Domestic violence. The term evokes images of a woman hunched in a corner, crying as her husband slaps and yells at her. Yet, while the term brings to mind a typical image of abuse, we must realize that individual cases of domestic violence invariably differ. The Color Purple, a film adapted from Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, recounts a poor Black woman’s life-long struggle with domestic violence. The movie unfolds in a Georgian farmhouse during the early 1900s, where Celie and her little sister, Nettie, live in constant fear of their step-father’s emotional and sexual abuse. While critics argue that the film softens male abusive patterns upon Black women, this report shows that Celie’s specific situation illustrates the proven problems, causes, consequences, and resolutions of domestic abuse.

Celie exemplifies a common case in which a woman lacks the self-confidence to escape her husband’s physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. For example, Celie often replies, "Yes, sir," and immediately follows her husband’s demands. A study performed by Breitenbecher and Gidycz verifies (1998) the fact that sexual abuse causes learned helplessness. Their study supports previous work showing that, in addition to learned helplessness, sexual abuse causes low self-esteem, anxiety, and dissociation. In turn, women who develop these symptoms become more susceptible to future victimization (Breitenbecher & Gidycz, p. 19). Celie displays her own learned helplessness, saying, "I don’t know how to fight."

Celie's inability to fight stems from the verbal and sexual abuse her father induced upon her throughout her childhood. A study of 57 female college students, requiring each woman to complete a detailed questionnaire, supported previous evidence that inadequate fatherly admiration during childhood can cause low self-esteem and sexual discomfort (Scheffler & Naus, 1999). Celie’s father blatantly attacks her appearance, gradually destroying her self-esteem. For example, when he says, "You’ve got the ugliest smile this side of creation," she looks at the ground, hunches her shoulders forward, and covers her mouth in shame. Taught to feel ugly, she instinctively covers her mouth with her hand to conceal a smile or other sign of emotion. In general, studies verify that abused women feel anxious about their appearances. Researchers commonly use two scales to measure how a woman’s perception of her appearance affects her self-esteem. Women who rank high on the Appearance Anxiety Scale correspondingly rank low on Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (Garcia, 1998).

Celie’s low self-esteem leads to revictimization when her father hands her off to another abuser at the age of fourteen. He forces Celie to marry Albert to care for his house and children. In this new domestic abuse situation, Celie copes with her violent husband by detaching herself. Eisikovits’ findings (1999) show that abused women may distance themselves from their husbands, regarding them as strangers, to escape the abuse (p. 845). When provoked by their husbands, women attempt to gain control by either talking back or staying silent to avoid further abuse. A victim taking the inactive approach feels that the best method of dealing with the abuse is simply enduring it (Eisikovits, p. 846). When Albert slaps, hits, or pushes her, Celie responds by avoiding eye contact and using a more timid voice. When the couple engages in sexual intercourse, Celie holds her breath, clenches her teeth, closes her eyes, and lets him "do his business."

As a result of Albert’s continual abuse over the next several years, Celie shows signs of depression and withdrawal. Medical officials confirm that domestic violence victims exhibit long-term psychological consequences including depression, withdrawal, lack of self-esteem and affection, as well as a higher tendency to commit suicide (Abbott & Williamson, 1999). Celie’s detached behavior extends beyond her interactions with Albert. She rarely smiles, nor does she speak to houseguests. This negative emotional reaction results from low self-esteem (Leary 1995). Consequently, Celie seems desensitized to the violence. A study based on interviews with 25 abused females shows that women reach a point where they accept the abuse as a natural part of life (Eisikovits, p. 851). Celie advises her stepson Harpo to hit his wife to make her behave. When the beaten wife confronts her, Celie says, "This life will be over soon. Heaven lasts always," proving that the abuse has obliterated her hope of escape.

