Life is like a game of chess: intricate but intriguing. You have to take risks to reap the rewards, or play it safe and expect mediocre results. In The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Walker outlines an inspiring story of a woman's coming of age and her journey to finding independence. As Celie struggles to achieve happiness, she recognizes that the only way to discover it is to break out of her shell. Through self-motivation and the help of her closest friends, Celie transforms from a shy woman to a confident woman with a say. From a young age, Celie faced many fierce battles. His family was not a loving family, but he had a dead, derogatory mother and father figure. It was Dad who stole her innocence at the age of fourteen and began this cycle of abuse. So Celie has been subjected to abuse and humiliation, and in order to survive, she realizes that she must be silent and submissive. When Dad cheats on her, she couldn't even protest because she was used to accepting whatever he told her. Then, when Celie goes to live with Mr.___, life doesn't get better, in fact it gets worse. Albert's mood is harsh and dark and he treats Celie as if she isn't even human. At one point, he mentions that “The wife is like children” (Walker 36), which precisely describes his mentality towards women. This goes to show that it makes it seem like women don't know any better, any more than children do. Celie expresses her fear by stating, “…Celie, you a tree. That is why I know that trees fear men…” (Walker 23). Like a piece of wood, Celie does not have her own voice and therefore cannot express herself fully. This robs her of all emotion and allows painful things to happen… middle of paper…, I think this is the youngest feeling we have ever felt” (Walker 294). Celie has reached the pinnacle of her happiness and success, so young is how she should feel. Now Nettie and her children are back by her side and she is really happy with life. His progress is evident when he finally calls Mr.___ to Albert. Celie no longer feels abused and dehumanized by men and is treated as she should. This will allow her to fully open up to her family to make up for lost time. Through hard work and the help of friends, Celie overcomes her obstacles and discovers herself. She realizes that playing it safe won't get her anywhere. To find his happiness, he needs to take risks. When she does, Celie discovers that even though she has so much against her, it is possible to overcome it and find success. Failure is an option, success is not.