The Color Purple

The color purple is a 1982 novel written by Alice Walker. It received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. It was also made into a movie and a musical.



Plot
Celie is a teenage girl from southern Georgia. She is beaten and raped by Alphonso, her father. She has already been impregnated twice by him. Both times, he has taken both children away and supposively killed them. There was a man named Mr.__ that was absolutely fascinated with Celie’s sister, Nettie. Alphonso didn’t want that so he offered Mr.___ Celie. Celie was then subject to Mr.__ while Nettie was still left at home. Nettie absolutely hated it at home; therefore she ran away from her gather and went to live with Celie. Mr.___ was still fascinated with Nettie even though he had Celie. Scared, Nettie ran away and Celie presumed her dead after she never wrote to her. Mr.__’s son, Harpo, found a girl named Sofia that he ended up marrying and getting her pregnant. They move next door to Celie and Mr.__. Celie is astounded by the way that Sofia doesn’t put up with Harpo’s ways. Mr.__ also had a lover, Shug Avery. She became sick and moved in with Celie and Mr.__. Celie was her “nurse” and cared for her despite Shug’s rude ways. But, they became friends. Shug decides to stay with Mr.__ and Celie after it is revealed to her that he beats Celie when she is not present. Sofia grew weary in her marriage with Harpo. So, she left him. Harpo opened up a bar where the lovely singer, Shug sang every night. He also engaged into another relationship with someone named “Squeak.” One day, Sofia came to visit and got into it with Squeak; this lead to an outbreak where Sofia hit the mayor. She was then put in jail. But, Shug and Celie discover the letters that Nettie had written to Celie. Mr.__ had been hiding them from her. The letters gave a lot of information such as both of Celie’s children were alive and were with Nettie because she became close to a missionary. Also, that Alphonso wasn’t their biological father, merely a step-father. Celie left Mr.__ after she found the letters. She went to Tennessee with Shug. When Celie came back, the information of Alphonso’s death came to her. Celie had begun sewing and opened her own pant making business. The missionary and Nettie return to America. At the end, Celie’s faith got her through it all, and she wasn’t abused anymore.

Characters

 * Celie**
 * She is the protagonist in the story. This novel is about her and everything that is thrown her way. She is strong, faithful, independent, and caring.
 * Nettie**
 * She is Celie's sister. Nettie is the one that Mr.__ wanted to marry in the first place. She ran away for her own safety and became close to a missionary and found Celie’s children.
 * Mr.__**
 * He is Celie's husband. He abuses Celie in many ways and hides letters that her sister, Nettie sends her.
 * Shug Avery**
 * Celie cared for her when she was ill and they became good friends. She is Mr.__'s lover.
 * Sofia**
 * Sofia is Harpo's wife.She ended up marrying Harpo, left him, and came back to him. She is very independent and doesn’t take anyone’s slack.
 * Harpo**
 * Mr.__'s son that marries Sofia and when she leaves him, he opens a bar that Shug Avery sings at.
 * Squeak**
 * Squeak is Harpo's "girlfriend." She is who Harpo pursues after Sofia leaves him. She was beaten in earlier parts of her life but she then pursues the life of a singer.
 * Alphonso**
 * Alphonso was an abuser. He impregnated Celie and did away with both children. He is Celie and Nettie's step-father.
 * Samuel**
 * A missionary who Nettie became close with and ended up marrying. He told her stories about Alphonso that made her realize he was only her step-father.
 * Olivia and Adam**
 * They are Celie and Alphonso's children. Samuel and Corrine adopted these children. Adam fell for Tashi and Olivia developed a cherished relationship with her.
 * Tashi**
 * Girl Adam married from Africa.
 * Miss Millie**
 * The mayor's wife and Sofia ends up being her maid.
 * Eleanor Jane**
 * She is the mayor's daughter that tried to develop a relationship/friendship with Sofia. But, Sofia didn’t want to because of the way her parent’s had treated her.
 * Grady**
 * Shug's husband that had his loving moments but had an affair.
 * Kate**
 * Mr.__'s sister. She wants Celie to not take Mr.__’s abuse.

