Names carry a lot of power in The Color Purple. Celie refuses to refer to her husband by name, calling him only Mr. ______, until later in the book when she has gained some independence and feels that he doesn’t have as much power over her; when she’s able to stand up for herself she calls him Albert. Calling someone by his or her name gives that person a certain level of importance—it recognizes that this is a person who is worthy of some respect. It’s like on page 86 when Celie tells Squeak that she needs to try to get Harpo to start calling her Mary Agnes in order to gain some respect from him. She says, “Make Harpo call you by your real name, I say. Then maybe he see you even when he trouble.” Celie wants Harpo to see Mary Agnes as a person, not just someone he can have fun with. Once a person is called by name in the book, it’s a sign that he or she has earned the respect of the person doing the calling, or that he or she has lost some power in the relationship. Celie calls Albert by his name at one point when she’s angry at him in order to show that she isn’t afraid of him anymore; she’s a person just as much as he is.
Yes, I thought this point was very interesting as well! It also shows just how free the woman were in that community. They were even hesitant to say Mr._____'s name. I was so happy when Celie finally stood up to Albert in the end. Finally, the women were really free!
Names carry a lot of power in The Color Purple. Celie refuses to refer to her husband by name, calling him only Mr. ______, until later in the book when she has gained some independence and feels that he doesn’t have as much power over her; when she’s able to stand up for herself she calls him Albert. Calling someone by his or her name gives that person a certain level of importance—it recognizes that this is a person who is worthy of some respect. It’s like on page 86 when Celie tells Squeak that she needs to try to get Harpo to start calling her Mary Agnes in order to gain some respect from him. She says, “Make Harpo call you by your real name, I say. Then maybe he see you even when he trouble.” Celie wants Harpo to see Mary Agnes as a person, not just someone he can have fun with. Once a person is called by name in the book, it’s a sign that he or she has earned the respect of the person doing the calling, or that he or she has lost some power in the relationship. Celie calls Albert by his name at one point when she’s angry at him in order to show that she isn’t afraid of him anymore; she’s a person just as much as he is.
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought this point was very interesting as well! It also shows just how free the woman were in that community. They were even hesitant to say Mr._____'s name. I was so happy when Celie finally stood up to Albert in the end. Finally, the women were really free!
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