Comparison Of The Portrayal Of Defiance In Andrea Levy’s Novel The Long Song And The Color Purple By Alice Walker

‘Lives that defy convention demand narratives that do the same’ - Compare and contrast the ways in which Levy and Walker present defiance in ‘The Long Song’ and ‘The Color Purple’. In the course of your discussion you must consider the importance of relevant contextual influences.

Both Alice Walker’s ‘The Color Purple’ and Andrea Levy’s ‘The Long Song’ depict defiance through the characters of each novel rebelling against the oppression they face in an unjust society. Walker’s epistolary novel portrays this in a more domestic and personal setting, choosing to locate the novel in the early 1900s in the post-slavery state of Georgia, whereas Levy’s ‘The Long Song’ appears to conform to the style of a typical historical novel, but has an underlying defiance and resilience. ‘The Long Song’ is on a much larger scale than ‘The Color Purple’, as shown through major historical events such as the Christmas Rebellion in 1831, whilst ‘The Colour Purple’ portrays acts of defiance on a more personal level.

Alice Walker’s ‘The Color Purple’ adopts an epistolary style (‘Dear God’) and is written in a first person narrative which on many occasions demonstrates defiance within itself, as these letters are Celie’s platform to make her voice heard. This epistolary style paired with the abundance of ‘Black Folk English’ creates a resounding feeling of resilience from the outset. In the shocking opening letter, the double negative ‘I don’t never get used to it’ is used which on first glance is a showcase of Celie’s lack of education but in fact highlights early signs of Celie’s defiance and the start of the development of her self-identity.

This is supported by critic Judy Simons ‘For them, letters are not just an important but a vital form of expression, acting as a crucial psychological release for women who have no other outlet for their feelings’. Unlike ‘The Colour Purple’, Levy’s ‘The Long Song’ is written in conceit of a typical Victorian novel (‘The book you are now holding’), and begins with a prologue, and is then principally written in a first person narrative from the perspective of the character of July, with exception of the foreword and afterword written by her son and editor, Thomas Kinsman. July herself in the opening comes across as very self-assured and bold, directly addressing the reader and telling them ‘be on your way’ if they do not find an interest in the authentic story that is to follow.

Both ‘The Color Purple’ and ‘The Long Song’ portray defiance through acts of violence. The way certain characters react to violence varies dramatically. Celie suffers repeated violence from both her father and husband and reacts by shutting down emotionally and being very submissive. Other characters, however, prove their strength in the face of violence. Walker’s ‘The Color Purple’ begins with the description of Celie’s rape by her father Alphonso, with the use of forceful verbs such as ‘grabs’ and ‘push’ showing the greed of Alphonso and the relentlessness of the rape itself. When first released, ‘The Color Purple’ caused a lot of controversy. Some people accused Walker of perpetuating myths of the black male as violent and lacking family values at the expense of dealing with larger racial issues in society. However, as a result of this horrible act, Celie immediately expresses her recollection of what she has just experienced in a very blunt and distressing way, which reminds the readers on the importance of having a voice.

Similar to Celie, in ‘The Long Song’ Kitty is victim to sexual violence, but unlike Walker, Levy describes this rape in an understated style, almost playing down what is occurring which is apparent in the declarative ‘it was finished almost as soon as it began’. In contrast to Walker, Levy adds humour to the description of the rape, creating a more light-hearted tone with the use of sexual innuendo and phallic imagery ‘grateful to this white man for this limp offering’ which inherently mocks Tam Dewar, and in turn regains some dignity and ultimately shows defiance, as proved by Andrea Levy herself, ‘And as for there being no room for humour, on the contrary, as in any life lives, there is a lot’.