Themes

 * Violence Violence plays a major role in The Color Purple. Celie struggles with violence throughout this novel. She is abused both physically and sexually by her father and is then beat by her husband. The men in this novel like to show dominance against women particularly by beating their wives. The woman who are beat all react differently to their abuse. Some stand up against it and fight back and show that they will not be brought down by men. Other woman just breakdown and take the beatings without complaining or doing anything to make it stop. Celie eventually stands up for herself and puts an end to the violence by leaving her husband and living happily ever after. Alexandra96 09:51, 7 November 2011 (MST)


 * Femininity Celie the main character faced many struggles in her life just because she was a woman. She was raped and beat simply because she was a woman. She was forced to marry a man she didn’t even know because she was a woman. Woman in this novel had to constantly battle against men or be completely submissive to whatever they say. This novel showed that if woman stood together and supported each other they could make a change. Alexandra96 09:51, 7 November 2011 (MST)


 * Family Family is one of the most important factors in Celies life. She has a strong blond with her sister Nettie. She continues the love for her sister and her two lost children even though she believes they are dead. After losing all her blood relatives, she develops strong relationships with her friends. Family is not defined by who’s related to you by blood, but rather who sticks by you through the ups and downs.Alexandra96 09:51, 7 November 2011 (MST)


 * "Rascism can be conquered." -This is a theme in the book because there is much rascism shown to many of the characters throughout the entire novel; however, they always power through and continue on with their lives because of their strong sense of self.


 * "It will always get better." -This is a theme because it is shown throughout the book how something terrible will happen, but it will always end up healing or getting better over time. For example, when Sophia and Celie got into the argument over Harpo, they talked it out, and ended up becoming even better friends because of it.


 * "Love conquers all." -I believe that this is a major theme throughout the novel because if Celie and Nettie hadn't loved eachother as much as they did, they would not have continued hoping and looking for eachother for as long as they did; which in the end finally brought them back together.


 * Color - This is a theme, because when Shug and Celie discuss their idea of God, Shug explains that God is in everything and that God is the beauty in nature. Shug points specifically to "the color purple" ,a color of royalty, and wonders how such a color could grow naturally. Purple seems rare in nature. It as though the color itself were a manifestation of God.


 * Female Relationships -Many of the characters in this book are woman, and some share a connection. It seems as though they cherish their time with other women because the men are cruel. The women use each other to just get away from it all and find some sort of relief within each other. Just like Celie does with Shug and Nettie. Leah Crawford 20:42, 9 November 2011 (MST)
 * Hope -Hope that Nettie is alive, and hope that Celie will someday be happy. Luckily, those both come true. Celie and Nettie reunite and Celie is finally happy and away from abusive men like Alphonso and Albert. But she had to hope for the best even in the toughest situations. Leah Crawford 20:42, 9 November 2011 (MST)
 * Independent -Sofia is the best at showing this, she always stands up for herself and she does things her own way. Shug is also because she does whatever she wants when she wants to do it. Celie finally finds some independence at the end when she tells Albert how she truly feels and leaves him. Leah Crawford 20:42, 9 November 2011 (MST)


 * Violence leads to more violence. Females in this novel are victims of the violent actions men take against them such as rapes and beatings. Most women like Shug and Sofia remain unbroken and use strength through violence to prove they will not accept what the men tried to make them do.
 * Every story has a happily ever after. The best example of this theme is Celie. She stayed true to her original comment to God, that she was a “good” girl. And it demonstrates how good people do get rewarded. In the end, she gets to experience life in a way she never thought she would.
 * A sister’s bond cannot be broken. This is best demonstrated through Nettie and Celie’s relationship. Although Celie spent the majority of her life fearing her sister was dead, their faith in each other’s survival lead them to love each other more and more as they were separated. Their reuniting was a sign of their love for one another.

Friendship, Sister ship- Nettie & Ceilie doesnt let anything stand in the way, of their relationship. They keep their bond close even if they dont talk for long periods at a time.


