Language and Male Supremacy in Alice Walkers The Color...

Andrea Dworkin devoted her life to supporting feminism. In one of her speeches, she states, â€Å"Male supremacy is fused into the language, so that every sentence both heralds and affirms it.† Andrea’s quote shows that male supremacy is so common that it is practically part of human nature. In society, men feel entitled to abuse their wives whenever they feel discouraged or depressed. For example, when husbands do not treat their wives with the respect they deserve, it can lead to violence or divorce. This has been recently shown by Pentecostal evangelist Juanita Bynum. She filed for divorce from her husband following a brutal domestic violence incident. In analysis, when husbands abuse their wives, it does not cure their hurtful feelings; it†¦show more content†¦He learns this malicious behavior from his father, Mr. _____. When Mary Agnes came back from trying to release Sofia from prison, she realizes how badly she had been treated by Harpo. Celie writes, à ¢â‚¬Å"Harpo say I love you Squeak. He kneel down and try to put his arms around her waist. She stand up. My name is Mary Agnes.† (102) This quote additionally displays how Harpo, even though he loves Squeak, does not realize how his small actions hurt Mary Agnes’s feelings. Harpo thinks that the definition of a married man is being dominant over his wife and this is what brings him to be abusive and troubled. By trying to escape his problems and continuing to desecrate his wives, he only brings himself down. Furthermore, Alice Walker shows husbands abuse their power to escape their problems through Mr. _____. Mr. _____ abuses his power by taking advantage of Celie and treating her as if she has no rights of her own. When Mr. _____ is talking to Harpo about Sofia, he tells him, â€Å"Wives [are] like children. You have to let [them] know who got the upper hand.† (37) This quote exhibits how Mr. _____ feels about the importance of Celie in his life. It additionally shows how Mr. _____ does not treat Celie with the respect she deserves. He abuses her only because he loves Shug Avery. He cannot get Shug’s love and uses Celie to his advantage to boost his self