An Analysis Of Psychological Changes In The Process Of Quest For Self-Identity Of The Protagonist In The Color Purple

Alice Walker is one of the most important and prominent contemporary blackAmerican woman writers. Best known as the author of Pulitzer Prize-winningepistolary novel The Color Purple (1982), Walker writes powerful, expressive fictiondepictingtheblackwoman'sstruggleforsexualequalityandspiritualresurrection.Asfar as Walker's writing technique is concerned, The Color Purple, indeed, marks agreat advance in Walker's art. Walker inherits and develops the excellent tradition ofAmericanblackliterature,andtakes inmiscellaneous expressionisms inontemporaryAmerican fictions. As a result, The Color Purple assimilates all the virtues of thesouthern literature, the black literature, and feminist literature. It has broken throughin content and renovated in art. The Color Purple has become a milestone and turnedoveranewleafinAmericanblackliterature.By linking with the historical, social and cultural background of the novel, thisthesis systematically analyzes Celie's psychological changes in the quest ofself-identity from the aspects of spirit, culture, economy and so on with the help ofsisterhood among black female. There are five parts in the thesis. In the Introductionpart,somebackgroundinformationofthewritingofthenovelwillbegiven.Andthen,we also make a brief introduction of the writer as well as the novel of The ColorPurple. Chapter I is the analysis of the first stage of Celie's psychological changes inquesting for self-identity, namely, the loss of self-recognition. This is evidenced inoppression in patriarchal society and her loss of self-consciousness in marriage.Chapter II is the analysis of the second stage of Celie's psychological changes inquesting for self-identity, namely, the transitive stage of the quest for self-identity.Thisisrealizedbytheself-recognitionbysisterhood,thesearchoffemaleidentityandthe development of cultural identity of Celie. Chapter III is the analysis of the thirdstage of Celie's psychological changes in questing for self-identity, namely, therealization of self-autonomy. This is developed and attained by the exploration of economic independence and the liberation of psychological shackle of Celie. The lastpartistheconclusion,whichmakesabriefsummaryoftheresearch.