Black Women's Oppression in The Color Purple (2023): A Black Feminist Perspective
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Abstract
This study analyzes the types of oppression experienced by Black women as depicted in the film The Color Purple (2023) directed by Blitz Bazawule. The research is based on Patricia Hill Collins' Black Feminist Thought, focusing on the concepts of Matrix of Domination, Controlling Images, and Domains of Power. Using a descriptive qualitative approach with film observation and dialogue transcription analysis, this study reveals that Black women characters, particularly Celie, Sofia, and Shug Avery, experience multilayered oppression rooted in intersections of race, gender, and class. The findings show that racial discrimination, gender subordination, and negative stereotyping work collectively to sustain their marginalization. The study concludes that The Color Purple (2023) offers a powerful representation of Black women's struggles against systemic oppression in early 20th-century America.
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