Film: The Color Purple by Steven Spielberg

1. Describe the changes that Celie and Shug go through (Provide examples from the scene).

I have watched the movie, “The Color Purple” by Steven Spielberg. It is really an interesting movie and I do really enjoy myself watching the movie. This movie moves me to the point of tears. It is sad and beautiful. The acting is incredible. This movie took place around Southern United States during the 1900s. The film starts by introducing about the life of a poor African American girl, Celie, whose was being abused since she is young. By the time she is fourteen, she has already had two children by her father, (which is supposed to be her stepfather), who takes them away from her at childbirth and forces Celie to marry a local widower whom she calls "Mister”, but his name is Albert Johnson. Mister, who likes Celie's sister, Nettie, treats Celie like a slave, ask and forced her clean up his household and take care of his children. One day, Nettie comes to live with them, and spend time together and Nettie begins to teach Celie how to read. After Nettie refuses Mister, he kicks her out.

The jazz singer Shug Avery, for whom Mister has admired for many years, comes to live with him and Celie. In the condition of drunk, Shug insults Celie by saying "you sure are ugly" on their first meeting, but they finally become close friends and Shug helps Celie begin to see her appeal as a human being. They also became friend because of the nice and good treatment that was showed by Celie towards Shug, even though she insults her at their first met. Shug even talks to Albert about being gentler with Celie, telling him he should even try to increase her pleasure. Shug loves Celie, and to Celie, that is the most important thing in the world. During a visit from Shug and her new husband, Celie and Shug discover many Nettie's letter that was been hide by Mister back. When she hears that she is still alive helps give Celie the strength to stand up to Mister, threatening his life and then leaving him forever. After befriend with Celie, Shug, which at first is someone that felt her life is useless and always give up, get the courage to face with her father and finally she did it. Shug and her father already accept each other and their relationship became close again. Because of feeling guilty towards Celie, Mister takes all the money he has saved over the years, goes to the immigration office, and arranges for a family reunion for Celie. The film ends when Nettie and Celie's children, Adam and Olivia, are reunited with Celie at last. Both Celie and Shug live happily with their own life, at the side of their family.

2. Discuss the roles of women as portrayed in the movie. (Provide examples on how they were treated.

The film tells and shows the problems faced by African American women during the early 1900s, including poverty, racism and sex discrimination. From what can I see is that women in this film are portrayed as a slave. This shows through the character of Celie where she was being forced by her husband to do all the households and can’t go anywhere without his permission. Celie also has to listen to all that was been said and told by her husband and if she ignored it, she will be beaten or punished by his husband, Albert. Other than that, in this film, women also portrayed as the symbol of sex. This shows through the character Celie’s stepfather where her father raped her many times until she got two children. Other than that, it also shows throughout the character Albert where although he hate Celie, but he still want to do sex with her to fulfill his desire and also although he has been married with Celie, but he still want to forced Nettie to do sex with him. So, from here we can see that, women mostly are being forcedly by the men to do sex. Besides that, women also portrayed as someone that are weak has no right to voice out their thoughts and defend their rights, especially in the public. This show throughout the character of Sofia where she was been imprison because of she want to defend her rights and good name as a black women to the white people. It also was shown by the character of Celie where her rights to live with her sister were taken away after her sister was been chased away by Albert and also was not allowed reached the mailbox and received the letter from her sister, Nettie. So far, that’s all that I can found from this film and for me, as a women, it is really unfair and really cruel towards women because everyone in this world are same and we can’t judge them by looking from its appearance. It is because no matter what is your race, your looks whether you are pretty or ugly and no matter you are rich or poor, lastly no matter what is your skin color is, the most important is that we have our rights and we deserved to live happily in this world as long as we know how to different ship between right or wrong the things is. Lastly, as a woman, we should be grateful with what have been given to us and knows that women also can survive by their own in this world even though without men in their life.