 * Above all else, have faith."- This was a recurring theme throughout the entire novel. If someone doesn’t have faith, then who would he or she confide in? Faith is believing without seeing and there are more types of faith then having faith in God. You can have faith in a person that they’ll never let you down and always be there for you. Celie had faith in God where she wrote her letters to Him.
 * Above all else, have hope."- There are many instances in this novel where hope is prevalent. Celie hopes that Nettie and her two children that are perceived to be dead are still alive. Luckily, it turns out that they are all alive.
 * When everything seems like a mess, there is a way out."- Celie was subject to her “father” at the beginning. Then, she was given to Mr.__. Despite everything that happened with both male abuses, Celie ended up getting out of the relation with Mr.__ and started her own business.

Motifs

 * Letters Letters reoccur many times in this noval. They first appear when Celie writes to God because she is raped and beat by her father Alphonso. They reappear when nettie writes letters to Celie. This helped with the theme family because at first Celie thought Nettie was dead but she still loved her anyway, but after she found Netties hidden letters it resurected the theme for family by showing the unbreakable love.
 * Colors Throughout the novel, the appearance of brighter colors indicates the liberation various characters experience. When shopping for dresses in the beginning only dark colors are options.Walker uses color to signal renewals and rebirths at several points in the novel. Later, Bright colors are used to make a quilt.. When Celie describes her religious awakening, she marvels how she never noticed the wonders that God has made, such as “the color purple.” Upon Mr. ______’s transformation, he paints the entire interior of his house “fresh and white,” signaling his new beginning.


 * Letters Celie wrote letters to God throughout the entire novel. This expressed her longing for someone to talk to and a longing for an explanation. Also, Nettie had written Celie letters that held information in them. But, Mr.__ had hidden them from her.

Symbols

 * God -God is Celies salvation. God is who she turns to when she needs help or just needs someone to listen to her. She has some trouble figuring out who god really is. She has an image of him but it doesn’t feel right. With the help of Shrug, Celie learns that God has no gender or race. He is not male, he is not white. Celies final letter is to God saying "Dear God. Dear stars, dear trees, dear sky, dear peoples. Dear Everything. Dear God." Symbolizing that Celie now sees God in everything. not just some things.Alexandra96 18:54, 9 November 2011 (MST)


 * Pants -When Celie finally gets rid of Mr. she finally becomes a human being rather than just a narrow woman. Her transformation on becoming a person is symbolized by pants. All through her life she had never wore pants because she was a woman and pants was a "man’s clothing". But when she became free she started making both men’s and woman’s pants and started wearing pants herself. Pants symbolize demolishing sexism.Alexandra96 18:54, 9 November 2011 (MST)


 * Purple -Purple can be interpreted in many different ways. Some people might see purple as the color of a woman’s bruises after she has been beaten. Others may see it as standing for all things good. All through this book Celie struggles with both forms of purple. At the beginning, and through most of the book, Celie is beaten by males in her life. But finally at the end she leaves Mr. and starts seeing the other kind of purple. She realizes all the small things that God created that are good.Alexandra96 18:54, 9 November 2011 (MST)


 * Sophia punches the mayor -This scene has a much larger symbolism about the rascism towards African-Americans at that time. Sophia's punching the mayor signifies how they are now fighting back against that rascism.


 * Celie and Sophia's quilt -After Harpo and Sophia get into a fight when Celie tells Harpo to beat Sophia to make her listen to him, Sophia tries to give Celie back the curtains which she had given her as a wedding present. The new quilt that Sophia and Celie both make out of the old curtains symbolizes the new friendship that they have made out of the old one.


 * Adam and Tashi's marriage -Their marriage to eachother symbolically bridges the gap between America and Africa, uniting the two different cultures.