Unfortunately, escaping domestic violence proves more difficult than enduring it. Celie, however, breaks the chain of abuse and rebuild her self-esteem. Shug Avery begins this by forming a friendship and making Celie feel important. According to Leary (p. 1), increasing a person’s sense of belonging to a social group can reestablish their self-esteem. Consequently, their psychological abuse symptoms begin to disappear. Shug’s actions immediately affect Celie’s behavior. Celie makes direct eye contact with Shug and stops covering her smile. She sits up straighter, pulls her shoulders back, and lifts her head up. After Shug dedicates a song to her, Celie turns to a crowd of gossiping women and sticks her tongue out. This incident marks the first time she defends herself and strongly asserts her presence.

While many researchers believe that violent abuse can impair a woman’s ability to form healthy relationships, Celie and Shug's friendship proves otherwise. Similarly, Lubell and Peterson’s study confirms that female victims of even the harshest domestic abuse, incest, do not report any trouble forming friendships with female peers. In addition to giving Celie the power to defend herself, Shug eases Celie’s feelings of shame and ugliness by dressing her in a sparkling performance dress. After a moment of hesitation, Celie smiles widely in the mirror and bursts into laughter. Shug reinforces Celie’s confidence, saying, "You’ve got a beautiful smile." In addition, she repeatedly tells her, "Miss Celie, I’s thinks you beautiful," and, "I love you."

Raising the victim’s self-esteem can empower her to confront her abuser (Leary, p. 2). Celie realizes she must confront Albert to resolve her problem. Ultimately, a woman must gain power and control over the situation (Eisikovits, p. 62). At the family dinner scene, Celie confronts Albert for the first time. She stares directly at him, and in a very controlled manner says, "You a low down dirty dog. Time for me to get away from you and into creation. And your dead body will be just the welcome mat I need." Celie's remarks illustrate that she has never felt an intimate bond with Albert. "Thus," Eisikovits explains, "she is able to develop a livable distance from violent events and handle them with rationality, which would be impossible in intimate relations" (p. 836). As Celie leaves, Albert pulls his fist back to hit her. In response, she raises her hand and calmly says, "Everything you done to me, already done to you" [click to see clip].  Finally, in celebration of her resolution, she leaves the house exclaiming, "I’m poor, black, I might even be ugly, but dear God I’m here!" 

Celie’s triumph, however, was not recieved well by movie critics. They criticized the film’s happy ending, arguing that Steven Spielberg "epitomized Tinseltown’s ‘feel-good cinematic traditions" (White, 1996). Nevertheless, the situations that Celie undergoes in dealing with domestic violence portray realistic issues. The movie chooses not to focus on the destruction of a woman under these elements, but rather a woman’s ability to fight and gain strength to rise above her abusive past. As Ebert says (1985), the movie’s central theme is not the abuse and violence that Celie endures, but rather her success in surviving and escaping it (Ebert, p. 1).
 
 

Abbott, P., & Williamson, E. (1999). Women, health, and domestic studies. Journal of Gender Studies, 8, 84-104.

Abbott and Williamson discuss the effects of abuse on women’s physical and emotional health, and argue that the medical community should examine the causes of these injuries. The two researchers surveyed medical authorities with a questionnaire and in-depth interviews regarding professionals’ procedures for dealing with domestic abuse. The study’s results show that lack of preparation and knowledge concerning domestic abuse account for a large part of the reason why doctors often do not help women escape the abuse. For example, only 18.5% of those surveyed know of the Women’s Refuge establishment in their county for referrals. A majority of the medical officials express the need for more knowledge about agencies and programs to help battered women. If doctors knew how to help these women beyond medical treatment, they might reduce future health problems. Besides physical harm such as bruises, cuts, burns and scalds, concussion, migraines, stomach and joint pain, broken bones, miscarriages, and penetrative injuries from knives and other objects, battered women exhibit long-term effects. Psychological consequences include depression, lack of self-esteem or confidence, withdrawal, lack of love or affection, and a higher tendency to commit suicide. Domestic violence accounts for the largest number of women’s injuries in the United States. Through acknowledgement and education, doctors can help to reduce this statistic.

