74 Akshara, Vol. 15, May 2023 Akshara: An International Refereed Research Journal of English Literature and Language ISSN: 0975-5373; E-ISSN: 2583-4738 Vol. 15, May 2023, pp. 74-86 Edited by Vijay Kumar Roy https://www.waoar.org/akshara/ Black Sisterhood and Selfhood in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple Tannya* Abstract Upon the publication of The Color Purple in 1982, Alice Walker won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. She also received immense praise for her vivid depictions of black women in her novels. In addition to being written by a woman, The Color Purple embodies an acknowledged tradition of women’s literature in terms of the technique of narration and voice used to attain their actual identities. Besides, Walker shatters the idea of male dominance in The Color Purple by providing a thorough psychological description of both the male and female characters who live in a traditional patriarchal southern family as well as a representation of the contemporary matriarchal African-American family, in which the woman plays a prominent role. The storyline of The Color Purple revolves around Celie, the central protagonist of the novel, who had to struggle with all of these slings at the age of twelve while other women, including Sofia, Shug Avery, Aids, and Nettie, also suffered from the existing male chauvinism. However, these women express their individuality while helping one another during their challenging times. As a result, it not only ties them together but also gives them solace and a sense of security. Hence, the protagonist of the tale, Aids, represents the idea of sisterhood. Celie is also released from the job of “mule of the world” due to her relationships and bonds with Sofia, Shug Avery, and Nettie. * Postgraduate in English, University of Delhi - 110007, Delhi, India. Email: tannyasilelan35@gmail.com © 2023 The Author. Published by Paragon International Publishers. Open Access Under CC BY 4.0 licence.