This article discusses early American feminism in the 1910s as depicted in "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. The novel draws strong parallels with Virginia Woolf's theories and introduces the true meaning of the feminist notion. As stated in Woolf's critical essay “A Room of One's Own,” social and economic independence are the founding pillars of female advancement in a patriarchal society. This essay is an exploration of women's struggle and the struggle for independence. Keywords: Female independence, Early feminism, Social freedom, Economic freedom. Introduction Virginia Woolf writes “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she wants to write fiction. " (Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. 1929) This is perhaps one of the most famous lines from her critical essay "A Room of One's Own" in which she argues that women need economic and social freedom to advance in society as equal counterparts to men. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned”? Get an original essay. Refers to freedom and independence as a metaphorical room where women have the space and time needed to grow. The often preconceived idea that women's contribution to science and literature is inferior is related to their circumstances. As the author proposes “It would have been impossible, in all respects, for a woman to have wrote Shakespeare's plays in Shakespeare's time.” (Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. 1929)1. Being deprived of their rooms, women have little or no opportunity to participate as equals in society. Women are routinely denied opportunities and forced to perform the duties of wife and mother. They are routinely instructed to submit to, condescend to, and rely on patriarchal figures in their lives. The importance of economic freedom and its ability to aid feminist development is highlighted throughout the essay. Virginia Woolf states that “Intellectual freedom depends on material things. Poetry depends on intellectual freedom. ” (Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One's Own. 1929)1 Without money, the author implies, women will continue to remain in second place, overshadowed by the “more capable sex”. In other words, women must be able to afford the education and space to become truly independent. However, Woolf also suggests that this equality of opportunity does not directly result in the dissolution of differences between male and female. Discussion Throughout Alice Walker's novel “The Color Purple,” the reader experiences the violence and agony that the protagonist, Celie, faces. She is forced to trade what little independence she has, both economic and social, for a life of abuse and submission at an early age. As seen in the quote below, Celie's desperation is evident as she gradually becomes numb and accepts the harm she is exposed to. “I'm poor, I'm black, I can be ugly and I can't cook. (. . . ) But I'm here. ” (Walker, Alice. The Color Purple, 1929) Walker's original character truly portrays female oppression in a male-dominated society. Women like Celie were expected to marry, raise children, and manage the household without receiving support from their male counterpart.These strict rules and norms deprived most women of the meaning of education and could never achieve one of Woolf's most emphasized needs, economic independence also highlights women antithesis of Celie's characteristics The revolutionary figure, Shug Avery, is introduced at the beginning of,.