Gender Roles

"Shug act more manly than most men... he say. You know Shug will fight, he say. Just like Sofia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what. Mr.____ think all this is stuff men do. But Harpo not like this, I tell him. You not like this. What Shug got is womanly it seem like to me. Specially since she and Sofia ones got it."

Walker states clearly what she thinks fixed gender roles in society are. Sofia and Shug are the two women in contact with Celie that begin to teach her what it is to fight for your life. Shug encourages Celie to get her own shop which during that time men were the only ones that did that. Years later, Celie fighting for her life takes her role of independence (male role) and opens her shop. Sofia who was an independent woman already, Harpo tried to tame her as Mr.____ did with Celie. But in the end of the novel, Harpo was cooking (woman role), taking care of the children, and was kissing his children to sleep. These roles were all obligations that women would have to perform during that time. To see a change of a man such as Mr.___ who was so determined to fill his male role actually become more affectionate and change, conveys the importance that the author places on roles. The author leaves no doubt that she thinks that fixed gender roles are impractical and completely meaningless.