Literary analysis essay the color purple someonesdaughter93. At the start of the novel, celie is a fourteenyearold, vulnerable, abused black girl who addresses her letters to dear god. The color purple is considered a classic womanist text. Get your custom essay on the color purple by alice walker. Celie, a nearly illiterate black georgia girl, writes a short note to god, confiding to him that shes only fourteen, but already she is burdened with cooking, cleaning, and caring for a multitude of brothers and sisters because of her mothers failing health. A literary analysis of alice walkersthe color purple 834 words 4 pages. Book summary 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 courage found in night is different from the color purple. In the book night the presence of courage is found.
The color purple is an american novel of permanent importance. Essence banner winner of the pulitzer prize and the national book award bio bestselling novelist alice walker is also the author of three collections of short. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the color purple, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. 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. Her central character triumphs over adversity and forgives those who oppressed her. This central theme of the triumph of good over evil is no doubt the source of the book s great success. Analyzing night, courage is found in elie and in a community. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to stay true to walkers powerful message about overcoming adversity.
The novel the color purple is about an african american woman who overcomes the challenges in her life and finds happiness, as well as her own spiritual pathway. General fiction alice walkers masterpiece, a powerful. A feminist work about an abused and uneducated african american womans struggle for empowerment, the color purple was praised for the depth of its female characters and for its eloquent use of black english vernacular. It takes place in a rural georgia town in the 1930s, and the author uses the society at the time as the foundation for celies story to unfold. 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. The color purple is a novel by alice walker that was first published in 1982. The color purple is written in first person in epistolary.
In her first letters, she details how her father has been sexually abusing her. The color purple deals with a black womans struggle to free herself from a position of servitude in a maledominated society. Literary analysis essay the color purple in the novel the color purple, alice walker creates an ambiance of hardship, selfdiscovery, and love through the descriptive journal entries of a young girl growing into a woman. The color purple section 1 summary and analysis gradesaver. The contemporary history chapter aims to portray the living conditions in the southern states of the us in the beginning of the last century. A summary of the book, the color purple by alicve walker. Celie, the protagonist and narrator of the color purple, is a poor, uneducated, fourteenyearold black girl living in rural georgia. The color purple represents all the good things in the world that god creates for men and women to enjoy. Oct 19, 2008 the color purple was written by feminist, alice walker and it was published in 1982. Print word pdf take our free the color purple quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test.
A feminist work about an abused and uneducated african american. This film was made 3 years after the book, the color purple, was published. The color purple summary from litcharts the creators of. Her actions, at first, seem feeble in an attempt to understand her own circumstances, but as the.
The color purple by alice walker focuses extensively on this idea and the ramifications of rape. The color purple is an epistolary novel, made up of letters written by celie to god and by nettie to celie. 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. 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. Free summary for the color purple study guide analysis book summary free book notes online download by alice walker. However, its deeper thematic elements offer an alternative approach to spirituality. Later on, it won the pulitzer prize and is now accepted as a modern classic. By intense, it is a book touching very difficult and hard aspects of life of a poor, black oppressed. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. 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.
The color purple has remained a cultural touchstone for. In the book the color purple there are many examples of courage but in women. 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. Thirty years later, at the end of the novel, she has forged her own life despite a maledominated and racially. It explores the modern search for wholeness, connection of. Financial analysis of the color purple 1985 including budget, domestic and international box office gross, dvd and bluray sales reports, total earnings and profitability. A feminist work about an abused and uneducated african american womans struggle for empowerment, the color purple was praised for the depth of its female characters. Alice walker in 1982 the color purple was written by alice walker as a novel. The color purple study guide contains a biography of alice walker, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and an. It is about being a woman and a black, living in the frame of male civilization, racist and sexist, being subject to all possible forms of oppression. The color purple, novel by alice walker, published in 1982.
Celie is abused and raped by her pa, who takes away her children after theyre born. Full text of the color purple alicewalker see other formats. An analysis of alice walkers the color purple 47 language in india. Celie becomes pregnant twice, and each time her father gives away the children. She says that she thinks god gets angry when you walk past the colour purple in a field and dont notice it. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the sparknotes the color purple study guide has everything you need to ace. The color purple is one of the most successful and controversial books ever written by a black woman. Get free homework help on alice walkers the color purple. Orinoco womble tidy bag and all if you read the book, its a reference to something shug says to celie. Alice walkers pulitzer prizewinning the color purple weaves a mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for. The color purple, by alice walker, is a very intense book to read. 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. Full text of thecolorpurplealicewalker see other formats.
