Identity, the combination of distinct personality traits one portrays, making them unique. If a person is unaware of their identity though, how can they be expected to appreciate their way of life? The Color Purple and The Joy Luck Club portray a similar theme, because female main characters experience personal misfortunes and male/female relationships which ultimately lead to the discovery of their true identity. .
One of the main characters, Celie, in The Color Purple experiences many personal misfortunes which eventually lead to the discovery of her true identity. The first instance of a personal misfortune takes place, when Celie is forced by her father to marry a stranger. The person she marries is actually in love with Celie's sister, Nettie, but their father decides Nettie has too much potential to succeed in the world to marry so young; therefore Celie is the next option. This event affects her life because the marriage was a very unhappy one for Celie. Generally people get married because they share a bond or special emotions for one another, but neither Mr.___ nor Celie desire feelings for the other. The quotation "Mr.___ marry me to take care of his children. I marry him cause my daddy made me. I don't love Mr.___ and he don't love me" (Walker 66) explains the nature of this relationship perfectly. This is because Celie is stating that her marriage is more of an unpleasant situation, rather than a relationship based on emotions. She is with Mr._ solely because her father wanted this and Mr._ is with Celie, because his children need a mother. More importantly, this experience forbids Celie from realizing her identity, because she does not have the opportunity to discover the world on her own. One of the most important decisions of her life was made by her father and because of this she will have to care for someone else's children; withholding her from possible future endeavors which could change her life.