Last year, I wrote an essay for my AP Literature class, which I titled “The Revolutionary Power of All Things Sex.” This was my examination of the nuanced messages on sexuality, sexual education, and self-esteem that are interwoven within Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. This exploration ignited my passion for championing inclusive sexual education. Writing this essay and researching this topic focused my attention on how widespread the issue of exclusionary sexual education is. Recognizing its effects, I wanted to not only raise awareness but also advocate for inclusive sexual education. This led to the creation of my blog. I am sharing this with you because this was one of my first windows into this important and overlooked issue in our country, and it is one of the most important things I have written. 

I love reading because books serve as lenses into all kinds of human experiences, and reading The Color Purple expanded my perspective of the world. Though The Color Purple’s main character Celie might be fictional, her narrative represents and resonates with multitudes of real people and their stories. I hope that reading my essay not only offers insight but inspires you all to advocate for inclusive sexual education. 

“The Revolutionary Power of All Things Sex.”

 “19 percent of US secondary schools provide curricula or supplementary sex education materials that are LGBTQ-inclusive” a study by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) reports, calling attention to the significant problem surrounding the lack and exclusiveness of sexual education in our country (“Lack of  Comprehensive Sex Education”). Talking about sex and sexual orientation is largely stigmatized in our country, so without built in education, LGBTQ youth are being deprived of necessary conversations and lessons. Common Dreams–a progressive, nonprofit news website–explains that “CSE [Comprehensive Sexuality Education] programs…have a positive impact in several critical areas” including: “knowledge, self-confidence and self-esteem among adolescents” (Starrs). Women are taught about healthy relationships, general health, and the importance of respectful consent in CSE, which assists women in understanding themselves, their body, and their worth. Conversely, LGBTQ communities who do not get this education are less aware of how their bodies should be valued–by themselves and by others. This central idea comes into play in Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple. The novel’s protagonist, Celie, suffers sexual assault at the hands of her own stepfather from a young age. He also blocked her from getting an education, so Celie was never taught about sex or identity. Readers later learn that Celie is lesbian, but because she wasn’t taught about sexual orientation until later in life, Celie was denied the right to her sexual identity. Further, Celie was unaware of her rights and power sexually. In turn, Celie lacked self confidence and was unable to be an advocate for herself. As she continued to suffer abuse from men, she continually accepted it as normal. But, we see a change as Celie is exposed to more people and things sexually. Through Celie’s sexual awakening and growth, Walker argues that sex education is essential to understanding one’s self worth.

In the beginning of Walker’s novel, Celie did not have healthy standards for her sexual treatment due to her relative lack of sex education. Celie’s cluelessness runs deep–leaving her without a proper understanding of basic sexual health and equity. Celie demonstrates this struggle early on, writing “He push his thing inside my pussy” (Walker 1) when recalling being raped by her stepfather (whom she’d only known as her biological father thus far). Furthermore, upon discovering that she was pregnant, Celie referred to herself as “big” (Walker 2) in lieu of the proper verbage for pregnancy, reinforcing her own lack of familiarity with biological sexual reproduction. At such a young age, these events would be traumatic for anyone, yet Celie is not even equipped with the terms or means to comprehend such violations; Celie’s vocabulary does not include words such as sex, rape, incest, or pregnancy. Since Celie couldn’t understand these acts herself, she also was denied the capacity to fully conceptualize the horrors she had been subjected to. Celie had no formative knowledge of healthy sex, condemning her to a harmful misidentification of sexual assault as ‘normal’ sex. Moreover, Celie’s mother died at a young age, so her abusive stepfather was her only paternal model growing up. This was detrimental to Celie’s understanding of her self worth and sexuality. Readers can identify this misunderstanding from the get-go, as seen when, during an assault, Celie’s stepfather shouted “You better shut up and git used to it” (Walker 1). Sadly, Celie does just this, which was revealed when she reflected: “I can’t even remember the last time I felt mad…Couldn’t be mad at my daddy cause he my daddy” (Walker 41) when she is talking to Sofia about the abuse she has suffered from her stepfather. Prior to this confrontation, Celie wasn’t aware that her anger was justified. In her eyes, the man held all the power in sex, and she had no right to question it as both a women and a daughter. Consent was never taught to Celie; no one had told her she had a say in what was done to her body. Beyond that, Celie didn’t feel deserving of pleasurable sex. Celie has never once enjoyed sex with her husband Mr____, which she later reveals to her love interest and secondary protagonist Shug Avery, stating: “[Mr____] Never ast me how I feel, nothing. Just do his business, get off, go to sleep.” When Shug responded, “You make it sound like he going to the toilet on you,” Celie answered “that’s what it feel like” (Walker 77). Additionally, because of Celie’s relative lack of sex education  she spent years unaware that she sexually identified as lesbian. Celie never was taught that her lack of attraction to men did not have to be suffered through; she could and should be with women. Celie didn’t register this idea as an option, so although she did not like sex with Mr____, she was continuously subjected to it for his pleasure. Celie’s relationship with Albert is definitive of inequity; Celie had never once felt valued during sex, no man had ever treated her with respect and love. She accepted and settled for this, because it was all she had ever known. 

