In the book “The Color Purple”, written by Alice Walker, she differentiates the characters, Celie and Sofia. Even though they are both Black women who are experiencing similar issues, the two characters holds an identity of their own. In the past Celie and Sofia have both experienced a tuff coming of age, due to their families. Unfortunately, their struggles/issues is never brought to a stop. Being the adults they are now today, Celie and Sofie continuously experience struggles living in their very own household. The two women are now married living along Albert’s property. Albert is Celie’s husband, and Albert’s son is the husband of Sofias. However, like most people would claim to say “father like son” Albert and Harpo (his son) both beat their wives. This is an issue of domestic violence. Readers are able to get a sense of the different characteristics the two characters present when dealing with domestic violence.

Celie who is much older than Sofia has suffered through many hardship experiences throughout her life, as stated above. Her mother died from illness, she is a victim of rape, her babies were taken from her, she lost the right to stay in school, and her step children treat her very poorly. In the book Celie is having a conversation with her younger sister Nettie, Nettie says, “You got to let them know who got the upper hand. They got it, I say. But she keep on, You got to fight. You got to fight. But I don’t know how to fight. All I know how to do is stay alive.” (Pdf. Pg. 19) Celie states she does not know how to fight and that the only thing she knows how to do is stay alive. This allows the readers to get a sense of her mindset and how she lets the pain and sorrow take over her whole life. She feels her battle with the children is not worth sacrificing her loneliness and continues to obey Albert’s children. Not only does Celie obeys Albert’s children she also lets him beat on her. In the book Celie recalls the reaction of Sofia when she notices that she is scared of Albert. It states “I think bout how every time I jump when Mr. _____ call me, she look surprise.” (Pdf. Pg. 29) This gives me an insight of how the two characters are different from one another. Another statement from the book that exemplifies Celies type of character is when she stated, “I like Sofia, but she don’t act like me at all. If she talking when Harpo and Mr. _____ come in the room, she keep right on. If they ast her where something at, she say she don’t know. Keep talking.” (Pdf. Pg. 29) This gives readers an understanding that if this was Celie who was talking when Harpo came in the room she would shut-up, and if someone was to ask her where something is she would’ve gotten up to find it. Celie has no voice and has never fought back, she allows people to walk all over her and boss her around. Even the people who surrounds her sympathy her, such as Nettie, her husband’s sisters, Sofie, and Shurag.

Now Sofia has also encountered through a ruff past herself, as stated. However, she is a strong women who fights back and doesn’t let the pain and sorrow take over her life. She has fallen in love with Harpo and he creates a little shack for her and the baby to live in, right on his father’s property. Harpo loves Sofia but when he takes advice from his father and Celie on how to keep her, the violence occurs. Celie advises Harpo to beat Sofia because she is jealous of her bravery towards others. In the book it states “Next time us see Harpo his face a mess of bruises. His lip cut. One of his eyes shut like a fist. He walk stiff and say his teef ache.” (Pdf. Pg. 29) This gives me an interpretation of what happened that night when Harpo tried to beat Sofia for the first time. She had fought back and beaten him up herself. Sofia states “All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain’t safe in a family of men. But I never thought I’d have to fight in my own house. She let out her breath. I loves Harpo, she say. God knows I do. But I’ll kill him dead before I let him beat me. Now if you want a dead sonin-law you just keep on advising him like you doing. She put her hand on her hip.” (Pdf. Pg. 31) Sofia is furious and she lets Celie know that she will kill Harpo if she has to. The hand on her hip symbolizes the bad-ass woman she is. From this day forward Celie starts to respect Sofia, however, she does not have the courage to actually become her.