Kacie Griffin

Analyze a character in the story. How are they characterized by the author? What is their role in the story? What do you think of them? Why?

  So far in the novel, the character Sofia has already changed and has had a variety of things happen to her. We meet her when she is pregnant with Harpo's child. Her and Harpo wanted to marry and seem to be in love. From the beginning she was strong willed, tough, and was not afraid to state her opinion. Celie seems to be jealous of the way Sofia is with her independence and free mind, for Sofia will never left Harpo beat her or tell her what to do. Though this upsets Harpo, Sofia was raised this way and it is a part of who she is. To me, Sofia is one of the most admirable characters in the story because of her strength in physical and mental aspects. I like the fact that she is brave enough to go against what a typical, black woman in these times would do. She is not the typical housewife, and she does not want to be.
  We see a change in Harpo and Sofia's relationship as the novel continues. She believes she does not love him anymore. When Sofia talks to Celie about leaving she states, "I use to chase him home from the field. Git all hot just watching him put the children to bed. But no more. Now I feels tired all the time. No interest" (Walker 65). She feels she is loosing interest in him and it upsets her that he does not notice. I believe she wants him to notice and make a change, but he doesn't see it and she leaves. The next time we see Sofia she is almost a different person. She walks into Harpo's with another guy that brings some mystery. Harpo believed that she was never coming back, so he was in stock with her return. She seems to bring a lot of anger with her because to beats up Squeak and the mayor's wife. This act puts her in jail where she remains at this point in the story. Her role in the story seems to be that she is a friend of Celie's but also an idol. I am interested in what will happen next with her and what her character has to bring to the story.