the color purple book review essay

The Color Purple

By alice walker.

'The Color Purple' is one of the most famous stories of struggling African-American women told by an African American woman herself. The novel brought the attention of the mainstream world to the struggles of economically disadvantaged black people from the perspectives of those affected directly.

Article written by Onyekachi Osuji

B.A. in Public Administration and certified in Creative Writing (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

The Color Purple is Alice Walker’s most famous novel and is rightly so because of the powerful story of individual and societal struggles it tells through the experiences of great characters.

• Powerful Story

In my opinion, the best thing about The Color Purple is its story . While the story will likely interest everyone who reads the book, it will especially appeal to black people and people of other races who sympathize with the racial struggles of black people . It begins with the story of a girl called Celie who is deprived of education, comfort, and the simple pleasures of childhood by a cruel and predatory father, Alphonso, who rapes her.

While we process the cruelty of her abusive father, as the novel progresses, we see that it was the society that left Celie vulnerable to the cruelty of the predator who is meant to be her father. We see later in the novel that Alphonso is indeed not Celie’s father but her stepfather. Celie’s biological father was lynched by white competitors in his neighborhood who could not contain their outrage that a black man was prospering more than them in business, and the shock of the incident made Celie’s mother lose her mind. This cruelty by the society left Celie’s family vulnerable to more cruelty from evil people like Alphonso.

Captivating Characters

Another feature that makes The Color Purple a great read are the characters . It is absolutely impossible not to feel something for the characters, the various characters evoke a spectrum of emotions from pity for Celie, love for Nettie, empathy for Sofia, admiration for Shug Avery, hatred for Alphonso, and a host of other emotions.

And the development of the characters is realistic in their consistency or their changes. For instance, the character Albert is a villain who rapes, beats, and emotionally abuses his wife but later transforms into a repentant man who tries to make amends for his wrongs. His character transformation is realistic as he undergoes moments upon moments of trauma and then introspection before his transformation as a character.

Interesting Style

The Color Purple is an epistolary novel . It is interesting how Alice Walker uses just letter writing to develop her characters and effectively depict events in a way that readers would experience it all as they read. Epistolary storytelling is a style that requires creative genius and Alice Walker leaves no doubt about her ingenuity in this novel.

The language of The Color Purple is, unfortunately, one of the things that detract from the quality of the novel, in my opinion. While it is good to make the characters sound as realistic as possible, the excessive use of vernacular sometimes made it difficult for me to decipher some conversations. Lots of words were spelled so ridiculously that they became confusing.

Then the novel contains explicit violent and sexual language that might not be appropriate for readers who are not adults.

The Setting is one great point that recommends the novel. Reading The Color Purple almost feels like traveling the world. Alice Walker takes readers from Georgia, USA, to England, to Senegal, Monrovia, and many other locations across the world and promptly details even the voyages.

Who is Alphonso in The Color Purple ?

Alphonso is the abusive father of the protagonist Celie and her sister Nettie. He repeatedly raped Celie as early as the age of twelve, got her pregnant twice, and snatched her babies from her after birth. He is one of the villains of the novel The Color Purple. Celie and Nettie later discover that Alphonso is not their real father but their stepfather, who married their mother after their father was lynched.

What happened to Celie’s sister?

Celie’s sister, Nettie, ran away from home to Celie when her stepfather tried to rape her. Then she also ran away from Celie’s home when Celie’s husband tried to rape too. Nettie was later taken in by a Reverend and his wife, whose names were Samuel and Corrine, and they all traveled together on mission work in Africa. After the death of Corrine, Reverend Samuel’s wife, Nettie, and Reverend Samuel get married.

Who is Celie’s real father?

Celie’s real father is a black merchant who prospered by venturing into a dry goods business and owning a blacksmith shop. However, he was killed by some white competitors who were envious of his prosperity in business.

What does Celie name her sewing business?

Celie names her sewing business “Folkspants Unlimited.” She began sewing pants as a way of distracting her mind from a murderous instinct to kill Albert after years of abuse. Later, she realized that the people around her loved her pants for being beautiful and comfortable too. Then she began to design and sew pants as a business.

The Color Purple Review: A Well-Told Powerful Story by Alice Walker

Book Title: The Color Purple

Book Description: A famous novel by African-American renowned writer Alice Walker about the struggles of an abused black girl.

Book Author: Alice Walker

Book Edition: First Edition

Book Format: Hardcover

Publisher - Organization: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

Date published: March 1, 1982

ISBN: 978-0-15-139541-7

Number Of Pages: 256

• Lasting Effect on a Reader

The Color Purple Review

The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a delightful read despite having a heartbreaking plot. Alice Walker depicted the struggles of people, especially women, who are placed at a disadvantage in life by society and by their circumstances. We see Celie who faces rape, domestic violence, and abuse from her father and later from her husband; Nettie who faces another dimension of subjugation of the female gender as works as a missionary in Africa; Sophia who suffered cruelty and injustice at the hands of the mayor and his family; and many other characters whose lives teach, chastise and inspire. The low points of the novel are the language which depicts things by the characters in confusing vernacular, and some issues with chronology–the passage of time is quite unclear for instance, beyond the first page there is hardly any definite indication that the character Celie is a teenager or a middle-aged woman as she narrates events in the novel.

• Great Characters
• Delightful Settings
• Inspiring Themes
• Violence and Abuse
• Explicit Content
• Vernacular language that may be difficult to understand
• Unclear Chronology

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About Onyekachi Osuji

Onyekachi was already an adult when she discovered the rich artistry in the storytelling craft of her people—the native Igbo tribe of Africa. This connection to her roots has inspired her to become a Literature enthusiast with an interest in the stories of Igbo origin and books from writers of diverse backgrounds. She writes stories of her own and works on Literary Analysis in various genres.

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Book Review: the Color Purple

This review will analyze “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, discussing its narrative style, themes of racism, sexism, and resilience, and its impact on literature and social awareness. At PapersOwl too, you can discover numerous free essay illustrations related to Book.

How it works

The Color Purple, a novel published by Alice Walker, is a feminist-based book about an abused and uneducated African American woman and her struggle for empowerment. The novel creates a strong in-depth look into the female characters and is strengthened in its use of black English vernacular. The book is told through many letters to God, written by the main protagonist, Cecile. Cecile is a fourteen-year-old who is often succumbed to abuse from her Father, Alphonso. Cecile has a twelve-year-old sister, Nettie, who is also a victim of her Father’s abuse.

The abuse the children experience from Alphonso is often violent, including the fact that Alphonso often rapes Cecile.

This abuse results in Cecile giving birth to two children; Adam and Olivia. Following the birth of the two children, Alphonso immediately takes the newborns away to unknown disclosed location that Cecile does not know. Following this aftermath, Cecile’s young sister, Nettie, hears from a man only known under the alias as “Mr. __”. Intends to marry Nettie because he needs someone to look after his children. However, Alphonso hears of this plan and convinces Mr. __ to marry Cecile instead. Mr. __ and Cecile end up getting married and the situation for Cecile does not improve. Both Mr. __ and his own children treat her horrendously. Mr. __, like Alphonso, beats and rapes Cecily on a daily basis. During this time, Nettie runs away from home and flees to where Cecile lives. Mr. __, who originally wanted to be with Nettie, begins to make sexual advancements towards her, which makes Nettie promptly leave. After this very brief visit between the sisters, Cecile does not hear from Nettie and presumes that she is dead. Time continues to pass and Mr. __’s son, Harpo, marries a woman named Sofia, even though Mr. __ insists that his son does not marry her. Harpo and Sofia end up together and having six kids. Throughout this time, Cecile continues to be abused by Mr. __ and seems to become somewhat numb to it. However, Cecile notices and is surprised at the fact that Sofia is resistant to Harpo’s abuse and advices Harpo to physically beat Sofia, so she’ll submit to him. However, Sofia continues to resist Harpo’s beatings and ends up discovering that Cecile advised Harpo to beat her. Sofia angrily confronts Cecile about what she has done, but Cecile explains that she did it out of jealousy.