Celie accomplishes, through writing her thoughts in her unique style, the reader actually ‘hears’ her voice, so that the reader hears her voice even if nobody else will. Nettie’s letters also contain a unique voice and yet were forbidden to be read by Mr. _______. She writes her letters to God and to Nettie hoping for an answer and for someone to listen. The symbol of the color purple can be interpreted many ways. Some see purple as a symbol for bruises on the beaten woman’s face, whereas others find it to resemble royalty or everything that is considered beautiful.
 * Letters
 * Purple

Courtney.darnell 20:13, 10 November 2011 (MST)


 * God- Celie writes letters to God throughout because she confides in him. Despite all of her horrible experiences with men, she still believes that God listens to her. She has lack of knowledge of who God truly is, but she still believes. As the story progressed, she began to lose her faith in God. But, Shug talks to her and increases her faith in him by saying that she should just imagine him as whatever she needed him to be.
 * Purple- The actual color of purple can be interpreted in many different ways. The archetype of purple is expressed as nobility, tranquility, and possibly even depression. Celie experiences purple in many ways. She experienced purple from her bruises from being physically and sexually abused. Also, she was subject to Mr.__ and that was a hardship for her. Lastly, she experienced purple in a positive way when at the end, she left Mr.__ and went to be a successful woman in her pant making business.
 * Sophia punching the mayor- This symbolizes the true subject of racism that was going on during the setting of the book. This shows retaliation of the circumstances that racism had brought about.

Significant Quotes

 * "Everybody say how good I is to Mr._________ children. I be good to them. But I don’t feel nothing for them. Patting Harpo back not even like patting a dog. It more like patting another piece of wood. Not a living tree, but a table, a chifferobe. Anyhow, they don’t love me neither, no matter how good I is."

This quote shows that Celie no longer has any love for anybody. She’s as nice as she can be to her husband’s children but all she gets in return is disrespect. She tries to love Mr.’s children but none of them return the love to her that she gives to them.


 * "Us like sisters, me and Shrug"

This quote is said after Celie learns that Mr. has been hiding the letters that Nettie has been sending her. It shows how close of a bond that Celie and Shrug have grown for each other and how much they care about each other. It shows the relationship between the two women has grown so close that they now think of each other as sisters. Sister’s stand up for each other and are always there when the other one needs them and that’s what Shrug did for Celie.


 * “He [Pa] never had a kine word to say to me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t. First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it. But I don’t never get used to it. And now I feels sick every time I be the one to cook.”

This quote demonstrates the violence that Celie receives from her father. He rapes her and causes her emotional damage by not allowing her to tell anyone the beatings and raping’s she receives. It demonstrates that her father not only has no love for her but also doesn’t see her as a human being but rather as an “It”.


 * “He beat me today cause he say I winked at a boy in church. I may have got somethin in my eye but I didn’t wink. I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them. Maybe cause my mama cuss me you think I kept mad at her. But I ain’t. I felt sorry for mama. Trying to believe his story kilt her"

This quote demonstrates what Celie thinks of men. Although woman may scream and cuss, men are much meaner in the way they treat others. Celie has it painted in her mind that all men are like this. In Celies mind this is the huge difference in men and women.


 * “She seem like a right sweet little thing, I say to Sofia. Who is? She frown. The little girl, I say. What they call her, Eleanor Jane? Yeah, say Sofia, with a real puzzle look on her face, I wonder why she was ever born. Well, I say, us don’t have to wonder that bout darkies.“

This quote shows that Sofia has been mistreated by white people all her life and that she is shocked that a white child knows how to be nice. She is not used to the kindness of white folks especially that of white children.


 * "Harpo say, I love you Squeak. He kneel down and try to put his arms round her waist. She stand up. My name Mary Agnes, she say." (page 97)

Mary Agne's finally standing up to Harpo's belittling nickname "Squeak" shows that she is finally tired of feeling like Harpo's little pet, and not like his girlfriend. It also shows the greater significance of how some of the men in this book try to control their women, and they [the women] won't stand for it and end up fighting back.


 * "It must have been a pathetic exchange. Our chief never learned English beyond an occasional odd phrase he picked up from Joseph, who pronounces "English" "Yanglush." (page 170)

Nettie shares this thought with Celie to explain all of the cultural and communicational differences between the Olinka and the English.


