“Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone's hand is the beginning of a journey. Other times, it is allowing another to take yours” (Nazarian). This quote by Vera Nazarian, a famous Armenian-Russian writer, connects to the theme of female relationships in Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple. This novel acknowledges the struggles of African American women during the 1940s, but readers begin to witness the growth of women during this time as they unite and are no longer powerless by the end of the novel. THESIS: From the first page of The Color Purple by Alice Walker, readers are confronted with strong female relationships; Celie learns about herself through the instruction of her three confidantes: her sister Nettie, her daughter-in-law Sofia, and blues singer Shug Avery, but all of these women learn and grow through the lessons taught by each other. Celie To begin with, Celie, the protagonist resembles the perfect wife of this period: she listened to what she was told; she cleaned, worked, and cared for everyone around her, no matter the circumstances. “Her strength, unlike that of Sofia or Shug, is not physical or artistic, but is the strength of integrity. She remains honest and compassionate, caring for everyone she comes into contact with” (Litnotes). Readers often get frustrated with Celie because she remains so loyal and loving towards people who mistreat her. For example, Celie was often beaten on days when her husband, Albert, was in a bad mood; she didn't even have to do anything wrong to be mistreated, but above all she would continue to work as his slave and would never complain. The problem with this novel is that women have absolutely no power over anything, including themselves; then the women start to bond together and have a riot. Walker describes Celie's bond, first with her childhood biological mother and ranges from Celie's own