After this brief explanation, the two women spark a friendship. Sofia explains to Cecile that she does not have to endure the abuse she experiences from Mr. __ ad even suggests that Cecile should fight back. Shortly afterwards, Sofia leaves Harpo and takes their kids due to the constant abuse. Following this, Cecile discovers that Mr. __ has been having an affair behind her back with a Jazz musician named Shug Avery. She discovers that they had three children together and when Shug becomes ill, Mr. __ allows her to stay at the house. Cecile shows no hesitancy to this, and even begins to take up an interest in her. At first, Shug is openly rude towards Cecile. However, over time and the fact that Cecile has helped take care of Shug, they become close friends and would eventually develop a sexual relationship. During this time, Shug discovers the abuse that Cecile endures by Mr. ___ and does her best to protect her. Eventually, Shug tells Cecile that her sister Nettie, has been sending letters to her but Mr. __ has been hiding them. Shug ends up showing Cecile the letters and discovers that her sister is not only alive, but that she is living with a missionary couple: Corrine, the Woman Nettie had met at the store, and Samuel who is a reverend. The couple had adopted Cecile’s kids, Adam and Olivia without knowing who their biological mother was. Nettie has suspicions that the children are Cecile’s.

Cecile returns to Alphonso and questions him about the truth and discovers that her sister’s suspicions are correct. Cecile also learns that Alphonso is not her real father. Rather, Alphonso is her step-father. After Cecile’s real father passed away, her Mother had a severe mental breakdown, which allowed Alphonso to take advantage of the situation. Following this, Nettie confronts Corrine and Samuel about the fact that their adopted children were her sisters. Afterwards, Cecile embraces the truth and find the courage to finally leave Mr. ___. Following this, Cecile and Shug move to Memphis where Cecile starts a business as a tailor. During this time, Shug has affairs with other people, which bothers Cecile, but ends up not leaving her. Shortly afterwards, Cecile learns that Alphonso has passed away and moves back to Georgia to inherit her Mother’s house. During this time, Nettie and Samuel get Marries since Corrinne has passed away. While Cecile is getting settled into life back into Georgia, Cecile learns that Shug has fallen in love with a member of her band Germaine. This news hits Cecile very hard as she is still in love with Shug. Time passes and during her time in Georgia, Cecile reunites with Mr. __, who has drastically changed since she last saw him. She ends up calling him by his first name, Albert. Albert explains that he has been living with regret by the way he has treated Cecile.

Albert apologizes for all of the abuse she endured and proposes that he wants to marry Cecile. Although Cecile refuses to marry Albert, they do end up developing a friendship. Following this, Cecile and Shug reconnect after Shug and Germaine have been traveling for quite some time. It is after this that Cecile does not need Shug to experience happiness and comes to terms with Shug’s affairs with other people. Meanwhile, Sofia and Harpo have recanted their relationship and Sofia begins to work at Cecile’s seamstress shop. Following this, Nettie and Samuel return home and Cecile and Nettie reunite. It had been over thirty years since they had seen each other. Cecile finally meets her children. The novel concludes with Cecile and Nettie thinking that even though that they are old, they have never felt younger.

This book certainly personally hit me very hard. It certainly gave insight into the fact that all people, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, etc. endure all sorts of travesties in life. It certainly makes me think in terms of my Social Work profession, how I would handle this situation. As Social Workers, we are advocators for social justice. The main protagonist, Cecile has endured countless acts of abuse and pain that have expanded throughout most of her life. In terms of Social Work, it would be our job to be advocators for people like Cecile. In our profession, we must realize and stand up for those who do not have the power to do it themselves. In the end, Cecile did have the power to stand up for herself and leave her abusive relationship with Albert. However, many woman do not have the power and it is our job as social workers to give power back to vicitms.

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Rhetoric in Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple” Essay (Book Review)

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Walker’s Appeals

Rhetorical approach.

Alice Walker convincingly uses her step-grandmother’s and her own experiences of living in the African-American community to show her readers the ills of the society, which is still rife with violence, racism, and gender discrimination. The Color Purple is concerned with the issue of self-expression of African-American women and how it is influenced by suffocating social norms imposed on them and discrimination that was endemic in the rural South (Udoette, 2014). Walker effectively employs the rhetorical appeals of pathos and ethos, making her attempt to convince her audience that the patriarchal system of oppression has to be dismantled extremely successfully.

This paper aims to present a rhetorical analysis of The Color Purple . It will include the author’s use of rhetorical tools such as ethos, logos, and pathos. Moreover, the paper will explore the organization of the novel, its style, arrangement, and Walker’s purpose for writing it.

The Color Purple is an epistolary novel written by a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner, Alice Walker, in 1982 (Stanisoara, 2016). The book beautifully depicts the realities of life of African-American women living in the southern United States in an era of internalized racism. The author is driven by the desire to combine “the struggle for Black citizens’ civil rights and the struggle for women’s rights in African-American community and family” (Udoette, 2014, p. 74). Being an important member of the Civil Rights Movement, Walker tries to draw attention to second class citizenship in the United States by bringing the Civil Rights perspective into her book. The writer is especially concerned with African-American women’s self-expression and how it is affected by violence, racism, and gender discrimination in the rural South (Udoette, 2014).

Walker is a black female writer who is interested in battling the cultural stereotypes of black women. By giving a voice to female consciousness in The Color Purple , the writer tries to make women more visible, thereby promoting a dialogue that can serve as an avenue for resolving some of the most important gender issues. According to Udoette (2014), Walker’s desire to improve the female experience initiated a writing approach that “seeks to foster unity, peace, and progress in the black community in America” (p. 76). The writer rejects the demands of a society marked by indifference to problems of black women.

The book delivers its messages through letters written by two characters—Celie and Nettie. The characters are two young African-American sisters. It can be argued that Walker’s purpose for writing her novel is to bring a personal perspective to sexual oppression. She does so with the help of the book’s narrator—Celie, whose ignorance in the world’s affairs underscores her tendency to think in personal rather than political categories (Shilpa & Banerji, 2012). Taking into consideration the fact that The Color Purple comes on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, it can be argued that she holds an assumption that her audience is familiar with the social and political milieu of the era. Moreover, Walker’s potential readers have to be mature enough to understand the pain and hardships experienced by the main character of the novel.

By exploring the theme of personal liberation from a post-slavery framework of thought in American society, Walker appeals to the values that are shared by her audience. These values are encapsulated in the desire to transform the current society into one that would be characterized by equal opportunities for all its members regardless of their gender and race. Particularly, she aims to create a consciousness-raising movement to reclaim the suppressed rights of black women.