Another prolific act of violence in ‘The Colour Purple’ is when Sofia is attacked by the police after slapping the Mayor (‘Sofia knock the man down’). Firstly however, the character of Sofia alone is very defiant, as shown through the parallel clauses in ‘All my life I had to fight. I had to fight…’ which emphasises her struggle and immediately presents her as a defiant and resilient character, which especially for a woman in the early 20th century, was very rare and hard to come by. She will never be a white woman's maidservant and is livid when approached about such a position for the mayor's family, and responds to her very bluntly with the intensified negative ‘Hell no’. Following this, Sofia is beaten to a pulp with very gruesome imagery being used ‘they tear her nose loose on one side’ and the violent onomatopoeic verb ‘they crack her skull’. Although, as brutal as this attack was, the fact that Sofia survived in of itself shows an abundance of defiance but what is even more significant is the fact she stood up for her rights and was refusing to bow down to not only the Mayor and his wife but to the unjust society she lives in.

Arguably the main act of violence in Levy’s ‘The Long Song’ is the Christmas Rebellion which lasted from the 25th of December 1831 to the 4th of January 1832. The direct speech ‘The negroes are burning plantations in the west’ is heavily symbolic of the start of the demise of slavery, and the fact they ‘need every man’ to deal with this emphasises the defiance the slaves have. Kate Kellaway of The Guardian states ‘She makes you understand how chaotic and punitive this moment in history was’.

Another reoccurring exploration of violence is through July. The exclamation ‘Oh, beat me, missus, come beat me!’ which shows July’s acceptance of the punishment and beatings she receives. This is followed by the violent imagery ‘missus’s favoured punishment was to strike July sharply on the top of the head with a shoe’ while being quite painful it seems rather slapstick and humorous, as backed up by Holly Kyte of The Telegraph: ‘Slavery is a grim subject indeed, but the wonder of Levy’s writing is that she can confront such things and somehow derive deeply life-affirming entertainment from them’. This humorous tone from the narrator establishes a great deal of defiance as she refuses the dwell on the negative aspects of what is occurring.

A similar character in terms of strength is Levy’s character of Kitty. The opening description of her is rather compelling with the noun phrase ‘This colossal woman’ followed by the verb ‘determined’ highlighting Kitty’s sheer power and stature, and immediately presenting her as a defiant character. The use of the metaphor ‘the solid wall of her mother’s back’ which emphasises once more Kitty’s sturdiness and security, as said by Amanda Craig of the Telegraph ‘Kitty, a giant of a woman’. Furthermore, similar to Sofia in ‘The Color Purple’, Kitty uses violence against her oppressors, most notably the attack and murder of Tam Dewar. The use of the violent verb ‘bash his head’ and the simile in the rhetorical interrogatory ‘hack her machete upon his ankles like he was a piece of cane to be cut?’ emphasise the relentlessness of this attack and implies that this attack is from the accumulation of oppression of not just from Tam Dewar but from society as a whole.

Both authors depict sexual enjoyment and the exploration of sexuality as an act of defiance and resilience. In Walker’s ‘The Colour Purple’, the character of Shug Avery defies all social norms at the time through the openness of her sexuality and her thriving self-confidence. This is apparent in the opening description of Shug with the adjective ‘Her face rouge’ when describing her make up. At this highly misogynistic period in history, this would have been seen as highly provocative, Shug however does not care and is very self-assured in her appearance and the way she presents herself. Shug is the person who lifts Celie up and gives her the will to leave behind a life of victimhood and become a new woman.

The use of the direct speech ‘She say, I love you, Miss Celie. And then she haul off and kiss me on the mouth.’ shows not only is she attracted to Shug, but she and Shug both care for each other. When released in 1982, homosexuality was still regarded as a taboo subject and she received an abundance of backlash, yet Walker was used to this and regards to herself as 'I'm the most stubborn person I know’.

Like ‘The Color Purple’, in ‘The Long Song’ sexual enjoyment is seen as means of liberation and defiance. Most notably when July and Nimrod are drunk and in bed. Not just any bed but the bed of John Howarth, as emphasised through July’s direct speech ‘Massa no like us in his bed’ which is followed by Nimrod exclaiming ‘Black man gon’ rule now’ which shows an abundance of defiance and shows great determination. The interrogatory in the direct speech ‘you wan’ marry me, Mr Nimrod’ acts almost as a brief interlude before the two return to reality, but to have the audacity and confidence to ask such a question, especially in the situation they are in, emphasises the defiant nature of July.

