The color purple by alice walker is a story about a colored woman named celie who writes letters to god while living through extreme oppression and abuse. 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. The color purple is an honest emotional story about love, trust, respect, separation, friendships, and the bond between sisters. It also won her considerable praise and much criticism for its controversial themes. The color purple flliee walker r tl pulitzer prize winner ik f tl authors.
Theme analysis for the color purple study guidethemes. Magazine editor, the daughter of sharecropperspublished the color purple in 1982. The color purple by alice walker 2330 words 10 pages. Symbolism was a major literary element that is developed throughout the color purple. The novel brought fame and financial success to its author. Child care lounge celebrate the color purple theme and. Love takes its most complex form in this novel, a love pentagon gets created where celie is married to mr. A summary of themes in alice walkers the color purple. The novel and the movie a comparison a story that describes life style of the early years of the xx century but most importantly that defines the love and survival of two sisters. Celie, momentarily jealous of harpos genuine love of sofia, then advises harpo to beat her.
Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic of american literature is rich with passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life. 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 picture of shug celie has in the beginning of the book symbolizes love, and what celie wants but cant actually seem to have in her life. The color purple is the story of two sistersone a missionary to africa and the other a child wife living in the southwho remain loyal to one another across time, distance, and silence. A few symbols i noticed in the novel were celies picture of shug, the color purple, and the quilts they made. Discussion of themes and motifs in alice walkers the color purple. 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. The first words written by celie, the novels protagonist, are dear god, and the novel ends with a letter, the salutation of which reads. This is an american novel of permanent importance, that rare sort of book which amounts to a diversion in the fields of dread. A model or image of god in the novel was a truly disturbing and yet a touching dedication to the female spirit and its search for equality, acceptance and independence. Free study guide for the color purple by alice walker free book summary previous page table of contents next page downloadable printable version themes theme analysis.
Throughout this book many different controversial themes are brought up. A sexism sexual relations between men and women in the color purple is a major theme. 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 obstacles that the sisters have to face are very life risking. Full text of thecolorpurplealicewalker see other formats. The first words written by celie, the novels protagonist, are dear god, and the novel ends with a letter, the salutation of which reads, dear god. The color purple, while easily satisfyingthat claim, brings into sharper focus many of the diverse themes that threaded their way through her past work. Purple grapes and eggplant, purple plums and grape juice, just for me, just for you.
The musical the color purple, with a book by marsha norman and music and lyrics by brenda russell, allee willis and stephen bray, was originally produced on broadway in. The color purple can be a harsh read at times, but its ultimately a book about the power of loveboth romantic and familial. The movie glosses over the intimate, powerful love. Shug shows her own love for god by loving the things she has been given. 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. How is the epistolary form used in the color purple by alice walker. The color purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by american author alice walker which won the. Orinoco womble tidy bag and all if you read the book, its a reference to something shug says to celie. Walker is a huge activist, and even participated in the 1960s civil rights movements in mississippi. The entire study is written to bring out the importance of the themes in a novel to make it. The color purple thesis statements and important quotes.
We assign a color and icon like this one to each theme, making it easy to track which themes apply to each quote below. She says that she thinks god gets angry when you walk past the colour purple in a field and dont notice it. The color purple, alice walkers third novel, was published in 1982. The color purple themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Alice walker sets her story of celies transformation from a passive female to an independent woman within the culture of southern black rural society from the 1920s to the 1940s. 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 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. For example, the tone of the movie seems to be much lighter than that of the book. Her mother is perpetually pregnant and frustrated with her numerous siblings. Red and blue red and blue, red and blue, mix them and find something new. Most of all, however, this book is a feminist novel about a powerful character finding out. Because of this large family, celie is often left alone and with her terrifyingly violent father. God and spirituality theme in the color purple litcharts. In the end, we are left with the wisdom that we are in world to love each other, and i absolutely loved this. General fiction alice walkers masterpiece, a powerful.
The color purple is not an easy book to read because it is not written in the style of most novels. The color purple study guide contains a biography of alice walker, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and an. In the novel the color purple, the main theme is that man we as humans often defeat our problems through the nurturing and growth of close relationships. Celies first experience with love comes from her relationship with her little sister nettie, whom she fiercely protects, even when it means sacrificing her own wellbeing. Themes of the color purple novel summaries analysis. Most readers will remember this novel for its depiction of domestic violence, which walker fully develops through celies mistreatment at the hands of her stepfather and. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the musical the color purple, expert dionne bates reflects on growing up with the powerful love story. The major theme of the novel the color purple and the movie the color purple is womanhood. The color purple themes, symbols, and motifs examples women music and singing the color purple the letters the women spend a lot of time navigating mens. Prescott 1982, the color purple is in the category of the great works of literature. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the color purple and what it means. The word epistolary refers to literary works that written in the form of letters or. The color purple quotes from litcharts the creators of. The color purple can be a harsh read at times, but its ultimately a book about the power of love both romantic and familial.
Litcharts makes it easy to find quotes by chapter, character, and theme. The color purple is foremost the story of celie, a poor, barely literate southern black woman who struggles to escape the brutality and degradation of her treatment by men. Symbolism in the color purple by alice walker 1486 words. God plays a big role in book because all of celies letters are addressed to god, but in the movie celie just has faith in god that she can survive. Film while the film of the color purple sticks closely to the narrative and dialogue of the novel, there are several varying characteristics between the two. About the color purple cliffsnotes study guides book. The color purple, novel by alice walker, published in 1982.
The color purple is truly an amazing book and one i wish i could give double the 5 stars to. The themes of racism, family violence and poverty are depicted in a new light in the film. The color purple themes from litcharts the creators of. The theme of love and its different types in the novel the color purple by alice walker aishwarya nair 217 the color purple, written by alice walker, is a powerful novel that deals with courage in the face of oppression. Celie eventually overcomes her oppressors by finding her purpose in life through friendship, love, hope, and change in faith. 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 same thing happens to harpo where he doesnt understand the meaning of love, celie helps him understand and realize the love in. He look up at me best he can out his fat little eyes. How has alice walker explored the themes of love and friendship in. The colour purple is a story of heroic lives, love, and the nature of god. Walker emphasizes throughout the novel that the ability to express ones.
Purple like a fresh ripe plum, purple like a poor sore thumb. Comparison of the film and novel the color purple by alice. We began reading the color purple as a class assignment. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. 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. Love redeems, meanness killsthat the color purples principal theme, the theme of most of the worlds great fiction. The color purple contains a lot of symbolism and themes that the author is trying to convey. The color purple 82 words 6 pages there are numerous works of literature that recount a story a story from which inspiration flourishes, providing a source of liberating motivation to its audience, or a story that simply aspires to touch the hearts and souls of all of those who read it. The color purple has complex characters and complex themes, but walker has dealt with them in a simple, honest manner. 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, watching for clues. Relationships among women form a refuge, providing reciprocal love in a world filled with male violence. All of the important quotes from the color purple listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics above and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned. 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 has remained a cultural touchstone for.
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