Answer

1.  

   American Dream in The Color Purple

   The notion of the American Dream, whose conception dates as far back as the founding of the American nation, has remained relevant to many generations and evolved over the years to become a universal concept upon which people can hold in their bid to attain success in life, irrespective of prevailing circumstances. Simplified, it represents an aspiration to succeed in life, no matter the conditions that one finds him/herself in. Watching the movie, The Color People, gives significant insight into the accessibility of this dream. With the nature of poverty and hopelessness that can overtly be seen in this movie, it is hard to imagine that it can have elements of the American Dream and the belief that anyone can achieve anything if only they try—but it does. As is evident in the film The Color Purple, Franklin’s assertion that the American Dream is available to all people is correct because education offers the opportunity to attain it, the capitalist system that has undermined minorities can be their salvation through this dream, and regardless of background, upward mobility is possible.

   Through getting an education and the acquisition of written language, Celie starts to raise herself from the underprivileged to a more significant position. Celie’s story is representative of that of many in society who are born to, and emanate from, poor and underprivileged backgrounds but nevertheless work their way up and change their standing in society.  Through her, one sees a narrative of linear improvement and progress, and individual empowerment, aspects that largely speak to the reality of the American Dream and its accessibility to all. Considering the implied possibility of individual progress, the film seems to admit that although the bane of the women it presents is part of the underclass, education can lift them up. These characters, although they belong to the underprivileged bracket, are glamorous, and they seem not to fit within the confines of the overburdened black woman. A good example in this respect is Shug. As for Celie, she is seen working her way into a different, reasonable living style because of her education. The piece of advice: “Don’t let them run over you(18:41)… you got to fight(18:46)” seems to have energized Celie in her pursuit of happiness and a better life, objectives that occupy center stage in the American Dream. She achieves these objectives by empowering herself through education. Through education then, the dream for prosperity is possible in America.

   There is a possibility for upward mobility in The Color Purple. At the center of the American Dream is the possibility of every individual, even those of low socioeconomic status, to transcend socioeconomic class and move up the ladder. This dream is a belief in the ability to achieve the most of what an individual is innately capable with little regard to birth or position. For Celie, she is nothing until she begins to write letters. Once she does, she finds her voice and can begin her process of rising like anybody else. In her story, one sees a kind of social transformation that seemingly is not hampered by neither birth environment nor existing class structures and boundaries. Despite being silenced and disappointed by her father and husband, she finds a way of expressing herself, makes progress and revolts against the existing patriarchal ideology. By fighting for her freedom and following her dreams as to gain economic independence (through hard work), Celie demonstrates that it is possible for anyone to be where they want to be in life, provided they do what ought to be done. For her, all she needs to do is concentrate and work on her talent (sewing). Provided she does this, not even the “Until you do right by me, everything you think about is going to crumble” warning is going to deter or distract her from pursuing the desires of her heart (Spielberg et al, 2015, 2:04:37). The story is no different for other women such as Shug who successfully revolt against male dominance and larger patriarchal tendencies that have for a very long time pushed women into some helpless corner. Their coming out of this corner is testimony that indeed the American Dream is a reality, and it is accessible to all. If Celie is not limited to the poorer echelons of society, then the American dream can be true for anybody else.

   There is an underlying assertion that the form of capitalism that has always kept women and minorities down can also be the source of their redemption. By and large, the film presents Celie’s story as a capitalist fantasy whereby her exceptional destiny reflects the odds against which the African American community must struggle to keep going. While her struggles largely speak to how this community has been oppressed, they also show African American community’s conquering spirit. Thus, it is paradoxical for this community to seek redemption through the system that has put them down, but even more important is the fact that this redemption is possible. While “folks don’t like nobody being too proud, or too free”, it is paradoxical that the same folks, that is everyone, want to be free (Spielberg et al., 2015, 58:44). The movie seems to illustrate the superiority of the liberated African American woman against the one who is not. By so doing, it illustrates the black woman experience from different viewpoints, affirming that no position in life is fixed. One also sees the film’s ending as featuring a kind of social state characterized by a joyful matriarchal phalanstery in which the formerly evil members of the society are forgiven, accepted, and much welcome in society. The wondrous transformation of Celie and other characters offers great encouragement to people presently facing hardship and reaffirms to them that if they hold steady and do what needs to be done, they can always envision better times and a better world. It is through such transformation that the dream that the United States represent remains evident. Overall, while the capitalist system may seem oppressive to the African American community and women, it also presents real hope for them and a chance to get out of such oppression.  A paradox is thus seen in the film’s insistence on the achievement of redemption via capitalism.

   In subtle ways, The Color Purple is an admission in the belief in the American dream. It is an assertion that education can still be used to break the class and poverty restrictions, that upward mobility is still possible. It is an admission that the same capitalist systems that have kept the African American woman on the fringes and limited the minority’s chances can be exploited to make the same people progress too. In many ways, it strangely is a nod to Franklin’s assertion on the American dream.