It was one of the first recognized books dealing with black women. Celie is abused and raped by her pa, who takes away her children after theyre born. Susan kim the authors style plot summary historical information about the period of publication characteristics of the genre in the color purple, celie tells her story through series of letters written to god. The color purple a thoughtful expose on racism, the effect of abuse, violence, sexism, sexuality, bitterness and most of all, love. Jan 17, 2011 for my isc 201 english isp, i decided to read the color purple. Alice walkers iconic modern classic is now a penguin book. The color purple is the international bestselling novel by alice walker, an african american writer from eatonton. Softcover in stiff purple boards with diecut picture on the front. Deeply compassionate and beautifully imagined, alice walkers epic carries readers on a spiritaffirming journey towards redemption and love. Fiction celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage. Having first seen the film on a flight to vancouver, i knew this would be a good story but i was unnerved by the epistolary approach, the dialect and the first person pov. Separated as girls, sisters celie and nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in. She says that she thinks god gets angry when you walk past the colour purplemore if you read the book, its a reference to something shug says to celie. Harpo, sofia, the two babies be going off for the weekend, to visit sofia sister.
Celie, nettie, sophia, shug avery, each of them must fight her own battle against repression and prejudice, each of them must help themselves and each other. Some other characters are celie and netties stepfather, celies husband, and celies lover, shug. The color purple, a story centered around the horrible lives of blacks, takes main stage in rural georgia, a common slave state in the south. For my isc 201 english isp, i decided to read the color purple. A literary analysis of alice walkersthe color purple 834 words 4 pages. The color purple summary from litcharts the creators of. A powerful cultural touchstone of modern american literature, the color purple depicts the lives of african american women in early twentiethcentury rural georgia. The current version is a slim, fleetfooted beauty, simply attired and. The novel, the color purple, is an epistolary novel. The color purple isnt actually about the color purple.
By the end of the novel, celie perceives that interaction. The color purple, by alice walker, is a very intense book to read. Her other bestselling novels include by the light of my fathers smile, possessing the secret of joy and the temple of my familiar. Alice walkers the color purple deals with the notion of sexism, racism and gender. General fiction alice walkers masterpiece, a powerful. It uses detailed imagery to paint a picture of all of the characters, their physical and emotional attributes. The color purple is truly an amazing book and one i wish i could give double the 5 stars to. Dark purple can cause sad feelings and frustrations. He sews with her and gives her some ideas about sewing shirts which suit celies pants. The character of nettie in the color purple from litcharts.
Alice walker received the american book award and a pulitzer price for fiction. Full text of the color purple alicewalker see other formats. Full text of thecolorpurplealicewalker see other formats. The book vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor african americans especially women in the precivil rights south, and has been criticized for its. Parents need to know that the color purple is a moving, inspirational novel told in letters that includes an abundance of mature content explicit sex, rape, incest, sexism and violence toward women, and a lesbian relationship. Orinoco womble tidy bag and all if you read the book, its a reference to something shug says to celie. Though written for adults, the color purple is sometimes included on high school reading lists for ages 16 and up. Alice walker won the pulitzer prize and the american book award for her novel the color purple, which was preceded by the third life of grange copeland and meridian. I can certainly see how this book made such an impact by its discussion of painful topics and its feminist messages, but it was mainly the second half that brought this book down to its 3 starrating. As the color purple ended its run on broadway today, i wanted to give a few reasons why this musical transcends time. She seem like a right sweet little thing, i say to sofia. The ending of the story has no connectionmorethere is no marijuana plantation. The color purple is an acclaimed epistolary novel by american author alice walker.
Published in 1982, walkers epistolary tale chronicles the startling tragedy and triumph of a poor black woman named celie in her struggle for selfempowerment, sexual freedom, and spiritual growth in rural georgia in the early twentieth century. Grady does grow a little pot behind shugs house, but hardly a plantation. The color purple is a 1985 american comingofage period drama film directed by steven spielberg with a screenplay by menno meyjes, based on the pulitzer prizewinning 1982 novel of the same name by alice walker. The color purplea contrast of the book and movie by amy harris 2. Forced to leave first her own home when pa turns his sexual attention to her and then mr. This central theme of the triumph of good over evil is no doubt the source of the book s great success. Winner of the pulitzer prize and the national book award. Each of the last twenty letters of this novel has contained reversals. At the end of the movie, mister is the reason why nettie and celies children are able to return to the united states. Nobby clark t he color purple, book, movie, musical, has been successful beyond anything i could have imagined when i was writing it. In the book, she headed to memphis for a while with shug, until shug left her for a 19 year old boy, then celie went back to her family home and opened a profitable store. Alice walker in 1982 the color purple was written by alice walker as a novel. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name taking place mostly in rural georgia, the story focuses on the life of africanamerican women in the southern united states in the 1930s, addressing numerous.
The book vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor african americans especially women in the precivil. A poor, black, ugly and uneducated female in the americas jim crow south in the first half of the 20th century, she is the victim of constant rape, violence and. The color purple deals with a black womans struggle to free herself from a position of servitude in a maledominated society. This novel consists of a series of letters, none of which are dated, and in order to have a time frame for the novel, we will have. It was spielbergs eighth film as a director, and was a change from the summer blockbusters for which he had become famous. She has such a horrible life, shes not stopping to smell the roses, shes just surviving. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name taking place mostly in rural georgia, the story focuses on the life of africanamerican women in the southern united states in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues. The primary theme of the color purple, though, reflects walkers desire to project a positive outcome in life, even under the harshest conditions. Celie becomes pregnant twice, and each time her father gives away the children. Even worse, she believes him to be her real father. Walker does not tell us everything about the characters and the setting and why the characters behave as they do. Walker in love and trouble, meridian has set herself the task of an epistolary noveland she scores strongly with it. The book vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor african americans especially women in the precivil rights south, and has been.
