Sofia believes that given the mindset of current society her son will most certainly grow up to become a racist.
She points to the ways that Black are treated and the way men feel about themselves as a product of such treatment and explains that there is no way her son will fail to develop racist tendencies. If it were another time in society, he would have a chance of growing up "color blind" however; Sofia understands that society itself will mold her boy regardless of her influence.
The goal that she believes she can carry out however is the goal of raising him to undersand it is wrong to abuse females. She and others decide that by speaking strongly back to the abusive men in their lives they can force those men to change their thinking about the way they treat women and in turn Sofia's boy will grow up watching these changes take place and not become an abuser himself.
It is interesting to note that Sofia believes the concept of racism and its cycle are out of her hands and her son will have no escape from its tentacles, but she believes she and other females around her have the ability to change the abusive nature...
She feels that they have it within their power to make men treat them with respect and dignity by the way the women react to those men.
It is obvious that she does not have the same belief about the inner strength of men because she gives up the idea that her son can be guided away from racism, believing that society's treatment of Black men along the way will force him into a racist mindset regardless of her influence.
Sofia believes that women can change men, but men cannot prevent the harsh reality of racism by society and its impact on their lives.
Without being obvious, the underlying message from the author is that Black women are much stronger than Black men when it comes to personality, character and life.
It is an interesting view from the reader's standpoint as he or she reads between the lines of the story and absorbs the meaning of its content.
Works Cited
Walker, Alice, the Color Purple. Pocket; Reissue edition (April 1, 1990)