Breitenbecher and Gidycz designed a program to educate women with sexual abuse histories about the consequences, causes, myths, social forces, and preventative strategies to reduce sexual revictimization incidences. Several studies indicate that sexually assaulted women have a higher likelihood of encountering sexual assault situations than those without such histories. One study of college students indicates that 54% of women with sexual victimization histories experience revictimization during their first quarter of college, compared to only 32% of those without sexual assault histories. The consequences of sexual abuse (dysfunctional learning processes, learned helplessness, denial, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and poor relationship choices) may place sexually abused women at a higher risk for victimization in the future than those women with no previous history. However, Breitenbecher and Gidycz’s program to educate the women of these consequences through surveys and movies did not reduce the percentage of revictimization. The researches believe the study did not succeed because the severe consequences of sexual assault require more long-term treatment. Schinke, Forgey, & Orlandi (1996), affirm that treatments aiming to solve behavioral problems immediately, through a single program, often do not succeed.

Ebert gives a brief plot summary of The Color Purple. Ebert suggests that society has treated Celie brutally. He says that the movie does not emphasize the abuse and violence that Celie endures, but rather her success in surviving and escaping it. He identifies Shug Avery as Celie’s positive influence and her arrival as the "turning point." Shug discovers Celie’s beauty, and helps Celie, to find it for herself. The jook-joint singer even kisses Celie making her feel important and loved. All these aspects increase Celie’s feeling of self-worth. However, Ebert remarks that Spielberg portrays the relationship between Celie and Shug as a good deal less sexual than the original homosexual insinuations of the book. Ebert thinks Spielberg wants to cover a wider range of aspects in Celie’s life.

Eisikovits qualitatively studies the metaphors that women use to describe the domestic abuse in their lives. Previous studies show that metaphors reflect deeper meanings within people which they could not otherwise express. The women who participated in the study voluntarily each reported at least one incident of violence to social service and the police within one year of the study. Trained interviewers questioned the women about themes such as the conflict, the development of the violent event, the event itself, and the consequences for both partners. To describe male self-control, the women used metaphors like exploding volcanoes, container-like capacities for anger, or a "loss of way." These interpretations indicate that battered women excuse their husbands’ abuse, believing that the men cannot control themselves (volcanoes), that they reach a certain point of anger that must overflow (container-like capacities), or that they stray from the "beaten path" temporarily to abuse (loss of way). When provoked by their husbands, the women attempt to gain a sense of control by either talking back or by staying silent to avoid an outburst of abuse. As a result of this constant control struggle, women’s actions converge around their need to preserve their self-respect and emotional health. They may distance themselves from their husbands, regarding them as strangers, to avoid from the abuse.

Garcia correlates physical appearance anxiety with self-esteem and social and interpersonal behavior. This study evaluates the participants’ self-perception and how they believe other men and women would rate their appearance. The participants filled out a 113-question survey compling three different scales: the Appearance Anxiety Scale, the Manifest Anxiety Scale, and Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale. The Appearance Anxiety Scale measures physical appearance anxiety, while the Manifest Anxiety Scale measures a person’s overall anxiety level. Researches then related these questions to the Self-esteem Scale. Survey results show that the higher the level of a person’s appearance anxiety and general anxiety, the lower the person’s self-esteem. Women reporting low self-esteem also report problematic social interactions and relationships.

Kauffmann claims that The Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg, represents one of the first American movies portraying roles without social stereotype. The landmark film culminates a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, a world-renowned director-producer, and a virtually all-black cast. Together these three elements create a film which Kauffman finds immensely successful. He credits this success primarily to Spielberg’s work. Beginning with the cast itself, Spielberg chose actors who would successfully portray the characters. Whoopie Goldberg plays the courageous Celie perfectly. Danny Glover makes his role as Albert, Celie’s abusive husband, both terrifying and understandable. Kauffman comments that Oprah Winfrey and Margaret Avery also give outstanding performances. Under Spielberg’s directing, the cast interprets Alice Walker’s novel into a highly successful film. It seems that Spielberg makes movies that he himself would enjoy, and consequently creates movies that the public enjoys. He floods The Color Purple with music and color. Throughout the movie, he keeps the camera near floor-level, looking upward with an epic-like quality. Although Kaufmann contends that the film moves sluggishly toward the end, he feels that Spielberg holds it together through his conviction that the public needs more movies depicting black life and through his integral happy ending.