It can be argued that the purpose of Walker’s appeals to her audience is to instill a sense of pride and confidence in them. The writer skillfully uses rhetorical appeals of pathos and logos in her novel, thereby creating an effective argument for the liberation movement. The novel is fiction; therefore, Walker cannot use ethos to convince her readers of her credibility. However, the writer relies on her personal experience to serve as logical evidence supporting her argument (Clarke, n.d.). Considering that Walker was born in 1994 and grew up in a similar time and circumstances that her characters did, it can be said that she is perfectly eligible to share experiences of black women with her readers (Clarke, n.d.). On this basis, her assertion that “a girl is nothing to herself” (Talif & Sedehi, 2014, p. 427) sounds even more convincing.

Moreover, the main character of The Color Purple is based on the writer’s step-grandmother. Thus her mannerisms and modes of thinking are convincing and authentic. Interestingly enough, this authenticity was not recognized by an editor of a Black women’s magazine who argued that “Black people don’t talk like that” (Clarke, n.d.). Nonetheless, the realistic nature of African-American women in the novel helped its reader better relate to the black community’s struggles in the early 1900s.

In The Color Purple, Walker sets the stage by presenting her readers with Celie’s letter to God. The writer skillfully employs pathos to make her audience feel the angst of the novel’s protagonist that was caused by a traumatic experience of rape. The character cannot come to terms with repetitive abuse from her step-father, Albert. Therefore, she confides in God her secret, which cannot be revealed to anyone because of her abuser, who once said to her, “you better not never tell anybody but God. It’d kill your mammy” (Walker, 2003, p. 3). The Walker manages to appall her readers by closely familiarizing them with two-pronged violence that causes physical and emotional damage. Albert constantly inflicts emotional suffering on Celie by not treating her as a human being and showing complete disregard for her feelings.

He tries to emotionally separate the girl from her right to pain and indignation by telling her to “get used to it” (Walker, 2003, p. 3). Unfortunately, Celie, who is only a fourteen-year-old girl, “don’t never git used to it” (Walker, 2003, p. 3). Adding to Walker’s ethos appeals, she makes the girl’s abuser a person she considers to be her father, which shows that she is not afraid to use heavy ammo of persuasion in an attempt to convince her readers. The ending of the novel reveals a worthy example of a skillful application of pathos. Nettie’s return reunites Celie’s family, allowing her to write to God that even though she is fairly old, “I think this the youngest us ever felt” (Walker, 2003, p. 295). It allows the reader to make a vicarious journey through the character’s life to better understand her journey’s pain and importance. Sofia’s struggles caused by her volatile relationships with her husband and patriarchal society, in general, provide another layer to Walker’s appeal to emotions.

Walker uses letter writing as a method of conveying her characters’ desire to escape their oppressive environments. There are three types of letters in the epistolary novel: Celie’s letters to her sister and God, and Nettie’s letters to Celie (Talif & Sedehi, 2014). Even though appeals to logos are scarce in the novel, the work’s organization might help the readers follow through its plot.

In terms of invention, Walker uses the best means of persuasion in her arsenal. The writer goes through a long-lasting germination process before crafting witty sentences. A case in point is the simple and elegant string of words describing Celie’s fear of man, in which she states, “I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them” (Walker, 2003, p. 8). Walker painstakingly finds new ways to persuade her audience and familiarize it with the horrible experience of marginalization. Therefore, it can be said that her rhetorical approach to writing conforms with the invention as a traditional canon of rhetoric.

Walker adheres to the canon of style in her writing. She employs a confessional and unrestrained tone to voice her character’s concerns and desires. Such use of style turns writing into a collection of unedited thoughts of young African-American girls who seek to escape oppression in its numerous forms. The writer follows five virtues of style; however, she adds her spin to correctness.

Instead of writing according to the English language rules, Walker opts for Ebonics to provide her readers with more authentic experience. It can be argued that by introducing grammatical mistakes into her writing, she strives for establishing credibility or ethos. Walker utilizes her narrative to dispel presumed biases against the African-American community. By placing her characters in choking situations, she evokes a strong emotional response that develops and evolves as the novel progresses.

In terms of delivery, Walkers opts for historical fiction. Being written in epistolary form, the novel results from frank conversations of women isolated by the society and norms imposed on them. Even though the writer delivers her message in the forms of letters, which, arguably, helps her show limitations of African-American women’s lives, it is non-rigid. In words of Robbins, “the subject is always in process; she is not fixed, but always developing because she is always on trial, being tested against the various contexts in which she has her being” (as cited in Talif & Sedehi, 2014, p. 430).

Alice Walker relies on her step-grandmother’s and her own experiences of living in the African-American community to convince her readers of society’s ills, which is still rife with violence, racism, and gender discrimination. The writer skillfully employs the rhetorical appeals of pathos and ethos, making her attempt to convince her audience that the patriarchal system of oppression has to be dismantled extremely successfully. The use of Ebonics is especially effective in making Walker’s audience to think in personal rather than political categories.

Clarke, P. M. (n.d.). The Color Purple by Alice Walker: Rationale . Web.

Shilpa, S., & Banerji, N. (2012). The shadowed identity: A study of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Academic Research International, 2 (2), 724-729.

Stanisoara, C. M. (2016). Alice Walker’s colors of identity. Journal of Literature and Art Studies, 6 (9), 989-995.

Talif, R., & Sedehi, K. T. (2014). Characters in process in The Color Purple. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 118 (1), 425-432.

Udoette, M. S. (2014). Female consciousness in Alice Walker’s the Color Purple. International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature, 2 (1), 74-80.

Walker, A. (2003). The Color Purple. New York, NY: Mariner Books.

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The Color Purple, Book Review Example

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It is difficult to uncover an interpretation of Alice Walker’s title, The Color Purple , that has not been extensively discussed.  Most people take it to refer to the beauty in things people fail to see, but which is known to God.  This suggests that even the homely Celie has beauty in God’s eyes, as does everything that is ignored by mankind’s blind standards.   I accept this, of only because Walker blatantly refers to this meaning.  I also feel, however, that there are deeper intentions within the title.  What I think upon reflection, in fact, is that Walker is also referring to rage, and to the empowerment abuse may often create.  Purple is the color of bruises, and the consistent physical abuse Celie takes points to severe battering of this kind.  In a sense, then, the title translates a duality to me; purple is ugly as a mark of hatred and violence, yet there is still beauty in purple itself because God knows what transformations it may lead to.

As gifted as Walker is, I do not find the ending satisfying. It seems to me to be too determined to give Celie a spirituality larger than life.  It is acceptable that she changes dramatically and evolves as a woman, as it is also acceptable that she can forgive Mr.  His reclamation, however, does not succeed for me, simply because Walker has too well established him as a sociopathic monster.  This is a man who for long years relentlessly raped and abused Celie and others, and committed acts of cruelty beyond the physical.  In my eyes, as Walker presents a landscape of all human possibilities, so too should she honestly maintain that there is evil in the world no human can  understand.   More pragmatically, if a man like Mr. truly awakened to a sense of his evil, the contrast would be so extreme that only his suicide should follow.  Walker has him reflective about his past, if also disgusted by it: “I wanted to kill you, said Mr., and I did slap you around a couple of times” (271).   This, however, minimizes the true brutality of his actions, and the peaceful ending of his new connection to Celie seems forced.

