The Invisible Men

A particularly striking idea in The Color Purple that I find interesting is Walker’s tendency to leave her antagonists vague and undeveloped. With the exception of Harpo and other characters, the majority of the men in the novel who were thought of as oppressing and abusive were never really identified by their last names and seldom called by their first. Throughout the entire novel, no “man,” not even Celie’s father, was known by a last name. They were usually known by some form of if not just “Mr. __________.”

By doing this, there is really no specific enemy or antagonist to dislike in the novel. Instead of labeling one specific character, the majority of the men are labeled to be despicable and feared as a whole, undistinguishable to the audience. Celie even mentions this when she claims that “most times men look pretty much alike to me.” (Walker, 16)

1 Fear of Invisible Men

An example of an “invisible man” is Celie’s husband, who was most commonly referred to as the original Mr. ________. When the narrator speaks about her husband and his personal preferences, he never expresses a solid statement that uncovers his character or personality- just the fact that he treats MOST women like dirt. Only stereotypical responses like “you ever hit her?” or “make your woman mind” result from questioning him. And before any more conversation is carried out, he “hides behind a puff of smoke.” (Walker, 18) Mr. _______ does this “vanishing trick” again later on in the novel when he “don’t say anything. Blow smoke.”(Walker, 37)

2 Blowing Smoke

Though the concept of an “invisible man” almost suggests a kind of great encompassing evil, it also sets the male characters up to be knocked down. When the males are finally called by their names, they are humanized and on the same level as the female characters. An example of this is Harpo, whose name was known since the beginning of the novel. He was not a threat to Sophie or anyone else because they knew that he was not superior to them at all. Another example of this is in Mr. ______, who later becomes Albert when Shug brings him down to everyone else’s level. Instead of an austere and powerful male, he is almost viewed as weak when the narrator talks about his attraction for Shug and how she commands him: “…I don’t want to smell no stinking blankety-blank pipe, you hear me, Albert? Who Albert, I wonder. Then I remember Albert Mr. ______ first name.” (Walker, 49)