『컬러 퍼플』(The Color Purple) : 자기 고백적 글쓰기를 통한 치유의 서사

Abstract

This paper investigates the expressive-writing effect in Alice Walker's The Color Purple. This work is a self-confession of her own pain. The main character, Celie, writes down her life to mail a letter to God since she suffers from the trauma of the past and loneliness. In the processing of rewriting the past, she understands herself in the past and figures out the trauma of the past and heals herself. For her, letters are not only a means of a way out but also a therapeutic act. Shug and Nettie are the most influential people in Celie's miserable life. Shug helps Celie to confess her trauma and to express her suppressed emotions. Most of letters written by Celie describe a number of Shug's comforting words to relieve her wounded heart. Also, Nettie's letters make her economically independent and enhance Celie's self-esteem. Writing to God and Nettie provides Celie with an opportunity of looking back on her life and understanding herself. Celie writes down her own feeling in a letter to face the trauma of the past. Celie heals her pain through expressive writing that is the beginning of her journey to independence. The last letters are filled with stories about her growing mature and positive future. For Celie, expressive writing is a powerful tool for curing trauma and leading to a healthy life.