Tashi’s choice to go ahead with the circumcision appears strange, but I believe it completely relates to the broader understanding of how women are treated everywhere, and also to how they react.  In a sense, this is nothing but a form of submission Celie herself has long presented.  In her case, the abuse of Alphonso and Mr. reflect her powerlessness, and her accepting of how men choose to use her.  Tashi is essentially doing the same thing, if in a more ritualized form.  There is the additional, and more disturbing, aspect of Tashi’s greater idea of herself, which should create resistance.  As she submits, however, this then only amplifies the many ways and the degree to which women are passive objects of masculine thinking and actions.  Ironically, Tashi’s submission does not so much evoke Celie to me as it does Sofia, because this adds even greater weight to the blind anger of that woman in lashing out.

As with both the title and the circumcision, Nettie’s stories about the Olinka offer a variety of interpretations, even as they drive the narrative forward.  In my eyes, and on a basic level removed from cultural considerations, this is a visceral connection between two sisters.  They have been robbed of their natural right to share their lives, so Nettie is giving to Celie in these accounts everything she lives and experiences.  It is a form of expression, then, as primal as Celie’s letters to God.  It is one sister reaching out, and what is most important is that she does so unanswered; the need to connect and share is that strong.  Then, it may be argued that there is a cynical point to the Olinka.  This is not a perfect culture of gender equality, even if consideration is fundamental to it: “There is always someone to look after the Olinka women.  A father. An uncle. A brother or nephew” (Walker  161).  As Tashi’s submission demonstrates from across the ocean, it may be that women are never truly permitted to enjoy real freedom, which entails as many risks as it does privileges.  Walker then does not point to an idyllic place where a Celie could be happy because no such place exists.  This in itself, however, gives added meaning to Celie’s own transformation of character, which importantly explodes upon learning of Nettie’s communications hidden from her.  The letters were directed to her as an individual self, even if their content describes yet another place where that self of the woman is controlled to some extent.  Consequently, Celie’s emergence into her own being takes on greater meaning because, in this world, it is all any woman or man can hope to achieve.  No one can change the culture, but everyone may finally assert an identity and a strength within it.

Works Cited

Walker, Alice.  The Color Purple .  Orlando: Harcourt Books, Inc., 1992.  Print.

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Untangling the Legacy of The Color Purple

A new book sorts through the controversies surrounding alice walker’s seminal novel..

During my sophomore year of college, my mom drove up to New York to take me to see The Color Purple on Broadway. We were not then and are not now a Broadway family: It remains the only musical I have ever seen in person. Still more, we bought merch! It all felt wildly out of character, but this was The Color Purple , the favorite movie of every Black woman in my family—how could we not at least take home a branded refrigerator magnet? At one point in the show, the characters Shug and Celie, whose relationship broke ground in terms of Black lesbian representation in literature (and later on screen), were being affectionate with one another. A woman in the row ahead of us started sucking her teeth in disgust and otherwise making her sentiments loudly known. It was deeply uncomfortable, and it seemed like she was going to go on forever until, suddenly, my mother piped up and said, for everyone to hear, “This is what happens when people don’t read the book.” 

The film version of The Color Purple (1985) largely excised the lesbian relationship at the center of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer prize–winning novel. Steven Spielberg, who directed the film (with Quincy Jones producing), explained the choice to have the two women kiss just once, and briefly. Had there been more, he said, “there would have just been too much on that one taboo.” Too much of what, and from whom? During production, the film was the subject of coordinated attacks, largely from Black male critics and certain community leaders who thought the novel—which explored unsparingly the subjects of incest, childhood rape, and domestic violence within the context of a single family in the rural South of the 1920s—furthered an image of Black men as violent and sexually aggressive. While the movie was still in production, an organization called the Coalition Against Black Male Exploitation sent out a bulletin claiming the relationship between Shug and Celie was an attack on Black male sexuality: “One must suspect this affectionate feminine display will be contrasted with an unfulfilling exchange between a black man and a black woman.”

In her new book, In Search of The Color Purple , the feminist scholar and writer Salamishah Tillet, writes that while “Jones and Spielberg insisted that these threats bore no impact on the movie itself,” there is little doubt that it sank the movie’s Oscar chances. The film, nominated for 11 Academy Awards, went home empty-handed, losing the top prize to Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa (1985), a film based on the Isak Dinesen novel that, Tillet says, “basked in colonial fantasies of African primitivism and black inferiority.” Tillet, who is a professor of African-American studies and creative writing at Rutgers University and a contributing critic at The New York Times, offers up a history of The Color Purple, from novel to film to Broadway musical, with an emphasis on how sexism within the Black community—and the white establishment’s preference to frame racial injustice in terms of concerns facing Black men—stood between The Color Purple and recognition as “an American masterpiece.”

The Color Purple (1982) is an epistolary novel set in the interwar period of the early twentieth century. It begins with a 14-year-old girl named Celie writing to God about the sexual abuse she is suffering at the hands of the man she believes to be her father. He impregnates her twice, and takes the children away each time (for a while, she thinks he has killed them). Eventually, she is married off to a man she calls Mr.______, who abuses her emotionally, sexually, and physically. The only person in the world she feels loved by, her sister Nettie, runs off for fear of being raped by their father now that Celie is out of the home. For Tillet, Walker’s novel strikes a personal chord. A rape survivor herself, in 1997, she and her sister Scheherazade created “A Long Walk Home: Story of a Rape Survivor,” a multimedia project that documented Tillet’s process of healing. Tillet, who read The Color Purple the year before starting college, credits the novel with helping her come forward: “I broke my silence because of The Color Purple , ” she writes.

In the chapter on the Broadway adaptation, Tillet interviews Oprah Winfrey (who was a co-producer on the musical, along with Harvey Weinstein and others), who played Sofia, Celie’s brash and outspoken daughter-in-law who meets a tragic fate, in the film. Winfrey, too, is a survivor: As a child, she was repeatedly raped by family members and older men, at one point falling pregnant with her uncle’s child. Winfrey tells Tillet how much The Color Purple meant for her, how it helped her feel less alone: “I opened the page and saw Dear God, fourteen years old, what’s happening to me? Being a girl who was fourteen years old who had a baby, I was like, ‘There’s another human being with my story.’”

It was that very willingness to call out sexual violence within the Black community that made The Color Purple, the book, but particularly the film, the target of vitriol. When Gloria Steinem’s Ms. magazine put Walker on the cover in advance of the novel’s publication, the Black writer and satirist Ishmael Reed claimed Walker was Steinem’s “pawn.” In an interview for an Australian newspaper, from which Tillet quotes, Reed says, “There’s the kamikaze feminist and the Gloria Steinem Axis, and the Black Feminist Auxiliary. I think Alice Walker is part of this group, which characterizes Black men as rapists.” Steinem told Tillet, “The idea that anyone could ever control Alice. It’s so ridiculous, it’s like controlling the ocean!” The Hollywood–Beverly Hills chapter of the NAACP picketed the film, holding signs that read, “Are White Producers Trying to Destroy Black Men?” In 1986, the journalist Tony Brown devoted an entire episode of his show, a popular independent Black news program called Tony Brown’s Journal, to the controversy and dubbed it “Purple Rage.” He later went on The Phil Donahue Show, where he called the film “the most racist depiction of black men since The Birth of a Nation. ” The director Spike Lee, then promoting his film She’s Gotta Have It, told interviewers, “The difference between this film and The Color Purple is that even though there are some dog Black men in this film, you can tell there is a difference. The film was not done with hate.”  

