, you will get hurt, just like me.” She determined to go to Memphis with her lover. When she found that Shug fell in love with a young man, she still loved her. To her, Shug was a soul company. 

 

4.3 Against Violence反对暴力

The typical character of traditional social system emphasized on Patriarchy(Patriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination)

 Most forms of feminism characterize patriarchy as an unjust social system that is oppressive to women. As feminist and political theorist Carole Pateman writes, "The patriarchal construction of the difference between masculinity and femininity was the political difference between freedom and subjection." (Carole, 1988, p207) [3] In feminist theory, the concept of patriarchy often included all the social mechanisms that reproduce and exert male dominance over women. Feminist theory typically characterized patriarchy as a social construction, which can be overcome by revealing and critically analyzing its manifestations. Celie’s fight with Mr.X was a symbol of fighting against Patriarchy. Harpo wanted Sophia to act like a “good” wife, just like Celie to Albert. His father suggested him, “how you spec to make her mind? Waves are like children, you have to let them know who got the upper hand, and nothing can do that better that a good sounding beating.” Violence sometimes was a typical way to show Patriarchy. But apparently, Sophia was not a “good” wife; she fought with Harpo and made him scared. And Harpo finally knew that woman can not be defeated by violence. In the end, Celie won Mr.X’s respect, which was a victory of Patriarchy in a degree.

 

4.4 Dedication to Education and Social Management竭诚为教育与社会管理

In the novel, there was another important character that is Nettie. Compared to her sister Celie, she received more education, and in her deep heart, she loved and felt sympathized of her sister. After seeing her sister’s tragedy, she desired to have a change. At this time, a black couple gave her a chance which changed her entire life. At last she determined to go to Africa to be a missionary. During her trip in Africa, her experience made her more mature, she saw a lot of injustice and violence between man and woman, and between western countries and the natives. When Olivia was forced to leave school, she tried her best to persuade her family to let her continue her study. She and the black couple fought against the invaders to protect their land and farm. She defined herself as a human rather than only a woman.#p#分页标题#e#

Alice Walker expressed her concern about black woman’s social status through characterizing these people. Nettie became a real missionary at last. She attended black people’s community, organized donation system to help Africa, preached her experiences in Africa. She insisted that black children receive education. And her sister Celie run a business to feed herself. 

The author also characterized some other roles as an example of the new age women. Sophia was a typical presentation. When she was invaded by the mayor, she did not keep quiet, she fought with them. Even when she was forced to be a servant of the mayor, she still kept her dignity. “White people are the children of black people, they both loved by god.” She bravely strived for her right and expressed her political desire. Even though this political requirement did not turn into reality, their awareness of right awoke.

 

5. Conclusion结论

The American-Africa found their way to fight for the equal right with white people; what’s more they had to struggle at home, against the family violence, sexual assault, and strive for their basic right to obtain education, participate in social management. During this process they were aware of self-value and the conscious of independence awoke.  

The author expressed her opinion in the book, which was –woman, especially black woman, must fight for their own happiness, respect and right by themselves. The research paper was divided into four parts, there were--struggle for self-respect, pursuit of love, struggle against violence and dedication to education and social management. These four parts indicated how black people pursue political and economy independent, how their awareness awoke and their struggle for dignity. 

 

Notes文献参考

1, Alice Walker, the Color of Purple, Phoenix Fiction, UK, 2008.

2, “she ugly, but she ain’t stranger to hard work and she anin’t gonna make you feed it or clothe it”(Alice, 2008, p10) [1] and when Mr.X came to see her, he just “still up on his horse, he look me up and down, Pa rattle his paper, move up, he  won’t bite, he say”. (Alice, 2008, p12), comes from Alice Walker, the Color of Purple, Phoenix Fiction, UK, 2008.

3 “all my life had to fight” and gave Celie a suggestion that “you ought to bash Mr.—head open”(Alice, 2008,p39) [1], comes from Alice Walker, the Color of Purple, Phoenix Fiction, UK, 2008.

4, Feminism: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition. Houghton Mifflin. 2006. ISBN 978-0-618-70172-8.

5, Green, Fiona Joy (2010). "Patriarchal Ideology of Motherhood". In O'Reilly, Andrea. Encyclopedia of Motherhood