Leary states that people commonly believe low self-esteem causes various psychological problems. Low self-esteem not only influences dangerous activities such as alcohol consumption and domestic abuse, but also causes negative emotional reactions such as depression and shyness. Increasing the patient’s self-esteem seems a logical solution. However, Leary disagrees with this hypothesis. He argues that self-esteem merely measures and evaluates social interaction. He calls self-esteem, "the sociometer model." Poor interaction symptoms result from a person’s fear of societal rejection. According to Leary, increasing the person’s sense of belonging to a social group solves the problem. The group need not regard the person highly, they must simply include the person. Once this occurs, the patient’s symptoms begin to disappear and his self-esteem returns.

Lubell and Peterson assess the relationships between incest victims, their mothers, and other females. Researchers believe that incest victims have a difficult time forming relationships with other women because they lack trust and "devaluate women." However, no studies specifically evaluated the symptoms of childhood incest. Lubell and Peterson gathered one hundred and sixty one Michigan women to study these symptoms, sixty-eight of whom experienced childhood incest. The participants completed a questionnaire evaluating the relationships between the women, their closest friends, and their mothers. The incest victims also described their abusive experiences. The results do not fully support general beliefs. No differences result between the two groups in their relationship with female friends. However, the female victims of incest do report difficult mother-daughter relationships. The victims report that they spent very little time with their mothers and wished they spent even less. However, this case studied only well-educated volunteers and did not monitor the participants’ feelings over an extended time period. These factors could contribute to data errors.

Randall stresses the importance that doctors not only treat women’s physical injuries after domestic abuse incidents, but also confront the abuse itself. Society only recently began viewing domestic violence as abnormal and immoral behavior. If the violence remains unaddressed, the injuries continue and the women experience great emotional and psychological impairment. Statistically, 64% of psychiatric care patients endure abuse. Each abusive incident moves the woman further from the support she needs to escape because she fears admitting to the abuse feels hopeless and shameful. Thirty three percent of the women remaining in their abusive relationships suffer from depression.

Naus and Theis analyze the relationship between "fatherly admiration and women’s feelings of self-esteem, intimacy, womanhood, and sexuality." Existing theories support expectations that a father’s admiration would directly effect these aspects. Secunda advances that women with often absent fathers during childhood have a difficult time trusting other men. In addition, many studies show that the way that a father favors his daughter greatly effects her self-esteem and sexual comfort. One study by Fisher suggests that fatherly admiration influences the number of orgasms his daughter will normally have in her adult sex life. The test, performed on 57 female college students, required each woman to fill out a detailed questionnaire. The study yields results similar to prior research, showing that the fatherly attention during childhood profoundly effects all the tested qualities except "comfort with one’s womanhood."

White, E. (1996). Alice’s wonderland. Essence, 26, 84-89.

Walker refutes the public criticism she received when Steven Spielberg produced the The Color Purple from her Pulitzer Prize winning book. Critics argue that Spielberg produced a Hollywood feel-good movie from a book which degrades black men and promotes lesbianism between black women. In addition to the attacks on the movie and novel, Walker felt devastated by attacks questioning her own sexuality. All this came at a time when she faced her mother’s terminal illness, her lover’s infidelity, and her own sickness. A close friend relates that Walker felt deeply hurt because critics accused her of destroying what she loved most black people. Walker did not, however, stand for it. She refutes criticism that she should have employed a black or a feminist production group to make the movie, arguing that Spielberg alone had offered to carry out the project. Had any black filmmakers offered, she certainly would have considered them. Walker acknowledges that Spielberg had limited knowledge about African-American culture, but claims that he worked hard, with all good intent to be accountable. In 1996, Walker voiced her thoughts in a book she titled The Same River Twice – A Meditation on Life, Spirit, Art, and the Making of the Film The Color Purple Ten Years Later. She relates the physical and emotional trauma she experienced throughout the ordeal. The book puts an end to any thinking that she would turn a cheek to the criticism. Page Designed for Educational Purposes Only.