During the slavery era, when slaves wanted to get married, it often presented a range of complexities that today's couples can't even begin to comprehend. Most slave-owners encouraged their slaves to marry. It was believed that married men was less likely to be rebellious or to run away, this however, was not an issue for July and Nimrod. Typical of the narrator of this novel, there is considerable amount of farcical and preposterous comedy, for example the taboo language in ‘her missus backside as it squashed the bed down’. This mockery of her master shows July’s positivity in such an oppressive society and once again shows an abundance of defiance as light is made out of a stressful situation. Alex Clark of The Guardian states most potentially treacherous events ‘do not always immediately trouble July’ which shows her ability to remain enthusiastic and positive in times of dismay.

Sexual enjoyment is also key in ‘The Color Purple’. Celie seems shocked by the idea of sex being an act that is pleasureful, and is enticed by the idea of it. Her self-analysis becomes more defined, intricate and pronounced. She experiences a sexual awakening through Shug’s mentoring, and when she addresses her as “Miss Celie” and labels her a virgin, she The act of her being labeled a virgin by Shug gives her a sense of a refreshing renewal. She feels as though she has been given the chance to start anew. She is hurt when Shug announces that she wants to leave her for a romance she wishes to pursue with a man who is much younger than the both of them, but her acceptance of this romance shows how much she has grown as a person and shows her resilience and defiance. Celie’s expression excels as the novel progresses, as she describes Shug with the metaphor ‘black plum nipples’ which has connotations of sweetness and fertility, with the adjective ‘black’ being a very bold colour, perhaps representing Shug’s defiance and how this defiance is being mirrored through Celie’s new expression. Furthermore the simile ‘I wash her body it feel like I’m praying’ suggests that this feels almost spiritual and depicts Shug to be an almighty being. Celie demonstrates tremendous defiance through this sexual awakening.

Furthermore the relationship between July and Robert Goodwin epitomises defiance. Once again Levy adopts a more humorous, slapstick tone when describing their interaction with the simile ‘His wet loose tongue licked her like he was gorging upon greasy chicken’. Although this is a rather distasteful description, it clearly shows Roberts lust and overwhelming emotion. The reason this relationship is so defiant, is the fact that such a relationship is forbidden as not only is Robert a white man, he is the new overseer. This is further emphasised through the declarative ‘my father would not approve’ which shows that Robert is clearly aware that this relationship is unacceptable, but follows up with the positive lexis ‘You are too beautiful, you are too good’ which highlights July’s prepossessing appearance and an abundance of defiance as he is clearly attracted to the people society says he should hate and manipulate. Both ‘The Long Song’ and ‘The Color Purple’ explore the theme of gender roles and how overcoming and defying them results in the growth of self-identity.

In The Color Purple the gender roles are very obviously stated and accepted at the beginning. The males have most of the power. Not only do they control what goes on around the house, but they also control what the women of there household do. One example of this, is in the beginning when Celie is given away in marriage without her consent which was common in the deep south in the early 20th century. It is also clear in this book that it is the man's right, and even responsibility, to beat his wife. The feel it is the only way to ‘keep them in line’ At one point, Celie's husband, Mr_, is explaining to Harpo how wives should be handled. He uses the simile ‘Wives is like children. You have to let 'em know who got the upper hand. Nothing can do that better than a good sound beating’ Thus, beating their wives satisfies the husband's need to prove that they are dominant in the family, and emphasises the fact he believes domestic violence is a necessity. The women on the other hand are often talked downto, beaten, raped, and worked unceasingly. They are expected to take all this abuse and not say anything. If a male says jump, the woman better ask how high, or risk the pain of consequences. Walker uses two characters particularly in this novel who defiantly challenge their gender roles. The first one that is notable is Harpo and Sofia's relationship. Mr_ suggests that Harpo beat her, and Mr_’s reasoning for beating his wife is the simple declarative ‘She stubborn’ which shows that Mr_ is looking for any excuse to beat his wife.

