The Color Purple – The conflicts

Until now there have been several different conflicts in the story, both external and internal conflicts. Some conflicts are rather serious, while others are less grave and easily forgiven. Cecile is the one person that we can see most internal conflicts in, obviously because she is the main character. Nevertheless, there are quite a few external conflicts in between the people surrounding her. Due to many of these conflicts, Cecile struggles with conflicts within herself. Therefore, I will start off by describing some of the external conflicts.

First of all, global and regional conflicts the people lives with is due to the apartheid system, making difference between black and white people in different parts of the world. Where Cecile lives, the people somehow seem to be able to cope with it and not questioning it too much. It is almost as if they have forgotten, or are unknowing of the reason why there is segregation. However in New York, the segregation is somewhat more palpable in the way that you are constantly reminded. For instance, if you have a certain skin tone, you can or may not go to certain restaurants, toilets or not even share a bench with someone of another race. While this is true, people are certainly not the same stereotypically.

Although in the area where Cecile is, people seem to live in their own bubble, due to the vast landscapes, one major conflict occurred. Sophia, a black friend of Cecile, is known for having a bad temper. Once when she was in town with her children, the white major’s wife approached her and wanted her to be her maid. Things happened and in her rage, she beat the couple. Consequently she ended up in prison a couple of years, and when she was released, she became the major’s maid. The word maid is not quit right, because it was more or less slavery.

Cecile lives a life filled with conflicts. For example she had an unhappy childhood. Additionally, she ended up in a tragic marriage. Furthermore not only does she have hardships, but also all the other characters and their broken family bounds and relationships. There are also conflicts between men and women and their different perspectives of gender role. Many of these things I mentioned in the previous reading log.

In the middle of the book, Cecile finds all the letters her dear sister Nettie has written to her for many years. Albert hid all of them because of a conflict between him and Nettie. The letters reveals that Nettie met a couple that happened to have taken care of the two children Cecile once gave birth two, and they are alive! Apparently, Cecile has once met the woman taking care of her children in the exposition. Another disclosure is that the man Cecile and Nettie believed was their father is not their true father. Some misunderstandings occurred when the adoptive mother thought that Nettie was the actual mother of the children, but luckily the tension between the two women was later dissolved.

All these things mentioned above created conflicts in Cecile. Namely, she has been poorly treated by most men throughout her whole life, making her feel discourages towards them. Along with other’s self-fulfilling actions, intrigues, betrayals and jealousy which has affected Cecile deeply. She has felt confused at times, but now she is angry. Her internal conflict is partly her inability to decide whether to be mad or not. I hope that she will keep on being kind but also gain a fighting spirit. Hopefully she will be reunited with her children. Because I believe that she truly deserves a happy ending due to all the sufferings she has been through.