Additionally, Celie’s lack of sexual knowledge resulted in her compliance with abuse in all aspects of life. Celie did not understand that she had a say in what was done to her body sexually, and this mindset spread to her daily life. This was illustrated when Celie’s stepfather–also the father to her children–took Celie’s children upon her giving birth. Although Celie thought her stepfather killed one child and sold the other, when her mother asked her about it, all she said was “God took it” (Walker 2). Although the reasons for her response are layered, readers can identify that Celie was never taught that she had a right to much of anything, including her voice and her children. When Celie’s stepfather’s wants were up against her wants, there seems to be an intrinsic understanding that Celie’s well-being would come second hand. This is exemplified when Celie is talking to Harpo, explaining “I marry him [Mr____] cause my daddy made me” (Walker 63). Celie never had the opportunity to even examine her sexual preference, because she was forced into every relationship she was in. There was never a presented option of Celie not being with a man. Celie was used to being dominated without an ounce of consideration in her direction. Although in her early childhood it was just done by her stepfather, she allowed the same abuse from her husband and everyone around her. Mr____ treated Celie like a maid and a nanny, and beat her. To Sofia, Celie explains “Mr____ git on me pretty hard…But he my husband. I shrug my shoulders” (Walker 22). Mirroring what she said about her father, she excuses her abusers by who they are to her. In reality, this should be the exact thing that makes their behavior so inexcusable. By her father she was constantly called “ugly” (Walker 8), and by Shug this was reaffirmed: “You sure is ugly” (Walker 46). Time and time again, Celie endured this verbal, emotional, and physical abuse, thinking it was what she deserved. This was all she knew, so her self worth lied in the hands of her abusers. She had yet to learn her value, rights, and most importantly the power of her consent. Once she did, her voice, along with her confidence, would take a new form completely. 

Once Celie was educated about sex, she developed her self-respect and esteem. Celie first learned about how sex should be through her mentor Shug, a sexually active and experimental women who acted on all of her desires. When Celie was explaining that she had never enjoyed sex, Shug said one of the most impactful things: “Why miss Celie, she say, you still a virgin” (Walker 77). This one statement defied everything Celie had ever heard about sex. Shug finally made it clear that she should be pleasured, she should be valued, and that sex should be a beautiful thing! Shug explained, “Right down there in your pussy is a little button that gits real hot when you do you know what with somebody” (Walker 77). This is the first time Celie had ever heard of an orgasm. In this ‘lesson’ was the first time Celie ever looked at her own body. Shug had Celie grab a mirror, and “stick the looking glass tween my [Celie’s] legs.” While doing this, Shug told her to “look at your titties too” and remarked, “It a lot prettier than you thought, ain’t it?” (Walker 78). This conveyed to Celie that her body was beautiful and admirable. Celie then took her new understanding and self-pleasured, saying “[I] finger my little button and titties” (Walker 79). Celie finally had a positive sexual experience. She learned that men are not all that matter in sex, and that she deserves to have an orgasm too. This advances when “[Shug] haul off and kiss me on the mouth” (Walker 113). Before this, Celie was attracted to Shug, but didn’t understand she could act on her feelings towards a woman and kept it to herself. But once Shug initiated, they “kiss and kiss…Then us touch each other” (Walker 13). Celie was taught about embracing her sexual orientation and desires when Shug kissed her. Celie finally was shown that she does not need to suffer and shy away from her true self. Who she really was mattered. She applied this new lifestyle to her relationships, and at long last put her needs above her abusers. Celie confronted and left Mr____; She called him a “lowdown dog,” saying he “ain’t dead horse’s shit” (Walker 199-200), and then moved to Memphis with Shug. She finally has enough self respect and strength to break away and live her life for HER! Because she understands who she is and what she deserves, she can now demand more from others. In Memphis, she continued her romantic relationship with Shug, and wrote “I am so happy. I got love, I got work, I got money, friends and time” (Walker 215). This is the first time, in her entire life, that Celie has ever been content and happy. Although all of this seems to be linked to her romantic relationship with Shug, it is really about her newfound relationship with herself. When Celie was heartbroken over Shug leaving and being with another man, she was still happy. She moved into her own house, had her own pants business, and was creating the life she wanted for her and her kids. Her future was based on her desires, not what her husband wanted, and not what her stepfather had wanted. Celie was done acting solely as others told her to. This was her life, and no longer was her worth defined by others’ mistreatments of her. Because she understood her sexuality, body, pleasure, and what sex and relationships should be, she required respect from the people surrounding her. We accept the love we think we deserve, and sex education showed Celie what this love should, and can, be.                                                  