At the time in the early 20th century it was widely accepted for the husband to be their wife. It is clear that Harpo really doesn't want to do this but he is too concerned with his status as a 'man' to care about feelings. So Harpo attempts this, but it turns out that violence makes his relationship with his wife worse. It is obvious from the beginning that she doesn't care about what people think. She fights Harpo back and ends up winning, and the fight is described using the simile ‘They fighting like two mens’ which emphasises the sheer physicality of the fight, and shows that violence is the catalyst for women gaining a voice.

By the end of the novel we can see the monumental change in their relationship. Harpo is the one that changes the most, though. In the end, he is doing housework and things which are normally left for the woman, and he is not so concerned with beating his wife. He finally found out what makes him happy and what makes her happy and that he doesn't need to conform to the general standards, and their relationship improves greatly when Harpo comes to this realisation.

In Levy’s ‘The Long Song’, gender roles are defiantly challenged also. The character of Kitty is yet again significant. When she is dealt with the vile task of manuring, it is stated that ‘the smell would see our white missus faint’. The fact Kitty is persevering and completing the task that would cause a woman to faint shows great persistence and mental strength. Furthermore, the grotesque imagery in ‘a piece would fall into her open mouth’.

Secondly, the narrative voice itself is that of a female and its very defiant. At one point Thomas urges his mother to write about the rebellion, Sam Sharpe and the historic events of the time, however July demands authority over the narrative. As she speaks directly to her readers she makes it clear that despite everything that happened during that time, she will only write about what she experienced first hand (‘What I do know is that when those fires raged like beacons’). July frequently interrupts the narrative to speak her mind especially when she feels pressured by her son to do something differently. She dismisses anything that might undermine her authorial control.

In conclusion, both novels end very differently, with arguably ‘The Color Purple’ depicting the success of defiance. ’The Color Purple’ ends with Celie creating and running her own pants business. When Celie finally breaks free of Mr.__ and patriarchal society, she becomes a person rather than an oppressed woman. Her transformation into a full, unrepressed woman is symbolised by pants. For most of her life, Celie never wore pants because she (and the society she lived in) considered pants to be men’s clothing.

When Celie decides not only to wear pants, but to start a successful business in making pants for both men and women, she breaks free from gender stereotypes. Pants, therefore, are a symbol of liberation from patriarchy and sexism as well as economic liberation. For Celie, pants are independence, not only because they're a masculine article of clothing, but also because they provide her with income. I think nothing of pulling on a pair of pants, but for women in Celie's time, wearing pants was a major statement, and a radical choice. The interaction Celie has with her husband near the end is very interesting ‘How you make your living up there?’ he say. ‘Making pants’ I say.

The very fact that Celie is able to talk so bluntly about the past, and her feelings toward her husband, is because she is now his equal, thanks to her pants. The pants started as a way to 'keep from killing' her husband, but they grew into an emblem of Celie's autonomy and liberation from not only her abusive and oppressive life, but from the gender roles of her time. From the moment Celie donned her first pair of pants, she embraces a new era and a new way of life for all women, thus ultimately ‘The Color Purple’ ends very defiantly.


‘The Long Song’ seemingly ends very similarly with July defiantly running a business (‘she did rent herself a fine shop’), however this turns out to be another false ending and is swiftly followed by the reality of July being in court for theft. The last words of the final chapter ‘I am an old-old woman… I have not the ink’ results in there being a resounding feeling of uncertainty. This feeling of uncertainty is reinforced in the afterword as the whereabouts of Emily is unknown (‘all trace of Emily Goodwin has been lost’), thus meaning the family is not reunited.

Finally, Thomas ultimately has the last word in the novel, perhaps showing that the patriarchy in society is not truly ridden yet, and the fact Thomas feels the need to have the last word perhaps shows the lack of trust in his mother and is a reflection of this deep underlying misogyny, thus ‘The Long Song’ ends with defiance not always leading to success.