 * "Well, us talk and talk about God, but I'm still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head. I been so busy thinking bout him that I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?). Not the little wildflowers. Nothing." (page 197)

This part of a conversation between Shug and Celie shows Shug trying to give a new understanding of God to Celie by not just imagining a picture-perfect God, but instead imagining a more unique one with no specific gender or race to revolve around. This shows how people can get and have their different takes on things in their lives, and then be able to handle it in their own individual ways.


 * "Shug act more manly than most men... Sophia and Shug not like men, he say, but they not like women either." (page 269)

This conversation between Celie and Mr. ___ shows that differences in people can be accepted- whether in race, sex, or gender roles.

P. 3 Celie “She ast me bout the first one Whose it is? I say Gods…………… She got sicker and sicker. Finally she ast Where it is? I say God took it. He took it. He took it while I was sleeping. Kilt it out there in the woods. Kill this one too, if he can.”

P.38 Celie “I think about this when Harpo ast me what he ought to do to make her mind…………… I think about how every time I jump when Mr.______ call me, she look surprise. And like she pity me. Beat her, I say. Next time us see Harpo his face is a mess of bruises.”

P.111 “White folks is a miracle of affliction, say Sofia”

P.205 Celie “Dear Nettie, When I told Shug I’m writing to you instead of God, she laugh. Nettie don’t know these people, she say. Considering who I been writing to, this strike me as odd.”

P. 295 Celie “But I don’t think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this is the youngest us ever felt.”

Here, Celie is losing faith in God. She had ceased writing letters to God. But, Shug encourages her to find her own view of God because God can be whatever you want him to be.
 * “Well, us talk and talk about God, but I'm still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head.”

Shug said this to Celie. Celie never wore pants because she knew Mr.__ would never want his wife wearing pants. A man wears pants. But, pants symbolize a sense of freedom that Shug is trying to emphasize to Celie.
 * “Well, she say, looking me up and down, let’s make you some pants.”

Despite their true age, they felt at their youth. Everything had fallen into place and everything was better than ever.
 * “Matter of fact, I think this the youngest us ever felt.”

The very last word of the book is “Amen.” This signifies that even though Celie’s faith was shaken a little bit in the novel, she stuck to it and this ending ties in the entire novel.
 * “Amen.”

This quote shows how women were treated around the time period that this novel was set in. Women were obviously not treated with respect and were treated basically good for nothing. Mr.__ firmly believed in male dominance over his wife, Celie.
 * “Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr.___ say, Cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women good for-he don’t finish. He just tuck his chin over the paper like he do. Remind me of Pa.”

Setting
The setting of the novel takes place in rural Georgia in the early 1910's-1940's. Majority of the novel happens on Mr. ___'s family farm, however, bits and pieces do occur in Celie's former family house, in town, and (when Nettie speaks in her letters to Celie) in an African village.

The setting takes place in the south in a town called Rural, Georgia. It first is mostly in Alphonso’s house where Celie grows up and sometimes in the Church. As she gets older and marries the setting moves to Albert’s house, where Celie stays there for a very long time, married to Albert. Also there is a scene that takes place in a building where Celie listens to Shug perform and sing. The setting also takes place in a jail where Sofia is sent. It is not until the end that Celie moves with Shug to Tennessee. Then, at the very end, the setting finally returns to Mr.______’s house. Leah Crawford 17:35, 9 November 2011 (MST)

The setting takes place in a rural part of Georgia. At this period of time people were struggling with a problem. That problem was racism. Most white folks at this time, especially ones in the south like Georgia, often found themselves thinking white people were superior to African American people. Black folks at this time were often much mistreated. Woman of all color were mistreated because a man at this time was to be seen over a woman because a woman was supposed to stay at home, cook, clean and take care of the kids while the man was supposed to be the one out working and making money. Celie was an African American woman. So not only did she have to struggle with the factors of being an African American, she also had to deal with the problems that came with being a woman. Alexandra96 18:53, 9 November 2011 (MST)

