Study Question

Why do you think that Celie, in the begining of the novel, is more of a push over and why is Celie becoming more and more aggressive towards the end of the novel?

Study Question

Is Alice Walker sexist because the men in her story are almost universally mean? Should she have placed more emphasis on race rather than gender?

Study Question

Women are not treated well in The Color Purple. Is their treatment a gender or an ethnic identity issue or both?

The Color Purple

Characterization in "The Color Purple"

1. Names - The nicknames for different characters are an indication of personality traits.

2. Occupation - For the female characters in particular, occupation says a lot about their levels of control over their lives.

3. Clothing - Celie is originally downtrodden and this is represented accurately through her clothing.

4. Speech and Dialogue - The effect of this dialogue is to put us right in the middle of Celie’s world – a black, rural, largely uneducated world.

Connotation in "The Color Purple"

1. "Sleep with me" - not only sleeping together, but making love.

2. "She under my daddy foot" - Father has all the authority

About Alice Walker

Alice Walker is an American novelist, short-story writer, poet,essayist, and activist. Her most famous novel, The Color Purple, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in 1983. AliceWalker's creative vision is rooted in the economic hardship, racialterrorism, and folk wisdom of African American life and culture, particularly in the rural South. Her writing explores multidimensionalkinships among women, among men and women, among humans and animals, and embraces the redemptive power of social, spiritual and political revolution.

Suggested Essay Topic

1. Describe Celie's relationship with Shug. How does it change?

If I Were A Teacher, What would I Assign For Short Answer Questians?

1. How would you describe the relationship between Mr. ______ and Celie, How is it different from the relationship between Mr._____ and Shug?

2. What does the way the community reacts to Shug's illness say about the status of women?

Theme of Violence

Violence - For the first time in her life, Celie finds her own violent tendencies. When she discovers Nettie's letters hidden by Mr._____, she wants to kill him. She knows that she will never do such an un-Christ-like act, but she thinks of doing so nonetheless.

Theme of Sexuality

Sexuality - There are painful sexual crimes in this novel. Celie ges raped within the first page by who she believes to be her father, while her mother is at the doctor's office. This physical act of violence is Celie's first experience and introduction to sexuality.

Theme of Family

family - Celie comes from a large, poor family. Her mother is perpetually pregnant and frustrated with her numerous siblings. Because of this large family, Celie is often left alone and with her terrifyingly violent father.

Theme of Religion

Religion - This book is related to religion becaue Celie loves to write to God and let him know what is happing when she is happy, sad , insecure or confused. She wonders what her life will be like in her first letter to God. She believes she is a good girl and wants God to know that.

Shug Avery

Shug Avery is the exotic singer and entertainer who catches the heart of both Mr._____ and Celie's instantly. She performs a famous nightclub, known as the 'Queen Bee' and then develops an illness for singing and drinking, she then moves in with her lover, Mr._____, and eventually falls in love with Celie. She then teaches Celie the beauty of femininity of love of relationships and kindness. Even though she moves around the country and sleeps with many men, she ultimately loves Celie with all her heart.

Nettie

Nettie is Celie's younger sister, bright, attractive, and strong. She gets kicked out of her home for refusing Mr.____'s advances and discovers an entirely new life.Nettie writes to Celie throughout her entire travel abroad and looks forward to a reunion as well. She falls in lovewith Samuel and marries him in a small ceremony in England before saying goodbye to the Olinka tribal community in Africa.

Celie

She begins as a young girl, raped by her father, forced to give up her babies because they belong to her father and her father does not want people to find out about them. She is told that she is dumb, useless, and ugly by her father. Her father forces her to marry Mr.____, a man much older than she is. Throughout her life, she writes letters to God and her sister Nettie, who she prays will return to her one day. Celie who falls in love with Shug Avery, Mr.____'s singing mistress and learns how to love herself.