When reading “The Color Purple” and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, it is evident that she writes about her life through her use of allegory . Alice Walker uses events from her childhood, her observation of patriarchy in African American culture, and her rebellion against the society she lived in to tell her life story through her stories. Alice Walker grew up in a loving family at the end of the Great Depression. Although his family was poor, they were rich in kindness and outlook and taught Walker much about his heritage and life. Alice Walker recounts events from her childhood in some of her stories. When she was eight years old, her brother accidentally shot her in the eye with a BB gun while they were playing a game. The physical result was that Walker lost the sight in her right eye, which who developed a disfiguring white scar. The psychological result was that she became self-aware and introspective. She then modeled the character Maggie, from “Everyday Use”. Alice Walker wrote about Maggie as having a direct relationship to her childhood. Maggie's character was in a house fire that the reader perceives to be started by her sister, Dee. Maggie's scars and shyness reflect how Walker's scar made her unattractive and insecure after receiving her injury due to her brother's actions. When she lied for her brothers so they could avoid getting into trouble, she felt guilty and hurt for agreeing to lie. “It looked a lot like rape (Walker).” Walker refers to this event in his life as rape and references it in his writing of "The Color Purple." Celie has been raped several times by the man she thinks is her father and is impregnated by him twice. Although Alice Walker was not physically raped, she writes... middle of paper ......e about her own feelings and beliefs through her characters to show women and men that women do not should not rely on men. Walker was a strong advocate for women's independence, and through her works, she is able to successfully convey this message, while also writing about her own life. Works Cited Chung, Heun-Kyung. “Conversations.” Alice Walker. NP, 2010. Web. December 23, 2011. “Alice Walker.” New Georgia Encyclopedia. Np, 08/13/2008. Internet. December 23, 2011. .Edemariam, Aida. “Free spirit.” The Guardian. Np, June 22, 2007. Web. December 23, 2011. .Danielle, Chris. “Living by Grace.” . NP, 1999. Web. January 2 2012. .