The color purple powerpoint abusive behaviour society. In the novel, the main protagonist celie is compelled to live with a man named mr. 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. It was filmed near anson and union counties in north carolina. Free summary for the color purple study guide analysis. In 1983, the year after its first publication, it won a pulitzer prize in the fiction category. On the surface, the dissension has centered on the image of black people in media. The color purple, the novel and the film, have both been the subject of intense opposition since the arrival of alice walkers book in 1982 and the release of steven spielbergs film in december 1985. Celie starts writing letters to god because her father, alphonso, beats and rapes her. Reading the color purple by jacqueline bobo the color purple, the novel and the film, have both been the subject of intense opposition since the arrival of alice walkers book in 1982 and the release of steven spielbergs film in december 1985. In 2003 the book was listed on the bbcs the big read poll of the uks best loved novels. The unnamed main character, who is later revealed to be.
The book describes the life of a young black woman in the early 1900s and her journey of self discovery. An analysis of alice walkers the color purple 49 the color purple a more recent occurrence of this blackonblack criticism came up in charges made by. Scholar abstract this paper deals with the theme of womens quest for self, new identity and. 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. Even though the color purple is a fictional work, the environment of those days is close to what walker depicts in her novel. The color purple was written by feminist, alice walker and it was published in 1982. The primary theme of the color purple, though, reflects walkers desire to project a positive outcome in life, even under the harshest conditions. The title refers to a moment when shug avery asks celie if she takes the time to notice what little things that god does to show us that it remember, god is neither he nor she in this book loves usa different way of reminding celie to stop and smell. The color purple has remained a cultural touchstone for black. Celie, a young girl who lives with her abusive father, her sick mother, and her younger sister nettie, begins writing letters to god. The color purple flliee walker r tl pulitzer prize winner ik f tl authors.
Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole. The color purple is most clearly about the transforming power of love. And in the color purple celie is the one full of courage, she has the courage to stand up to others and fight for what is hers. See a complete list of the characters in the color purple and indepth analyses of celie, shug avery, mr. This story is narrated by celie, a character unsure about who she truly is and who to trust to help her find her way. Eventually, pa marries celie off to a man who is just as abusive as pa. Literary elements of the color purple essay 1090 words. Walker is right, movies and books are two completely different mediums. Both works present a negative portrait, proclaim some. 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.
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. It was the first work by a black woman to win both the pulitzer and national book. The film, the color purple, is a costume drama directed by steven spielberg. As such, the work does function as a feminist novel. It explores the modern search for wholeness, connection of people in an age of fragmentation and exploitation. 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. Alice walker received the american book award and a pulitzer price for fiction. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the early twentieth century. The color purplea contrast of the book and movie by amy harris 2. In the novel the color purple, alice walker creates an ambiance of hardship, selfdiscovery, and love through the descriptive journal entries of a young girl growing into a woman. The color purple is one of those books that has such an intriguing title, you cant help but pick it up and figure out what its all about.
What are the major differences between the book and film versions of the color purple. Celie finds her voice and personal identity over the years. The color purple cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. The color purple study guide contains a biography of alice walker, literature essays, quiz. The color purple is truly an amazing book and one i wish i could give double the 5 stars to. 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. Magazine editor, the daughter of sharecropperspublished the color purple in 1982.
Alice walkers the color purple follows the personal and spiritual growth of an impregnated and abused african american girl in the south. Free summary for the color purple study guide analysis book. It was one of the first recognized books dealing with black women living in poor. Steven spielberg is mostly known for directing more serious films like indiana jones. That is why director steven spielberg decided to differ slightly from the highly acclaimed novel. Stay connected to your students with prezi video, now in microsoft teams. The color purple by alice walker plot summary litcharts. Get all the key plot points of alice walkers the color purple on one page. 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.
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. This study guide consists of approximately 88 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the color purple. 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. Celie, shug, and many of the other characters grow and change after being loved and learning to love in return.
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