POST COLONIAL ANALYSİS OF ALICE WALKER’S THE COLOR PURPLE IN THE LIGHT OF EDWARD W. SAID’S AND GAYATRI CHAKRAVORTY SPIVAK’S POST-COLONIAL APPROACHES

İSAOĞLU H.

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, vol.1, pp.197-204, 2015 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)

Abstract

literature and Comparative literature have a significant place in the field of
literature. They both deal with the terms otherness, minority and inferiority in different ways. Post
colonialism that is included in both World and Comparative literature takes the inferior cultures as the basis.
Edward Said defends the idea that each text has its own freedom and consciousness despite being under the
domain of superior powers. He brings out the term worldliness and as for him, the text is a worldly being. In
Alice Walker’s Color Purple, despite being an inferior figure, Celie succeeds in gaining her own voice and
identity thanks to the letter which she sent to God. She manages to find a way to express herself despite the
imposed values and dominating powers. On the other hand, Gayatri Spivak works on the blending culture of
the nations. Color Purple takes place in Georgia and this enables the reader to have details about this area
and their cultures. Although the novel was written in English, it is possible to see some African words and
this shows that African nations still manage to preserve their own cultures and values.
Keywords: otherness, worldliness, area studies, post-colonialism