For Tillet, the uproar surrounding The Color Purple is just one instance of a perennial problem for Black women doing creative and political work at the intersection of gender and racial politics. “The controversy also took such a firm hold,” she says, “because it drew upon a stereotype that at the time was well-known among African Americans but far less familiar to white people: the black woman as race traitor.” Tillet sees echoes of this in critiques of the #MeToo movement, particularly in responses to allegations involving high-profile Black men like the rapper R. Kelly and the hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons.

Reading Tillet, I was reminded of an essay by Jemele Hill, “R. Kelly and the Cost of Black Protectionism.” Written in response to Surviving R. Kelly, the Lifetime documentary that featured firsthand testimony from his accusers and enablers, Hill highlighted the way high-profile Black men (and their lawyers) have compared the women accusing them of sexual assault to lynch mobs. Following the premiere of the documentary and the subsequent proliferation of the hashtag #MuteRKelly, Kelly’s legal team released a statement promising, “Since America was born, black men and women have been lynched for having sex or for being accused of it. We will vigorously resist this attempted public lynching of a black man who has made extraordinary contributions to our culture.” Similar language was invoked by Clarence Thomas in his statement to Congress during the Anita Hill hearing, which he called a “high-tech lynching,” and by Bill Cosby’s wife when the rape allegations against Cosby first came to light. For Hill, the use of the word lynching is meant to signal to Black women and girls that racial oppression must remain their primary concern, and as a result many refuse to come forward with their allegations against Black men, “because they don’t want to become another vehicle that contributes to their destruction.”  

Likewise, Tillet powerfully puts forward the  Color Purple controversy as an example of how Black women have been asked to silence their own pain to supposedly serve the greater cause of racial uplift. Threaded throughout these attacks on The Color Purple is the idea that the danger of reinforcing stereotypes about Black male sexuality is too great to allow room for Black women to have justice.  

Sadly though, I found Tillet ultimately guilty of a similar kind of thinking when it came time to address Walker’s well-documented antisemitism. In 2018, in a piece for The New York Times, Walker recommended And the Truth Shall Set You Free by the antisemitic conspiracy theorist David Icke. Walker called the book, in which Icke gives credence to Holocaust deniers and promulgates conspiracies about Jewish global domination, “a curious person’s dream come true.” Shortly afterward, an earlier poem written by Walker surfaced in which she repeats a willfully misinterpreted section of the Talmud that antisemites like to claim sanctions marriage with 3-year-old girls (it does not). The revelation of Walker’s antisemitism comes up just once in Tillet’s book, when she remarks on Walker’s resilience in the face of attacks:  

Each embroilment, starting with the early criticism that she had colluded with Gloria Steinem and Steven Spielberg in violently stereotyping black men in The Color Purple, to the abuse she endured for her indictment of female genital mutilation in Africa in Possessing the Secret of Joy  … to the more recent accusations of anti-semitism as a result of her naming British conspiracy theorist David Icke’s And the Truth Shall Set You Free as an entry for “By the Book,” a weekly feature in The New York Times Book Review, all stereotyped her as a black woman filled with hate and consumed by anger.

I gasped when I read this. Rhetorically, Tillet’s words here have the effect of situating those offended by Walker’s antisemitism alongside the misogynist male critics who lampooned the film, and implies that those who call out Walker’s behavior are contributing to stereotypes about Black women. This is so disappointing from Tillet, who has just spent an entire book forcefully explaining how the fear of reinforcing racial stereotypes resulted in the silencing of an entire community. Tillet goes on to describe a December 2018 article by Nylah Burton , a Black Jewish writer who wrote about the controversy surrounding Walker and Icke, drawing largely conciliatory quotes from Burton’s otherwise quite critical piece, in which Burton laments that an author like Walker “could put the burden of her trauma onto us—black Jewish women.” The result is an unfortunate conclusion to an otherwise powerfully persuasive and emotionally raw book about the indignities Black women have faced just trying to tell their stories, on the page and in life.  

What comes through most in Tillet’s book is that the reception of The Color Purple in its various iterations overshadowed the work itself, as so many of the prominent critical voices in Black American letters have been forced to turn their attention to picket signs, boycotts, Oscar campaigns, and talk shows, rather than the novel itself. The fear of how it could be used to stereotype Black men has resulted in it being analyzed as a proxy war first, a work of art second. Unlike Tillet, however, I am not convinced that the alternative would produce a chorus of people claiming The Color Purple a “masterpiece.” For my part, I find it aesthetically awkward, and many of the relationships, particularly the friendships between women, still feel to me like they were shoehorned into second-wave feminist narratives about solidarity. That such a conversation—about the art itself—feels marginal to The Color Purple and its place within literary history is just another frustrating example of how little room the world gives Black women not just to succeed but also to fail—artistically and morally.

Jennifer Wilson is a frequent contributor to The New Republic .

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The color purple.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 3 Reviews
• Kids Say 8 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Kenneth Butler , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Edgy tale of poor, abused woman's journey to independence.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Alice Walker's The Color Purple is a moving, inspirational novel told in letters that include an abundance of mature content: explicit sex, rape, incest, sexism, violence toward women, and more. Main character Celie shows courage and overcomes these obstacles through perseverance and…

Why Age 15+?

Sexual and degrading slang is ubiquitous: "p---y," "t--ties," "his thing," and t

Two women characters have a loving romantic relationship. Shug teaches Celie abo

Violence is omnipresent, starting with Celie's rape by her father on the first p

Many characters smoke cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. They also drink and abuse a

Any Positive Content?

The positive messages in the text are as timely today as they were when the stor

The Color Purple centers Black women and their different points of view. Main ch

Presents obstacles faced by as well as the joy and resilience of African America

Celie, the novel's main character, has always had a miserable existence -- life

Sexual and degrading slang is ubiquitous: "p---y," "t--ties," "his thing," and the "N" word appear regularly.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Two women characters have a loving romantic relationship. Shug teaches Celie about orgasms and helps her examine her own sexual organs for the first time.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Violence is omnipresent, starting with Celie's rape by her father on the first page, followed by descriptions of Celie's father's presumed murder of their child, Celie's sexual abuse and beating by her husband, the beating of Celie's stepson's wife by a White mob led by police, a lynching, and references to facial scarring and female circumcision rituals in Africa. None of the violence is described graphically or in great detail; instead, the book focuses on the effects of violence and explores how characters grapple with trauma.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Many characters smoke cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. They also drink and abuse alcohol, with negative effects shown. One character briefly (and legally) grows marijuana, which wasn't outlawed in the United States until 1937. A middle-aged woman tries a joint with her middle-aged stepson and his wife, but none of them enjoy it. Reference to harder drugs, but none of the main characters use them.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

The positive messages in the text are as timely today as they were when the story takes place: the need to respect people's rights to basic human dignity, freedom, independence, and individuality. The book also emphasizes the importance of finding your own voice and making your own way.

