The Hierarchy of Love

page 76

         Most people assert that Celie has a strong attraction towards women. A reader is able to pick up on this because of the tone that Walker sets in several passages, particularly on page 76. The tone on page 76 in The Color Purple is regretful. Celie's underlying tone in her voice is rueful and it presents itself as if Celie is trying to hide something.
         The purpose of the regretful tone is to show that Celie suppresses her emotions on a regular basis. When Shug asks Celie if she minds that she is sleeping with Albert, Celie tells herself, "I think, I don't care who Albert sleep with. But I don't say that." Her tone indicates that she is both suppressing herself and regretting what she doesn't say. In fact, it is not that she minds that Albert is sleeping with another woman, rather she minds that Shug is sleeping with a man. Celie's whole life has been full of mistreatment from the man. Celie even admits to Shug, "I don't like it at all" when she sleeps with Mr. _______. Walker uses the element of hiding the full name of any man in Celie's life in order to depict the hierarchy that is embedded in Celie's mind. She hides men from God out of fear, out of a feeling of inferiority to them. Celie was her father's servant and now she is her husband's servant. Celie has become numb to the world because all the men in her life have implanted her to not feel anything. Thus, she feels nothing for Mr. _______.
       In conclusion, Walker's use of a regretful tone and Celie's inability to express true emotion serve to portray the suppression of women and their roles in many societies. Unfortunately, we are often forced to conform to a patriarchal society. Walker's creation of character like Celie is solely to help understand the suppression of women that has been going on for years, for that, Celie falls in love with another woman, Shug.