The color purple by alice walker goodreads share book. The color purple sparknotes literature guide sparknotes literature guide series ebook. Book summary alice walkers the color purple weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of the color purple. At fifteen, she is pregnant and she is carrying her fathers child. Celies earthy wisdom, in contrast to her childlike innocence, underscores every line of this short note to god. Celie is abused and raped by her pa, who takes away her children after theyre born. The color purple sparknotes literature guide by sparknotes. The color purple isnt actually about the color purple. A summary of letters 4460 in alice walkers the color purple. The color purple sparknotes literature guide by alice walker making the reading experience fun. Celie, a nearly illiterate black georgia girl, writes a short note to god, confiding to him that shes only fourteen, but already she is burdened with cooking, cleaning, and caring for a multitude of brothers and sisters because of her mothers failing health.
Sometime later, celie and shug walk through the field of purple flowers surrounding the house and shug declares that god is offended when people fail to notice the divine glory of color. The color purple study guide from litcharts the creators of. Her other bestselling novels include by the light of my fathers smile, possessing the secret of joy and the temple of my familiar. The color purple is most clearly about the transforming power of love. The color purple is a novel by africanamerican author alice walker. The novel takes place in two distinct settingsrural georgia and a remote african villageboth suffused with problems of race and racism. The color purple section 1 summary and analysis gradesaver. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the color purple by alice walker.
It received the 1983 pulitzer prize for fiction and the national book award for fiction. The color purple sparknotes literature guidenook book. Need help with letter 2 in alice walkers the color purple. Get all the key plot points of alice walkers the color purple on one page.
In 1983, the book won the pulitzer prize for fiction and the national book award for fiction. The title refers to a moment when shug avery asks celie if she takes the time to notice what little things that god does to show us that it remember, god is neither he nor she in this book loves usa different way of reminding celie to stop and smell. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Introduction this study guide the color purple is a 1982 epistolary novel written by american author alice walker. Free summary for the color purple study guideanalysis. Created by harvard students for students everywhere, sparknotes is a new breed of study guide. Susan kim the authors style plot summary historical information about the period of publication characteristics of the genre in the color purple, celie tells her story through series of letters written to god.
Shes repeatedly raped by her father, her children are taken away from her, and shes literally sold into marriage to a man who wants a servant, not a wife. The color purple is a novel by alice walker that was first published in 1982. The symbol of purple in the color purple from litcharts. The color purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by american author alice walker which won the 1983 pulitzer prize for fiction and the national book award for fiction. The color purple, alice walker the color purple is a 1982 epistolary novel, by american author alice walker, which won the 1983 pulitzer prize, for fiction and the national book award for fiction. The color purple study guide from litcharts the creators. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the color purple and what it means. A feminist work about an abused and uneducated african american womans struggle for empowerment, the color purple was praised for the depth of its female characters and for its eloquent use of black english vernacular. How is the epistolary form used in the color purple by alice walker. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name. Need help with letter 71 in alice walkers the color purple. The book vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor african americans especially women in the precivil rights south, and has been. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. See a complete list of the characters in the color purple and indepth analyses of celie, shug avery, mr. Alice walkers the color purple weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the. The color purple summary from litcharts the creators of. The color purple is a 1982 novel written by alice walker.
It is intended to help college students look at issues addressed in the book and in the movie and at the ways those issues affect their lives. About the color purple cliffsnotes study guides book. That is, celie knows that her husband has a mistress, but she accepts the situation matteroffactly. God plays a big role in book because all of celies letters are addressed to god, but in the movie it is shown that celie believes in god but nothing more. The color purple study guide contains a biography of alice walker, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary.
Still, theres a whole lot of it in the color purple. Shes got it tough straight through the first part of the book. The novel, of course, is called the color purple, and though the color itself does not appear in many places throughout the text, it is clear that purple is associated with celie, and with celies transformation from a young girl to a mature woman. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the color purple, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. It was an international bestseller, won both the american book award and the pulitzer prize, and in 1985 was made into a muchdiscussed movie directed by steven spielberg.
The color purple section 7 summary and analysis gradesaver. Get free homework help on alice walkers the color purple. The color purple is about a black south american girl and her struggle to find her identity and also the constant battle of man verses women. The best study guide to the color purple on the planet, from the creators of sparknotes. The color purple is an american novel of permanent importance. This discussion guide is designed to be used in conjunction with the 20092010 common book growing up and residence life cinema showing of the color purple. The color purple cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. A summary of letters 110 in alice walkers the color purple. The color purple, novel by alice walker, published in 1982. Alice walkers the color purple, published in 1982, tells the story of celie, a black woman in the south. Eventually, pa marries celie off to a man who is just as abusive as pa. The major similarity of the novel the color purple and the movie the color purple is womanhood.
