Character Evolution of The Color PurpleThe most important aspect of The Color Purple is the growth and maturity of each individual. There is a huge transition between many characters from the beginning to the end of the novel. This evolution of characters is a recurring theme that runs throughout the novel and can be traced through Celie's letters. Women fight for freedom in a society where they are inferior to men. Towards the end of the novel, we can feel the slow evolution towards increasing female empowerment. The most striking example of female empowerment is the character of Celie. She is a victim of racism, men, sexual roles and social injustices. Celie begins the novel completely helpless, repeatedly raped and beaten. The only person she can turn to is G-d. She is extremely helpless when it comes to sex. Célie describes sex as something that is done to her, but never as something she enjoys. Thus, sex with Mr.____ reduces his status to that of an object that sits there and waits for it to end. The turning point in Celie's life is the arrival of Shug Avery, who teaches her things she never would have known. His arrival places Celie at the lowest point in her life because now, along with everything else, she becomes Shug's servant. What she didn't know is that Shug's arrival actually acts as a catalyst for her own empowerment. Celie says: “For the first time in my life, I feel good. » Shug Avery is very different from most of the characters depicted in the novel. She is much stronger than most women and stands up for what she believes. Shug was definitely not the typical woman of that era. She was a figure representing female blues performers as a... middle of paper ... and obeys Harpo just like Celie behaves and it is so obvious that Celie is even able to notice it. She tells Squeak, "Make Harpo call you by your real name", but Squeak has no response and just looks at Celie perplexed. When Squeak is first introduced in the novel as Harpo's girlfriend, she gets her front teeth knocked out by Sophia. After that, she always stays with Harpo. Moreover, she even goes to the mayor to support Sophia and try to get her out of prison. After being raped by the mayor, Squeak tells everyone, "My name is Mary Agnes." She is able to recover and bounce back after her uncle rapes her rather than being defeated. She asserts herself as an individual and commands respect by insisting on being called by her real name.Works Cited1. http://www.lambda.net/~maximum/rainey.html2. Bessie Smith Collection