An Analysis of The Color Purple from the Perspective of Queer Theory

Abstract

The Color Purple describes how a numb black girl grows to be an independent and confident woman with the help of her sister and friends, especially her homosexual lover. Her growth reflects many aspects of queer theory: such as Celie’s homosexual love with Shug, Shug’ bisexuality, the reverse gender roles of Sofia and Harpo and the deconstruction of racial oppression. From the perspective of queer theory, this paper attempts to interpret Walker's hope to establish an ideal world in which gender opposition is broken and society is harmonious through the spiritual rebirth of Celie and other characters in The Color Purple.