Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple won the 1983 American Book Award in Fiction (Slomski). Celie was raped and impregnated twice by the man she considered her father at the age of fourteen, and then married to a poor black farmer. The man to whom Celie is sold treats her as if she were a servant, not as his wife. Mr. ___ believes that women should serve men while they enjoy life. Mr.__'s other beliefs about women are that they should obey their husbands, work, and not be seen or heard (Averbach). Women in this period were seen as children. They didn't deserve to be respected and needed to be controlled by a man. Celie endures over thirty years of physical and mental abuse from her husband. Celie develops a strong relationship with many female characters in the novel such as Nettie, Shug Avery, and Sophia. They show Celie how to believe that joy can come to her too, how to celebrate the God-given pleasures of life, how to advocate for herself, how to appreciate her own beauty and help her discover herself (Slomski). Although Celie has been a victim of violence for over thirty years, she finds the strength within herself to become an independent woman through the help of other women. Celie's abuse first begins when her stepfather rapes and verbally abuses her: "He never had a damn word to say to her." Me. Just say you'll do what your mom wouldn't do... He started choking me saying you better shut up and get used to it. But I never get used to it. And now I feel nauseous every time I cook" (1). After Celie is raped by her stepfather, she is told "you better never tell anyone but God. He'd kill your mom" (1). Celie did exactly what she was told and remains silent about her abuse, and... middle of paper... celebrates the pleasures of life given to her by God, to defend herself and how to appreciate her own beauty (Slomski ). By overcoming her flaws, Celie increases her self-confidence. Celie destroys Mr.___'s power over her, and turns it against him by making him like the pants she sews (Harris). When Celie finally releases all the power that Mr. ___ has had over her for so many years, she is finally able to call him by his real name which is Albert. Although Celie has been “possessed, beaten, and degraded by her husband” (Sadoff 133), she finds forgiveness in him for mistreating her for so many years. Celie is able to forgive Albert after realizing that she no longer hates him due to the love they both share for Shug. Celie comes from being beaten and used by others to start her own business and live an independent life (Harris).