Abstract: The story of Celie in The Color Purple is a growth story from a miserable black woman to a “womanist”. She has been oppressed by both racism and sexism, but another character Shug awakens this brutalized and silenced girl to her own strength and sexuality. She generally becomes independent in economy, self-assuring and strong in mentality with the help of love and sisterhood. Her self-awakening also changes people around her like her black sisters and even black men who are the former abusers and oppressors in her life. As a result of Alice Walker’s perspective, a womanist is different from a feminist who advocates equal rights for women. A womanist is a Universalist who’s not only independent but also committed to the harmony of entire human beings.
Key words: womanist; oppression; sisterhood; self-awakening
