Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

As I reflected on the assignment for this week, I tried to recall a time when I witnessed out right prejudice and oppression and I could not picture a time when I have. I have watched several televsions shows and movies where this type of inequity took place but none that I can say that I personal witness from my own eyes. As I pondered on about this assignment I remembered a book that I enjoyed reading over and over when I was younger and I also was able to watch the movie that was filmed because of the book. " The Color Purple" written by Alice Walker in 1982 was a fictional novel that won the Pulitzer Prize. The story was about an African American women named Celie who grew up unloved by everyone in her world excepet for her sister Nettie. Celie was raped by her stepfather and through these sexual assaults she bore two children who were taken away from her by her stepfather. Celie was sent off to marry a man by the name of Mr___ (his real name Albert is finally known towards the end of the novel) who beats Celie as a way of controlling her. Another character of the story named Sofia is also an African American woman but she is more assertive and demands respect everywhere she goes. Sofia marries Celie's stepson (Harpo) against Mr____ wishes. Harpo feels emasculated in his marriage to Sofia because he does not have the same control over her as his father (Mr____) has over Celie. Harpo tries his father's method of control by beating Sofia and Sofia returns the blows right back to Harpo. After years of violence and 5 children later Sofia leaves her husband. Celie still longing for love has never heard from her sister Nettie because Mr____ refuses to give Celie any of the letters Nettie has written to her, Celie assumes that her sister is dead.  Mr___ reminds Celie that she is black, poor, ugly, a woman, and that she is nothing at all. Sofia comes back into town and is confronted a lady named  Miss Millie. Miss Millie is a White woman who is the wife of the county's mayor and she asked Sofia if she would work for them as their maid. Sofia dismisses the woman's offer by replying "Hell no". The mayor slaps Sofia in the face and calls her an "ungrateful nigger" which lands her in prison for 12 years. Once Sofia is released from prison she is forced to work for Miss Millie as a maid to add more insult to injury.

This novel depicts some of the most clear signs of racism, sexism, and oppression against African  Americans and women. The in era that this story describes women were seen as less than man and completely worthless, except for sexual needs. African Americans  where being called racial names such as gal, boy, and nigger to show that they were considered less than the White race. As I read the novel, I remembered feeling more enraged about how African American men treated their wives than the way that Whites treated Blacks. I felt that African American men understood how it felt to be considered as less than and could not understand why a man would treat his wife in the same manner. The only way for change in all of the events could have occurred would have been if African American men would have given their wives more respect and not beat them or treat them as sexual slaves, housekeepers, and babysitters. White Americans would have to change their way of thinking towards the African American race and begin to view them as human as well. Even though this was a fictional novel I believe it showed the truth when it comes to the history of our world.