Diverse Representations

The Color Purple centers Black women and their different points of view. Main character Celie is poor and uneducated, and the book is written the way she would have talked. This is contrasted with letters from her more educated sister, Nettie. Nettie's letters from Africa describe the fictional Olinka tribe through her eyes as an African American female missionary. Characters discuss their identities and situations in nuanced ways, showing multiple points of view and developing greater self-awareness as they mature together in a changing world. Black men tend to be villains in this world, but they evolve. Celie's husband and stepson even apologize for their earlier violence by the end of the novel. Celie is a lesbian, and other characters are accepting of this. Her relationship with older woman Shug, who's bisexual, is honest and tender. The author, Alice Walker, was the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It should be noted that Walker's reputation has been complicated by accusations of antisemitism, but this isn't reflected in The Color Purple.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Educational Value

Presents obstacles faced by as well as the joy and resilience of African American women in the South before the civil rights movement. In its second half, the book takes place in Africa and explores European imperialism during the same timespan from the perspective of American missionaries serving an African tribe. The effects of ignorance, poverty, racism, and sexism are alive on every page.

Positive Role Models

Celie, the novel's main character, has always had a miserable existence -- life has thrown her every bad turn imaginable. Still, she's determined to survive, and she evolves into a confident, contented, independent woman. Nettie, Celie's younger sister, moves to Africa to work as a missionary. She demonstrates faith and perseverance by writing letters to Celie for decades, never knowing whether or not Celie received them. She also shows compassion for the Olinka tribe, providing an alternate viewpoint on global imperialism. Shug Avery is a blues singer, loved romantically first by Celie's husband, then by Celie herself. She helps Celie develop courage and find her own voice.

Parents need to know that Alice Walker 's The Color Purple is a moving, inspirational novel told in letters that include an abundance of mature content: explicit sex, rape, incest, sexism, violence toward women, and more. Main character Celie shows courage and overcomes these obstacles through perseverance and friendship with other women, including a sensitively rendered romantic relationship with a compassionate older woman. It won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Walker was the first Black female author to win the latter. The novel vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor African Americans -- especially women -- in the pre-civil-rights South and has been criticized for its negative depiction of African American men. It frequently appears on lists of banned/challenged books due to its sex, violence, and strong language, including the "N" word. There's a minor character who grows and uses marijuana. The novel was adapted for Steven Spielberg's successful 1985 film version and a 2005 Broadway musical. The 2005 musical was then adapted into a 2023 film . Walker's reputation has been complicated by accusations of antisemitism, but this isn't reflected in The Color Purple.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

• Parents say (3)
• Kids say (8)

Based on 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE COLOR PURPLE begins in rural Georgia in the 1930s, following 14-year-old Celie, an uneducated African American girl who's sexually abused and impregnated twice by her father. In desperation, she starts writing letters to God. Her father eventually marries her off to a man whom Celie refers to only as "Mr.," who really wanted to marry Celie's prettier sister, Nettie. After Nettie escapes her father's house and runs to Celie's, Mr. tries to force himself on her, and Nettie runs away and is presumed dead. Mr.'s mistress, Shug Avery, a beautiful blues singer, comes to stay at their house, and Celie finds herself attracted to her. Soon Celie and Shug discover a bunch of Nettie's letters -- which Mr. has kept hidden for years -- describing her life among missionaries in Africa. The story is told in alternating letters from Celie and Nettie, showing each sister's evolution and charting Celie's journey of self-discovery toward happiness and independence.

Is It Any Good?

Alice Walker offers a vivid, wrenching portrayal of the harsh circumstances and limited opportunities for poor, uneducated African American women in the early 1900s. The Color Purple also chronicles a woman's inspiring journey from abuse to independence and self-actualization. The novel was a bestseller when it came out in 1982, has continued to sell well ever since, and is sometimes assigned in high school, although it has been the consistent target of censors due to its mature content, which includes sex, violence, and strong language. Steven Spielberg's 1985 film version was popular with critics and audiences alike, as was a 2005 Broadway musical version, which was adapted into another film in 2023 .

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how gender roles and opportunities for people of color have changed since the era in which The Color Purple takes place (1910–1940). How do main characters like Celie and Sofia show perseverance against obstacles like racism and sexism? How different are things today?

Why do Mr. and Harpo use violence against Celie and Sofia? By the end of the book, how have their attitudes toward violence changed? How did Celie and Sofia reveal their own courage against this violence?

How is Celie's relationship with Shug different from Celie's relationship with her husband? How does each relationship affect Celie's self-esteem and personal growth?

How did Celie's sister Nettie show her compassion for the people in the Olinka tribe?

Book Details

• Author : Alice Walker
• Genre : Coming of Age
• Topics : Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , History
• Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Perseverance
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Mariner Books
• Publication date : January 1, 1982
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
• Number of pages : 304
• Last updated : January 17, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

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The Color Purple

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The Color Purple Essays

The color purple: literary techniques employed by alice walker to develop celie's character hialy gutierrez, the color purple.

"It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie, you a tree. That's how I know trees fear man," (23) uttered the protagonist of Alice Walker's The Color Purple. Such words of meekness were characteristic of Celie's speech ...

Female Marginalisation Embodied in The Color Purple and The Yellow Wallpaper Patrick J P Harris

Female marginalisation is a major theme in The Color Purple, with Celie’s emancipation from repressive male patriarchy being the culmination of the plot. When discussing the way narrative method and perspective are used within the novel to address...

Edith Wharton, Alice Walker, and Female Culture Rochelle Ann Maloney College

Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence [1] and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple [2] both paint a portrait American culture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This culture appears to be male, with no room for the female as any...

Internalization and Externalization of Color in The Bluest Eye and The Color Purple Anna Erickson College

Internalization and Externalization of Color

In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye , Pauline experiences the beauty of life through her childhood ‘down South;’ extracting colors in which translate into her most fond memories. This internalization of...

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The ‘public’ and ‘private’ spheres are often held as two separate entities, both representing opposing positions of social freedom or restraint. Whereas the public realm is the more conformed-to and socially hegemonic of the two, the private is...

Performing Despite Prejudice: Female Musicians in the Early 1900s and in The Color Purple Anonymous 10th Grade

During the early 1900s, an emergence of new forms of music such as blues and jazz brought a host of new musicians, many of them female. These female performers, even when wildly successful, were constantly subjected to unfair scrutiny and...

The Definition of a Woman Paul Mburu 12th Grade

If asked, most people would say women are strong, passionate, loving, but not all of these positive traits truly define who they are. Their nature is deemed the most difficult to define because they have negative aspects that contribute to their...

“God Love All Them Feelings”: Sex and Spiritual Embodiment in The Color Purple Ryan Brady College

In Alice Walker’s The Color Purple , Shug Avery introduces the novel’s protagonist, Celie, to the concept of religious embodiment. Critic Anne-Janine Morey, in her book Religion and Sexuality in American Literature, defines embodiment as “the...

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Gender Roles and Sexism Dao Vu College

Sexism is, at its core, a product of gender roles. In the early twentieth century, discrimination against women through the overt use of gender roles was highly prevalent amongst men and women. In a patriarchal society, women are expected to...

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Sewing for Freedom Stephanie Perez 12th Grade

Sewing is often viewed as a proper pastime for married women to engage in, even if it can often be laborious to do for hours on end. Yet, the women in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple managed to turn this monotonous activity into something...

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Cyclical Curses: The Victimization of Black Masculinity and A Historical Look at the Legacy of Intraracism in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple Anonymous College

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Sofia "the Amazon" and her Role as a Symbol of Resistance Anonymous 12th Grade

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Essays on The Color Purple

Table of Contents

About the color purple book.

The Color Purple portrays the story of Celie, a small black girl born into poverty and racism in the southern United States between the two world wars. In addition to being raped by her father, she loses custody of her two children, is cut off from her beloved sister Nettie, and is forced into an unpleasant marriage by her father.

