Abstract: After a brief introduction to Alice Walker and her masterpiece The Color Purple, this thesis focuses on the loss of the heroine Celie’s feminist consciousness and its recovery. Because of patriarchal domination and her inborn ideological limitations, Celie lacks feminist consciousness from her childhood and can only takes whatever she suffers.  Fortunately, under the influence of her sister Nettie, her husband’s mistress Shug and Sofia, Celie learns to fight for her own happiness and recovers her feminist consciousness. At last, Celie successfully regains her economic and spiritual independence.  The thesis draws the conclusion that with her recovery of feminist consciousness, Celie finally achieves the metamorphosis from an ugly duck to a white swan.

Key words: The Color Purple; Feminist Consciousness; black woman

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1.Introduction.1

  1.1.Introduction to The Color Purple

  1.2.Literature Review

2.The Loss of Celie’s Self-consciousness5

  2.1.Patriarchal Domination over Celie

  2.2.Celie’s Own Ideological Limitations

3.The Awakening of Celie’s Feminist Consciousness...7

  3.1.The Factors of Celie’s Awakening

  3.1.1.Sisterhood among Celie, Nettie, Shug and Sofia

3.1.1.1. Nettie’s Influence

3.3.1.2. Shug’s Influence

3.3.1.3. Sofia’s Influence

  3.1.2.Harmonious Relationship Between Celie and Albert

  3.2.Celie’s Struggle for Female Independence

  3.2.1.Struggling for Economic Independence

  3.2.2.Struggling for Spiritual Independence 

4.Conclusion10

5.Bibliography.11