Student Question
How does the character Sophia from The Color Purple affect Celie?
Quick answer:
Sophia influences Celie by serving as an example of standing up for oneself. Sophia's boldness in defending herself against abuse and insults inspires Celie to assert her own independence. However, Sophia's experiences also teach Celie the importance of strategic resistance, as Sophia's confrontational approach leads to personal hardships, including her separation from Harpo and imprisonment. Thus, Celie learns to balance assertiveness with wisdom in her actions.
In The Color Purple, Sophia is a bold character who stands up for herself when she feels wronged. She loves Harpo, but she refuses to be abused by him when they get into disagreements. Similarly, when she is insulted by the mayor's wife while in town, she speaks up for herself. But even though Sophia stands up for herself, she does not necessarily think through the best ways to handle these difficult situations. She ends up splitting up with Harpo and being jailed for back-talking to the mayor's wife because of her harsh demeanor. From Sophia's example, Celie learns that she must also speak up for herself, but that she must be smarter in her resistance.
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