That being said, demanding healthy treatment is no easy feat. With sex education, this feat is made easier. But even so, learning and application are not linear processes. Although The Color Purple is a short novel, we must not overlook the time passed and the complexities of Celie’s growth. It took Celie most of the years of her life to finally stick up for herself. Although this was made possible from her sex education, it was not an instant fix. The day Celie learned about mutually beneficial relationships was not the day she left Mr____. Celie is representative of so many women in our society. Even though most women know abuse is not okay, it is immensely difficult for many to break away from their lifestyle. Even when it is known how something should be, that is not always how it will be. This is also illustrated through the time it takes Celie to start her life with Shug. The day Celie feels her attraction to Shug is, again, not the day their relationship begins. Celie had not confronted her sexual orientation before this late in her life, so it took her time to begin living as her true self. And while it is difficult for women to leave abusive relationships and embrace their truth now, it was multitudes worse in the early 1900s, when The Color Purple took place. In this time, abusive men were normalized and even accepted in society, and LGBTQ+ people were considered to be sins. Thankfully, our society has progressed, but these issues have not been resolved; stigmas about sexual orientation still persist, and abuse is not uncommon. So, even with sex education, standing up for yourself in a world that does not sympathize with you is an almost impossible task. But still, sex education can make this seemingly unconquerable mountain of discovering one’s self worth into a conquerable hill. Sex education is and will always be a battle. Choosing yourself is and always will be a battle. We cannot learn these things and expect them to appear. We must put forth time, energy, and commitment into understanding who we are and what we deserve in order to see the changes we desire. 

In order to start the climb to self discovery, one must have fair and inclusive sex education. Without this, as proved by Celie, it is impossible for one to truly love themselves and demand positive treatment. Unfortunately, schools never seem to teach sex education right–and end up being narrow minded, stigmatizing, and sometimes even offensive. We are all products of our environment, and if this is all we are being offered, these faulty messages will stick with us. And although Celie had a great mentor in Shug, this is an unrealistic expectation for other women to rely on. Shug defied endless shaming of her sexuality and sex life and remained comfortable discussing sex with Celie; in reality, this situation is unlikely. But on the brightside, all of us have the power to (re)create our environment. This is why it is our responsibility to construct a setting which promotes inclusion, acceptance, love, and no tolerance for hate. We must denormalize accepting abuse and shying away from conversations about sexuality. The first step in doing this is giving open access to books and CSE to every person in our world. Sex, sexuality, empowerment, and consent are all things we should be learning about as often as possible. Through books exploring sex, anatomy, and sexuality, people, especially those who are in the LGBTQ+ community, can read books guiding them through confusing times. For one, books hold important information about understanding attraction and sexual identity. Reading about people like you and knowing someone cares about your wellbeing can break the cycle of shame and bias, and create a more open environment about sexuality. Even more, books can hold important knowledge about being safe and smart with sexual relations. They equip people with the resources and means to walk away from domestic violence and abuse—and towards self-respect and authenticity. Again, one cannot have full self-worth if they don’t understand themselves and how relationships should be. It may take time and energy, but nonetheless, flourishing self-worth is possible. The more that comprehensive resources are made available to people, the more this process can be sped along. If we instill inclusive sexual information starting young, these youth will grow up and continually pass it forward. Teaching the youth sex education sets up future generations to be happier, healthier, and more evolved. 

Works Cited

“Lack of Comprehensive Sex Education Putting LGBTQ Youth at Risk: National O.” GLSEN, 2 Dec. 2015, https://www.glsen.org/news/lack-of-sex-education-putting-lgbtq-youth-risk. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

Starrs, Ann. “Opinion: The Vital Importance of Sexual Education.” Common Dreams, 12 Aug. 2017, https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/08/12/vital-importance-sexual-education. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Harcourt, Inc., 1982.