Alice Walker, The Color Purple. Students' contributions

The white mayor's wife of the nearest little town asks Sofia if she would like to become her maid tending her children. Sofia rudely declines the offer ("hell no") and is slapped by the mayor. She hits back and knocks the man down. The police arrest her. S. pp. 75-77

Racism is based on the idea of inferiority of a race towards another one. This idea makes a racist feel superior towards the oppressed, it helps him to feel wiser and nobler, which just shows his insecurity and self-consciousness. Miss Millie (the white mayor's wife) is one of the persons who stick to the idea of racism to ease their own pain, being suppressed themselves ( in her case by her husband ).

She is treating Sofia and her children like nice animals which are to be sold on a market. She is impressed by the teeth of Sofia´s children, she is not interested in their thoughts or feelings. She feels like a queen giving a subject the chance of its life, asking Sofia whether she wants to be her maid, and expects her to do anything apart from saying no, since she is not able to think of a black woman as being independent and self-reliable. Hearing Sofia´s honest negative answer, Miss Millie is surprised, the mayor´s reaction is violent. They both are not able to accept two words, being said on an equal level.

Sofia endures Miss Millie´s behaviour towards her children and herself until she is asked directly by Miss Millie. Then she says what she thinks, without considering whether it would be "appropriate" or not, which shows her inner emancipation that is not based on slogans of a movement but on the inner conviction of her absolute freedom.

The violence that she experiences then could change her conviction as well as herself. Either it will break her or it will make her and her faith in freedom stronger than it was before.

I personally believe that a woman who is that strong and self-confident, who internalized the idea of equality and is convinced so deeply of the inviolability of her dignity will never fail.