The People Around Us

As we go through life, we realize that if it had not been for the existence of the people who are around us, we probably not have turned out the way we are. "A person is a person through other personsÐ'...,"said by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He is basically saying that a person has discovered who they truly are through the interactions of other people, and how influential other people can be when shaping their lives. Many times, people question the formation of his or her identity due to their outside sources. In The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the main characters were greatly influenced and changed by the people who surrounded them. Eventually the characters endured some form of personal growth and development because of what they were taught by the people surrounding them.

In The Color Purple by Alice Walker a major theme is the power of female relationships. Walker portrays Celie at first, as a very passive woman who does not stand up for herself. Relationships among women form a refuge, providing mutual love in a world filled with male violence. They were influenced by each other to be strong. Walker is against male dominance, and portrays men to be very evil. All her life, Celie has been abused by men beginning with her father, (Alphonso) and Mr. She overcomes these obstacles with the help and inspiration of Shug and Sophia who make her look at the world with a different perspective, which makes her a dynamic character. Sofia claims that her ability to fight comes from her strong relationships with her sisters. When Celie and Shug discover Nettie's (Celie's sister) letters that Mr. has been hiding Celie finally has enough knowledge of herself to form her own powerful narrative. This is through all that Shug has taught her, such as looking at God with a new perspective, and finally standing up for herself. In the beginning, Celie is not strong or confident at all, but through her characterization she overcomes the obstacles that must undergo, which makes Celie an inspiration and she give people hope. She begins a new life with Shug which is stirring because if it wasn't for Shug, Celie probably would not have had the courage to leave Mr. in the first place.

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, depicts one man's journey and changes from boyhood, to adulthood and how he was greatly influenced by the people who surrounded him at different times in his life. The central character Pip, in the beginning was an innocent and