The setting of Celie’s story is among poor blacks in rural areas of the South. As a poor black woman in the rural south, Celie’s bad treatment is ignored. Having very little exposure to education or the outside world, Celie lives most of her life very isolated and ignorant. She serves everyone else. Education in the small town, rural south, Georgia was not an immediate need that most families felt to obtain. Education was for men, because 30 years before WWII, the world was for the white males not blacks. The problems of racism, sexism, and prejudices led to most females or African Americans to living in fear. The majority of men felt that women were supposed to slave like to them and there was no toleration of a woman’s independence. It was still largely accepted that women were men’s property and that men could do as they pleased with them.

Courtney.darnell 20:11, 10 November 2011 (MST)

The setting is in rural Georgia. The time period isn’t really stated but is assumed to be 1910-1940. Celie is uneducated and doesn’t really know how to handle all of the situations thrown at her. But, a lot of the story takes place in the home. This story takes place roughly thirty years before World War II. The author’s childhood of growing up in the south strongly influenced her writing. In southern Georgia, racism was still prevalent.

Historical Informaton about the Setting
The book begins about 30 years before World War II. It covers the first half of the 20th Century, following Celie through 30 or 40 years of her life. It takes place in the Deep South, a time when most African-Americans were treated badly; thus, Celie's treament was not unusual of that time period.

This novel is set in rural Georgia in the years of 1910-1940. This is a time in American history that was strongly dominated by racism mostly in the southern states like Georgia. Tensions about segregation was high while the southern whites believed that whites and blacks should not mix and should do things such as play, eat, go to church, attend school, and ride the bus with their own race. During this time, many efforts from the African American race were done to try and improve their situations. Many public facilities at this time were segregated such as restrooms, restaurants, clothing stores, schools, and even churches. Alexandra96 10:03, 7 November 2011 (MST)

==Author==

The setting is in rural Georgia between the years of 1910 and 1940. During this time period, a lot of abuse was occurring. Mental, physical, and sexual abuse occurred in many southern states. Much of the abuse was divvied out to the African Americans as racism. Slavery was no longer in existence though the excessive racism and sexism found in the novel is examplitory of the obstacles that our country had to overcome in prejudices. Females & minority groups were considered beneath a white male’s authority. The men in the 1900 were basically ruled over everyone. The education of females and African Americans were not a priority, and the majority of low-classified peoples had to work in subordinate jobs to white males.

Courtney.darnell 20:07, 10 November 2011 (MST)

The setting is southern Georgia. This story takes place roughly thirty years before World War II. The author’s childhood of growing up in the south strongly influenced her writing. In southern Georgia, racism was still prevalent. The novel expressed many types of abuse and mistreatment toward women.

Biographical Information about the Author
Bestselling novelist Alice Walker is also the author of three collections of short stories, three collections of essays, six volumes of poetry, and six children's books. Her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, Walker now lives in northern California.

Raised by sharecroppers and was the eight child born to them, Alice Walker was born in 1944 and raised in a small town in rural Georgia. Whenever she was eight years old, she was involved in an accident with a gun and she lost vision permanently in one eye. Her deformity caused her to not get attention from other children where she grew up. Therefore, she directed her attention to reading and writing. Her disability led to a scholarship for disabled students at Spelman College in Atlanta. She transferred to Sarah Lawrence College in New York and eventually was an exchange student and went to Uganda. Her senior year, she found out she was pregnant. If it wasn’t for a friend performing an abortion, she would have committed suicide. However, every obstacle she faced in life, she was able to publish “To Hell With Dying”, “The Color Purple”, and “Possessing the Secret of Joy”. All are very successful stories and are still read all over the world today.

She was married in 1967 which later led to a divorce in 1976. Her first book of poems came out in 1968 and her first novel just after her first daughters birth in 1970.

Alice Walker was born in Eatonton, Georgia on February 9, 1944. Whenever she was a young girl, her brother accidentally shot her in the eye, causing her to be blind in one eye. She was involved in civil rights movements and married an activist. Her husband’s name was Mel Leventhal and they had a daughter, Rebecca Walker. Alice Walker is also an accomplished poet but was made “popular” by The Color Purple.