But then she meets Shug Avery, a singer, and a magic-maker, and things begin to change. Shug Avery is a woman who has made her own decisions.

Celie eventually comes to understand her strength and joy within herself, which frees her from the burdens of her past and brings her closer to the people she loves.

Book Summary

In The Color Purple book by Alice Walker titled “The Color Purple,” the main character is a young African-American woman named Celie. Following the sexual assault at the hands of Celie’s father, she develops an unhealthy fixation on her father’s other partner.

Celie’s love for her sister Nettie pushed her to protect her from her father’s sexual advances, and she nursed Shug Avery back to health after she fell ill. Celie’s devotion to her family led her to care for Shug Avery.

In subsequent years, Celie instructs her stepdaughter Sofia on how to embarrass her, ultimately forming a great and enduring friendship between the two women.

Black women can establish a relationship that is equally as powerful and functional, much in the same way that individual pieces of fabric can be sewn together to create something new, robust, and practical.

The Color Purple Quotes

This book imparts upon us a great deal of valuable knowledge. The following are some of the most well-known quotes from the book “The Color Purple.”

•     “People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.”
•     “I’m pore, I’m black, I may be ugly and can’t cook, a voice says to everything listening. But I’m here.”
•     “I believe God is everything, says Shug. Everything that is or ever was or ever will be. And when you can feel that, and be happy to feel that, you’ve found It.”
•     “Let ‘im hear me, I say. If he ever listened to poor colored women the world would be a different place, I can tell you.”
•     “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.”
•     “God is different to us now, after all these years in Africa. More spirit than ever before, and more internal. Most people think he has to look like something or someone- a roof leaf or Christ- but we don’t. And not being tied to what God looks like, frees us.”

Essay Structure On The Color Purple

Once you’ve sorted out the plot specifics, you can use this template in any genre. You don’t have to bother about being constrained while writing an essay on The Color Purple.

Introduction

When writing an essay, an essay’s introduction serves as a preview for the reader of what the essay will be about in the following paragraphs. The thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s format are included in the beginning.

You may comment on the author or the material as a starting point. Your thesis can be introduced in several ways. One of these is to point out an often-held misunderstanding about the text and show how it contrasts with your stance.

In this section, you’ll go into more detail on the event you’re currently describing. Include any relevant details, such as names, dates, places, and eras, as well as your own and the other character’s thoughts and feelings at the time of the story’s events.

Remember to tell your character’s story by retelling your conversations with them. Without language, your characters’ realism and vibrancy will be diminished.

A dramatic turn always brings the story’s necessary conclusion to a close. Through the struggle and perseverance, the protagonists of a story are seen in a new light, which is important for the story’s end to be reached.

Throughout the novel, the reader learns about the characters and the setting before coming to a satisfying conclusion. Making it obvious how vital each phase is emphasized.

Tips To Consider While Writing An Essay About The Color Purple

Although it’s hard work, writing an essay on the collection of short stories known as “The Color Purple” is incredibly satisfying. To write an essay on this work of art, you may find all the information you need here! Keep these guidelines in mind when writing an essay on The Color Purple.

Read The Book Thoroughly

For composing a book-related essay, regardless of how many quick summaries you’ve already seen, it would be beneficial if you read them all. Focusing on its most important aspects is important to understand the story comprehensively.

Before further action can be taken, it is necessary to read and evaluate important material. Internet sources, encyclopedias, books, and newspapers should all be included in your bibliography.

Find A Compelling Topic

During your reading of the book, take note of any sections that you think are related to your research question. Consider a few concepts that you could put into action.

Consider a few distinct possibilities. Determine what works best for your paper before modifying the title’s length, regardless of whether the title is long or short.

Create The Outline

When writing an essay, it’s important to ensure all elements come together seamlessly. Many students treat an essay like a list of arguments and submit them one after the other without much consideration.

The first thing to do is make a rough draft of the outline . Your reader should be able to decipher why you’re presenting different points of view and how they relate to one another.

Write The Thesis Statement

After reviewing your outline, you could discover that it is simpler for you to construct a thesis statement. Although every essay needs a topic, you should ensure that the reader is well aware of the purpose for which you are writing the essay.

If you were going to boil your entire essay down to a single sentence, this should be the one you choose. You’ll need to keep reiterating this claim throughout your essay’s body.

Find Textual Evidence

Arguments for and against your thesis will be based on textual evidence, such as quotes or other sections from the source material. You will use this proof to back up your claims throughout your paper.

Having a list of relevant quotations can be beneficial before you begin writing. Gathering as much textual evidence as possible from the beginning can help establish your arguments and assess if they are compelling.

Conclusion: Proofread Your Work

The importance of thoroughly revising and reviewing your work before submitting it cannot be overstated. Submitted work should not be rushed through due to schoolboy errors that could harm your chances of winning.

The most important parts of your essay should be contained in the first paragraph of the body. Check your formatting, then. Read your writing aloud to see if there are any grammatical mistakes. Lastly, a thorough review of proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation is required.

Frequently Asked Questions:

      i.         what does the color purple represent.

Celie’s maturation and coming to terms with who she is as a person are depicted in an emotionally touching manner in “The Color Purple.” Celie can triumph over adversity and forge her path to fulfillment and autonomy. The novel also discusses the equality of the sexes.

     II.         What Does The Color Purple Symbolize?          

Every nice thing God has created for men and women to enjoy is symbolized by purple. For most of the novel’s first half, one could say that Celie has no concept of what purple looks like. She’s coping with such a terrible situation that she doesn’t have time to appreciate the beauty around her.

    III.         What Does The Color Purple Mean Spiritually?  

Purple is a common hue in witchcraft due to its wide range of symbolic meanings and the truth that it comes in many different tones. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of the color purple or not; it has a special place in many people’s hearts.

    IV.         The Color Purple Summary?

The Color Purple portrays the story of Celie, an African American teen who grows up in rural Georgia and resists the suffocating self-concept that others have imposed on her. Letters sent by Celie to God tell the story of her life.

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The Color Purple , novel by Alice Walker , published in 1982. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983, making Walker the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer for fiction . A feminist work about an abused and uneducated African American woman’s struggle for empowerment, The Color Purple was praised for the depth of its female characters and for its eloquent use of Black English Vernacular .

An epistolary novel composed of letters written by two sisters, The Color Purple took form as Walker was living in a small town in northern California , trying to find the right voice for the novel’s story. In 1983 she told The New York Times that the letter form worked best because “It was…a way of solving a technical problem of having characters in Georgia and Africa . They never actually get the letters, but that’s beside the point. By writing, they drew closer.”

In writing the book, Walker was inspired by the experience of her grandparents, with whom she had lived for a year in rural Georgia when she was a child. In a 2015 TimesTalk interview , she said of her grandparents, “They were so kind, so giving. In the early days, they were terrible, terrible people. So I began to wonder, how could people who were so wonderful, when I knew them, be terrible when I didn’t know them? That made me realize there was some reclamation to be done.”

