Thank you, Oprah
By D. DIONNE BATES
The Southern Voice Atlanta
My girlfriend and I recently went to see Oprah Winfrey’s presentation of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” at the Fox Theatre. I must admit that when I heard that a musical was made to depict one of the best books and films of the 20th century, I was not at all excited.
I know it is Oprah, but given the subject matter of the story, I could not (no, I would not) allow myself to believe that someone (not even Oprah) would be bold enough to tell the story on stage and stay authentic to the book when covering issues such as infanticide, domestic violence, incest, infidelity, racial and religious oppression, patriarchy, misogyny, love, and yes, even same-sex love.
The book helped me better understand the scene where Shug Avery and Miss Celie kiss, as well as one of the last scenes where they appear to live together.
The kiss between Shug and Miss Celie was not just endearing (as the film would lead one to believe). The kiss was that of love, as well as a deep intimacy that Shug and Miss Celie were not able to have with men in the patriarchal, misogynist and religiously oppressed society of the era.
Women were considered property to their husbands and in the absence of love, sex, in most instances, was considered an obligation. But Shug and Miss Celie developed a relationship that transcended the bounds of that obligation and the oppression that being in relationships with men dictated. They discovered a true, genuine, intimate love that both of them had never been privileged to have as the property of men.
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The Southern Voice Atlanta
My girlfriend and I recently went to see Oprah Winfrey’s presentation of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” at the Fox Theatre. I must admit that when I heard that a musical was made to depict one of the best books and films of the 20th century, I was not at all excited.
I know it is Oprah, but given the subject matter of the story, I could not (no, I would not) allow myself to believe that someone (not even Oprah) would be bold enough to tell the story on stage and stay authentic to the book when covering issues such as infanticide, domestic violence, incest, infidelity, racial and religious oppression, patriarchy, misogyny, love, and yes, even same-sex love.
The book helped me better understand the scene where Shug Avery and Miss Celie kiss, as well as one of the last scenes where they appear to live together.
The kiss between Shug and Miss Celie was not just endearing (as the film would lead one to believe). The kiss was that of love, as well as a deep intimacy that Shug and Miss Celie were not able to have with men in the patriarchal, misogynist and religiously oppressed society of the era.
Women were considered property to their husbands and in the absence of love, sex, in most instances, was considered an obligation. But Shug and Miss Celie developed a relationship that transcended the bounds of that obligation and the oppression that being in relationships with men dictated. They discovered a true, genuine, intimate love that both of them had never been privileged to have as the property of men.
full article
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