The color purple is not an easy book to read because it is not written in the style of most novels. In the first few letters, celie tells god that she has been raped by her father and that she is pregnant for the second time with his child. The color purple ebook by alice walker rakuten kobo. This novel consists of a series of letters, none of which are dated, and in order to have a time frame for the novel, we will have to read through it carefully. The color purple flliee walker r tl pulitzer prize winner ik f tl authors. The color purple has sold more than five million copies, inspired an academy awardnominated film starring oprah winfrey and directed by steven spielberg, and been adapted into a tonynominated broadway musical. This historical, epistolary novel by alice walker was first published by harcourt brace jovanovich and is now published by many others. Eventually, pa marries celie off to a man who is just as abusive as pa. The color purple represents all the good things in the world that god creates for men and women to enjoy. Sure, it gets mentioned here and there, but if youre hoping this will be a book about all things purple in the world, youre probably better off checking out the classic childrens book, purple this novel features a bit more than pictures of grapes, eggplants, and that weird mcdonalds. Her other books include the third life of grange copeland, meridian, the temple of my familiar, and alice walker, one of the united states preeminent writers, is an awardwinning. Taking place mostly in rural georgia, this collection of letters weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for. It was an international bestseller, won both the american book award and the pulitzer prize, and in 1985 was made into a muchdiscussed movie directed by steven spielberg. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of the color purple.
At the end of the novel, harpo reforms his ways, and he and sofia reconcile and save their marriage. Fact and fiction in alice walkers the color purple jstor. It was published in the united states in 1982 and won the national book award for fiction and the pulitzer prize for fiction in. The color purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by american author alice walker which won the 1983 pulitzer prize for fiction and the national book award for fiction. The too beautiful for words tonywinning revival of the color purple, led by cynthia erivo in a tonywinning turn as celie, is set to shutter. When celie discovers the letters that her sister, nettie, has written. Nov 26, 20 the color purple is the international bestselling novel by alice walker, an african american writer from eatonton. In 1983, walker became the first africanamerican woman to win a pulitzer prize for fiction with her novel the color purple, which also won the national book award. Celie is a poor black woman whose letters tell the story of 20 years of her life, beginning at age 14 when she is being abused and raped by her father and attempting to protect her sister from the same fate, and continuing over the course of her marriage to mister, a brutal man who terrorizes her. Harpo now does all the housework, and sofia works outside the home. As the previous educator notes, the setting for the color purple is primarily the rural southgeorgia and, later, tennessee. Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sisters letters.
Alice walkers the color purple weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for. The color purple is one of the most successful and controversial books ever written by a black woman. As a woman and more profoundly as a black woman, this musical gave me nothing but. The color purple brings out radically different responses in viewers. This is told from the perspective of two sisters, celie and nellie wbo love each otber dearly but get ripped apart earl on. Her central character triumphs over adversity and forgives those who oppressed her. As a woman and more profoundly as a black woman, this musical gave me nothing but strength and guidance to look within at my own life. The color purple is a novel by africanamerican author alice walker. The novel, the color purple, is about the main character, celie, and her sister nettie. Light purple awakens romantic and nostalgic feelings. Alice walkers pulitzer prize winning novel the color purple is a tale of personal empowerment which opens with a protagonist celie who is at the bottom of americas social caste. The color purple is a powerful book with an amazing cast of strong female characters, but in my opinion, it was 100 pages too short.
A poor, black, ugly and uneducated female in the americas jim crow south in the first half of the 20th century, she is the victim of constant rape, violence and misogynistic verbal abuse. Celie writes letters to god in which she tells about her lifeher roles as daughter. The color purple by alice walker overdrive rakuten. The color purple, alice walker the unbearable lightness of being up out of the lampshade, startled by the overhead light, flew a large nocturnal butterfly that began circling the room. The color purple cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. The color purple is an american novel of permanent importance. No matter how newfangled a concept may be, the color purple is both willing and able to accept it.
Six lessons the color purple will teach you a tribute to this beautiful musical. At the beginning of the book, you could say that celie has no sense of the color purple. Dec 11, 2015 that earlier color purple, a boxoffice hit, was a big, gaudy, lumbering creature that felt oversold and overdressed. The color purple broke the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, narrating the lives of women through their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery. Grady is a loving and sweet man, but also a womanizer. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the early twentieth century.
Alice walker the color purple letter 1 of 90 genius. In her first letters, she details how her father has been sexually abusing her. The color purple won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1983, making walker the first black woman to win the prize. Pretty colors a literary analysis on alice walkers, the color purple alice walker was a writer who influenced many people in her time, and continues to influence a copious amount of people still today considering she is still living. That earlier color purple, a boxoffice hit, was a big, gaudy, lumbering creature that felt oversold and overdressed. Celie, a young girl who lives with her abusive father, her sick mother, and her younger sister nettie, begins writing letters to god. By intense, it is a book touching very difficult and hard aspects of life of a poor, black oppressed woman in the early twentieth century. The colour purple is a relatively recent novel though, so in this case it may be used to add to the sense of realism by blanking the name, it makes you feel as though the author is trying to protect a real persons identity. The color purple, dalice walker des livres et les mots. Jan 01, 2012 in 1983, walker became the first africanamerican woman to win a pulitzer prize for fiction with her novel the color purple, which also won the national book award. She impacts readers by looking at the story through the eyes of celie and nettie. Oct 30, 2016 the too beautiful for words tonywinning revival of the color purple, led by cynthia erivo in a tonywinning turn as celie, is set to shutter on january 8, 2017.