Author's Style
The author writes in a very simple way, but it can be a bit confusing if you don't understand the language that she uses. Since she is writing from the perspective of Celie, a young woman with little schooling living in the Deep South, she tends to use slang and misspelled words as she speaks and relays the story to the reader. Also, since she has little schooling and is writing in a diary, she tends to write in short, choppy sentences with an absence of punctuation and quotation marks; this can also add to the confusion.

The writing style that Alice Walker used in The Color Purple is brief, and uneducated. Alice Walker chose to write this way to show the lifetime struggles of Celie and Nettie through letters. She wrote in an uneducated fashion to show that Celie was not very smart and had not been through school. As the book went on, Celie got smarter and learned how to write and so her letters got longer and more descriptive.

Alice Walker utilizes her experience living as an African American female in the south during hard times to write this novel. Alice grew up with farming/ rural experience, she had experience with growing up with a deformity, and she experienced isolation. Alice Walker conveys her personal experience, opinions, and “voice” through her main characters and develops ideas from her personal experience and through women in rural south. Alice describes Celie as ugly- a reference to her own deformity; Celie works on a rural farm- much like Alice’s family; Celie experiences isolation from her sister- much like how Alice felt isolated.

The author uses a style of epistolary. Epistolary is a form of writing which are in letters. Also, the style is very open and confessional. These journal entries to God from Celie tell exactly how she feels about all of what goes on in her life. The author uses a tone conveying that Celie is uneducated. Examples of this:
 * “Shug write she got a big surprise, and she intend to bring it home for Christmas. What is it? Us wonder.”
 * “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. With God help.”

Bibliographical information on the author
Alice Walker was born in Eatonton, Georgia on February 9th, 1944. She was the youngest in her family of eight brothers and sisters. Her parents were Willie Lee Walker and Minnie Tallulah Grant. Her parents actually gave her the reason and inspiration she had to write this book. She is blind in one eye, because of an incident with her brother and a gun. She enrolled in Spelman College in Atlanta. By her senior year in college, she got news that she was pregnant. She was so afraid to tell her parents about the pregnancy that she considered suicide. Instead, Walker carried through with an abortion. She then moved on and graduated in 1965 from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She married in 1967 Melvyn Leventhal. They had one child and then got a divorce somewhere around the 1970’s. In 1982, she finally published The Color Purple, her most famous novel she ever wrote. It later became a movie, directed by Steven Spielberg.

Alice Walker was born on February 9, 1944. She was the youngest of eight children. As a child, she used to listen to stories from her grandfather which was her inspiration for the character “Mr.” in The Color Purple. She began writing when she was just eight years old. Alice became valedictorian, most popular, and queen of her senior class. Alice went to college in Atlanta on a full scholarship and later transferred to a college close to New York City. Alice met Melvyn Leventhal and married him in New York. They moved to Mississippi and became the first legal inter racial marriage in Mississippi. Alexandra96 21:57, 9 November 2011 (MST)

Raised by sharecroppers and the last out of eight other children, Alice Walker was born in 1944 and raised in a small town in rural Georgia. Whenever she was eight years old, she was involved in an accident with a gun and she lost vision permanently in one eye. Her deformity caused her to not get attention from other children where she grew up. Therefore, she directed her attention to reading and writing. Her disability led to a scholarship for disabled students at Spelman College in Atlanta. She transferred to Sarah Lawrence College in New York and eventually was an exchange student and went to Uganda. Her senior year, she found out she was pregnant. If it wasn’t for a friend performing an abortion, she would have committed suicide. However, every obstacle she faced in life, she was able to publish “To Hell With Dying”, “The Color Purple”, and “Possessing the Secret of Joy”. All are very successful stories and are still read all over the world today.

Courtney.darnell 20:15, 10 November 2011 (MST),Leah Crawford 20:14, 9 November 2011 (MST)

Lexigamblin 08:52, 24 January 2012 (MST)