Guiding Light: Faith and Friendship in ‘So Long a Letter’, and ‘The Color Purple’
Abstract
The protagonists in Mariama Bâ’s So Long a Letter, and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, deal with various counts of social and familial injustices. In order to emerge fulfilled and triumphant from a life of struggle and strife, the female characters needed to hold on to certain mechanisms for survival. Female solidarity and religion become instrumental for these women in their search for individuality and the assertion of their humanity. In this paper, the personal journey of Celie, the protagonists in The Color Purple, is examined through to her personal emancipation, as is the story of Ramatoulaye in So Long a Letter. The themes of friendship, even friendship with God, will be explored in depth.