Spanning from 1909 to 1947, The Color Purple documents the traumas and gradual triumph of Celie, introduced at the novel’s start as an African American teenager raised in rural isolation in Georgia , as she comes to resist the paralyzing self-concept forced on her by others. Celie narrates her life through painfully honest letters to God. These are prompted when her abusive father, Alphonso, warns her, “You better not never tell nobody but God” after he rapes her and she becomes pregnant for a second time at the age of 14. After she gives birth, Alphonso takes the child away, as he had done with her first baby, which Celie believes he killed in the woods while Celie was sleeping. Then Celie’s mother dies. In her letter to God after her second baby’s birth, Celie writes of the worsening situation this creates for her and her younger sister, Nettie: “He took my other little baby, a boy this time. But I don’t think he kilt it. I think he sold it to a man an his wife over Monticello.…I keep hoping he fine somebody to marry. I see him looking at my little sister. She scared. But I say I’ll take care of you.”

When the widowed Mr.__ (also called Albert) proposes marriage to Nettie, Alphonso pushes him to take Celie instead, forcing her into an abusive marriage. Soon thereafter, Nettie flees Alphonso—who has married a girl Celie’s age—and briefly lives with Celie. However, Albert’s continued interest in Nettie results in her leaving.

Celie subsequently begins to build relationships with other Black women, especially those engaging forcefully with oppression. Of note is the defiant Sofia, who marries Albert’s son Harpo after becoming pregnant. Unable to control her, Harpo seeks advice, and Celie suggests that he beat Sofia. However, when Harpo strikes her, Sofia fights back. Upon learning that Celie encouraged Harpo’s abuse, she confronts a guilty Celie, who admits to being jealous of Sofia’s refusal to back down, and the two women become friends.More significant, however, is Celie’s relationship with Shug Avery, a glamorous and independent singer who is also Albert’s sometime mistress. When Celie sees a picture of Shug for the first time, she is struck by Shug’s captivating style and beauty. Celie writes in a letter: “I see her there in furs. Her face rouge. Her hair like somethin tail. She grinning with her foot up on somebody motocar. Her eyes serious tho. Sad some.”

Celie tends to an ailing Shug, and the two women grow close, eventually becoming lovers.

During this time Celie discovers that Albert has been hiding letters that Nettie has been sending her. Celie begins reading them and learns that Nettie has befriended a minister, Samuel, and his wife, Corrine, and that the couple’s adopted children, Adam and Olivia, are actually Celie’s. Nettie joins the family on a mission in Liberia , where Corrine later dies. The letters also reveal that Alphonso is actually Celie’s stepfather and that her biological father was lynched . Questioning her faith, Celie begins addressing her letters to Nettie. In her first letter to her sister, Celie recounts a conversation she had with Shug, who encourages Celie to change her beliefs about God: “Here’s the thing, say Shug. The thing I believe. God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God. But only them that search for it inside find it. And sometimes it just manifest itself even if you not looking, or don’t know what you looking for.”

An emboldened Celie then decides to leave Albert and go to Memphis with Shug. Once there, Celie comes into her own and creates a successful business selling tailored pants. Her happiness, however, is tempered by Shug’s affairs, though Celie continues to love her. Following Alphonso’s death, Celie inherits his house, where she eventually settles. During this time she develops a friendship with Albert, who is apologetic about his earlier treatment of her. After some 30 years apart, Celie is then reunited with Nettie, who has married Samuel. In the novel’s powerful ending Celie also meets her long-lost children.

In terms of the quality of its storytelling, The Color Purple movingly depicts the growing up and self-realization of Celie, who overcomes oppression and abuse to find fulfillment and independence. The novel also had an impact because of its feminist themes and the frank way it addresses gender equality and sexuality . Walker’s best-known work, The Color Purple received widespread critical acclaim, though it was not without critics, many of whom objected to its explicit language and sexual content. The novel was also criticized for its portrayals of Black men, with some reviewers complaining that her male characters—particularly Albert—were highly negative. Walker’s response to these critics was to say that they clearly did not read the book.

In 1985 Steven Spielberg directed an acclaimed film adaptation of the book, featuring Whoopi Goldberg (Celie), Danny Glover (Albert), Oprah Winfrey (Sofia), and Margaret Avery (Shug). The Color Purple was also adapted as a musical for the theater , and the first Broadway production premiered in 2005. In 2023 a film version of the musical was released, directed by Blitz Bazawule and starring Fantasia Barrino (Celie), Colman Domingo (Mister), Danielle Brooks (Sofia), and Taraji P. Henson (Shug). Whereas previous stage and film versions received criticism for downplaying the lesbian relationship between Celie and Shug, Bazawule’s was praised, including by Walker, for including a more-honest portrayal of the two characters’ romance.

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The Color Purple Summary Alice Walker

Everything you need to understand or teach The Color Purple by Alice Walker .

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The Color Purple Summary

The Color Purple, Alice Walker's third novel, was published in 1982. The novel brought fame and financial success to its author. It also won her considerable praise and much criticism for its controversial themes. Many reviewers were disturbed by her portrayal of black males, which they found unduly negative. When the novel was made into a film in 1985 by Steven Spielberg, Walker became even more successful and controversial. While she was criticized for negative...

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The Color Purple Study Guide

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The Best Summer Dinner Is Also the Easiest

A simple, savory tomato carpaccio begins this menu from David Tanis, followed by tender fish and a crisp plum-almond crumble.

By David Tanis

September signals the end of summer, but thankfully not the end of summer produce. So much of is at its prime right now. Certainly tomatoes are, and sweet peppers. They both need the whole season to achieve their juicy ripeness. They’re worth the wait, perfect for building a menu around, as are late-season plums, which are now coming in. This menu employs all of these, and, best of all, it’s very doable.

Recipes: Tomato Carpaccio | Baked Fish With Slow-Cooked Peppers

To start, a drool-worthy carpaccio made from vine-ripe tomatoes. Though traditionally meat based, carpaccio, said to have been named for Vittore Carpaccio, the Venetian painter known for his use of deep red, can refer to any dish that is presented thinly sliced and spread across the plate. But the recipe here is much more than a mere plate of sliced tomatoes. The key is using truly ripe ones, no matter what color they are, but large red ones are ideal.

Use your best extra-virgin olive oil for the dressing, which also features briny shallots and capers, a whiff of garlic and a touch of anchovy. Finish with a handful of torn basil leaves for an easily executed first course.

For a seasonal main, firm, meaty fish like striped bass or halibut makes a good choice for pairing with the sweet pepper harvest. It’s fine to use standard bell peppers, but preferably, find some wonderful shapely variety like the curvy corno di toro, available in shades of red, yellow and orange. An assortment of colors makes for a dramatic rendition. Cooking all of the peppers slowly in olive oil, with onion and garlic, punched up with cayenne and smoked paprika, intensifies their sweetness.

To maximize the peppers and avoid any odd scraps, cut them in half lengthwise, right through the stem, then remove the stems, veins and seeds (as opposed to cutting off the tops and bottoms first, as some recipes advise).

I recommend making the pepper mixture well in advance, even a day ahead, so the only cooked-to-order parts of the dish will be the preparing the fish and any last-minute herb chopping.

To finish, enter those late-summer plums — especially the small dark purple, yellow-fleshed Italian ones, which are a delight, and highly recommended. (If you can’t find them, other types of plum or even pluots will work for this dessert.)

Recipe: Plum-Almond Crumble

Simply split them in half and arrange them cut side up in a pie plate, then scatter with a crunchy almond-scented, streusel-like topping and bake. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of crème fraîche or barely sweetened softly whipped cream for the final exercise in simple seasonal cooking, delivering real flavor with ease.

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