Walker, Cisneros, Wright, Chan essays

Walker, Cisneros, Wright, Chan essays Characters Overcoming Obstacles in Literature What doesnt kill you only makes you stronger. This old saying can be applied to the characters in many popular works of literature. In studying the literary works of Alice Walker, Richard Wright, Jeffery Paul Chan, and Sandra Cisneros, many observations can be made about culture and the harsh prejudices against these cultures. In their respective works: The Color Purple, The Man Who Was Almost a Man, The Chinese in Haifa, and Woman Hollering Creek, each author presents a protagonist with much to overcome. Whether these obstacles come about because of gender, cultural differences, or both, they each serve to assist the protagonist with realizing his or her own identity. By facing the adversities that life has dealt out, the characters develop a better sense of who they are and what they want to become. Alice Walker presents Celie as a battered woman without much to live for. Between being raped by her stepfather and beaten by her husband, Albert, Celies attitude about her self-worth is extremely depressed. Both her stepfather and husband also abuse her verbally. They make her feel worthless. When her stepfather is trying to get Albert to marry Celie, he tells Albert, Fact is...I got to git rid of her...She ugly...She aint smart either (Walker 9). It does not help matters that she a black woman. This ensures that she will not receive many opportunities for an escape to safety and freedom. Practically every man that she comes across in her life abuses her. This violent treatment eventually leads Celie to a life without men. She finds a community of women with whom she can share her feelings and desires. Because of this formation of friendship with women, Celie is inspired to succeed. Shug encourages Celie to start up a business making pants. She also encourages Celie to discover new feelings...