Strands of Compassion Fatigue in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple

Abstract

This paper seeks to highlight the strands of compassion fatigue which is evident in the life of Celie in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Compassion fatigue takes place in highly stressed individuals or characters who are easily drawn to the suffering of others by nature. It happens when emotional and physical stress response begins to occur from the gradual depletion of empathy or from the ability to nurture others. It provides explanation for psychological, emotional and physical toll which can occur while dutifully offering help to others. Compassion fatigue takes a major toll on Celie in The Color Purple while caring and helping others thereby leaving her totally drained, exhausted and disconnected. This paper attempts to present the struggles that caregivers, like Celie go through and how they become burned out or apathetic through the psychotherapeutic approach. It becomes obvious that Celie’s compassion fatigue is a reflection of her need for psychotherapy. Compassion fatigue poses a risk to the individual who neglects personal mental health at the expense of helping others. Due to the emotional and physical demands of the persons around Celie, who are suffering or dealing with trauma while she constantly gives her time, energy, love and strength to attend to their own needs to a point of exhaustion. It explores the concept of Compassion fatigue and the major life-threatening dangers it can pose in the life of the caregiving individual. Celie’s epistolary therapy through her letters serve as a tool for self-therapy which eventually put her on the path to healing.