Inspired by natural beauty, shug resumes singing at harpos saloon one sunday. A summary of letters 8390 in alice walkers the color purple. The book describes the life of a young black woman in the early 1900s and her journey of self discovery. Celies first experience with love comes from her relationship with her little sister nettie, whom she fiercely protects, even when it means sacrificing her own wellbeing. I think it pisses god off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and dont notice it. A summary of letters 7082 in alice walkers the color purple. It was published in the united states in 1982 and won the national book award for fiction and the pulitzer prize for fiction in. Need help with letter 59 in alice walkers the color purple. Summary and analysis letter 2 other children who are celies age may still be literally and chronologically girls, but we realize here that celie is a woman. In 1983, the year after its first publication, it won a pulitzer prize in the fiction category. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office.
She praises celies house, especially celies pink room. Walker does not tell us everything about the characters and the setting and why the characters behave as they do. By intense, it is a book touching very difficult and hard aspects of life of a poor, black oppressed woman in the early twentieth century. Free study guide for the color purple by alice walker free book summary. Take our free the color purple quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge.
Essence banner winner of the pulitzer prize and the national book award bio bestselling novelist alice walker is also the author of three collections of short. Celie the protagonist and narrator of the color purple. The color purple is the 1st book in the color purple collection, which also includes the temple of my familiar and possessing the secret of joy. The color purple is one of the most successful and controversial books ever written by a black woman. I cried the first time i red it and now i can not seem to put it down. The novel is told in an epistolary style, through the usage of 90 different letters written by the characters. The color purple the film version of 1985 gradesaver. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. Alice walkers pulitzer prizewinning the color purple weaves a mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for. Get your a in gear theyre todays most popular study guideswith ever. I believe that the color purple is an amazing novel. In the first few letters, celie tells god that she has been raped by her father and that she is pregnant for the second time with his child. Parents need to know that the color purple is a moving, inspirational novel told in letters that includes an abundance of mature content explicit sex, rape, incest, sexism and violence toward women, and a lesbian relationship. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
The word epistolary refers to literary works that written in the form of letters or. Celie then shows shug the room she has decorated for her in the color purple. Alice walker won the pulitzer prize and the american book award for her novel the color purple, which was preceded by the third life of grange copeland and meridian. Discussion of themes and motifs in alice walkers the color purple.
A summary of letters 1121 in alice walkers the color purple. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the. When shug steps out of the car dressed like a movie star, she tells celie she missed her more than she missed her own mother. The color purple, while easily satisfyingthat claim, brings into sharper focus many of the diverse themes that threaded their way through her past work. Olivia utters one of the most political statements of the book, recognizing that sexism and racism are. Alice walker the color purple letter 1 of 90 genius. She tries to keep her safe from their father, alphonso, but after celie leaves home to marry mr. From the start, celie loves and feels protective of nettie. Sure, it gets mentioned here and there, but if youre hoping this will be a book about all things purple in the world, youre probably better off checking out the classic childrens book, purple. The book vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor african americans especially women in the precivil.
Celie writes letters to god in which she tells about her lifeher roles as daughter. The color purple study guide contains a biography of alice walker, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and an. Please click on the literary analysis category you wish to be displayed. Celie, shug, and many of the other characters grow and change after being loved and learning to love in return. The color purple, by alice walker, is a very intense book to read. The color purple is one of those books that has such an intriguing title, you cant help but pick it up and figure out what its all about. Most of the black female characters in this book tend to be victims of violence, and men attempt to exert their dominance over womenparticularly their wivesby beating and raping them.
A summary of themes in alice walkers the color purple. As alice walker writes in a preface to the novel, purple is always a surprise but is found. The color purple alice walker book summary duration. The color purple study guide from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. The color purple can be a harsh read at times, but its ultimately a book about the power of loveboth romantic and familial. Oct 19, 2008 the color purple was written by feminist, alice walker and it was published in 1982. Although it is only referenced subtly in the remainder of the book, it does become clear that nettie is. The color purple thug notes summary and analysis youtube. The color purple is not an easy book to read because it is not written in the style of most novels. This novel consists of a series of letters, none of which are dated, and in order to have a time frame for the novel, we will have to read through it carefully. The color purple was written by feminist, alice walker and it was published in 1982.