Winner of the national book award as well as the pulitzer prize, the color purple established alice walker as a major voice in modern fiction. For me, characters are usually more important than the plot. The color purple is considered a classic womanist text. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of the color purple. Her unforgettable portrait of celie and her friends, family, and lovers is rich with passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life. It covers the first half of the 20th century, as we follow celie through thirty or forty years of.
The color purple is a novel by africanamerican author alice walker. It was published in the united states in 1982 and won the national book award for fiction and the pulitzer prize for fiction in. From the view of a reader, the title of the book, the color purple represents the pain and the bruises. The color purple study guide contains a biography of alice walker, literature essays, quiz. At the start of the novel, celie is a fourteenyearold, vulnerable, abused black girl who addresses her letters to dear god. It gave me the same feeling as the color purple, and i deeply associate the two books since i read one right after the other. 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. 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. Read the color purple by alice walker available from rakuten kobo. The color purple cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. Celie is abused and raped by her pa, who takes away her children after theyre born. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. The color purple summary from litcharts the creators of. Today in schools and churches around the nation, fundraising different things for their club or church to help them either travel or help pay the expenses of things.
The color purple is a 1982 novel written by alice walker. The color purple, a bestselling africanamerican classic about a southern girls redemptive journey from family enslavement to selfrealisation, has become the kind of theatrical warhorse. The color purple ebook by alice walker rakuten kobo. 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. Winner of the pulitzer prize and the national book award, this novel about a resilient and courageous woman has become. She says that she thinks god gets angry when you walk past the colour purple in a field and dont notice it. The color purple by alice walker is a powerful story of how a woman named celie who found her voice and inner peace amidst the trials of her. It is jubilee by margaret walker, and it is just a gorgeous book with an amazing heroine. Financial analysis of the color purple 1985 including budget, domestic and international box office gross, dvd and bluray sales reports, total earnings and profitability. The color purple is one of the most successful and controversial books ever written by a black woman. Three powerful novels by alice walker, beginning with h. Born in february 9, 1944 in putnam county in the state of georgia to a family of eight children, in which she happened to be the youngest. In the color purple, in the color purple, nettie and celies daughter and son travel and they start to try and raise money for their missionary jobs in africa.
Okay, i remember this book bc i read it in the same summer i read the color purple. 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. Nobby clark t he color purple, book, movie, musical, has been successful beyond anything i could have imagined when i. The color purple, by alice walker, is a very intense book to read. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Full text of thecolorpurplealicewalker see other formats. Alice walkers the color purple weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for in the first few letters, celie tells god that she has been raped by her father and that she is pregnant for the second time with his child. Walker was the first africanamerican woman to win the pulitzer prize for fiction, which she won in 1983 for her novel the color purple, also a national book award winner. The novel is told in an epistolary style, through the usage of 90 different letters written by the characters. Free study guide for the color purple by alice walker free book summary previous page table of contents. The color purple is an american novel of permanent importance. Amy yusella topic analysis and introduction the view of the novel the color purple from a relationship and conflict standpoint is essential in understanding and analyzing the novel. The color purple flliee walker r tl pulitzer prize winner ik f tl authors. From the view of a reader, the title of the book, the color purple represents the pain and the bruises that had been given to celie through her pitiful life.
Winner of the pulitzer prize and the national book award. Walker fashions this book beautifullywith each of celies letters slowly adding to her. This 63page guide for crenshaw by katherine applegate includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 52 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Get all the key plot points of alice walkers the color purple on one page. 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. Eventually, then, halfway through the book, as celies subliterate dialect letters to god continue to mount eventually achieving the naturalness and intensity of music, equal in beauty to eudora weltys early dialect stories, letters from nettle in africa begin to arrive. Alice walkers the color purple, despite its strong descriptions of rape and violence, is a powerful novel showing the empowerment of black women, namely. When it was written, the color purple stirred up a storm of controversies, and walker was accused of representing the black society in a very harsh light and tarnishing the blackmale image.
The color purple book report title the color purple author. How family structure can build strong bonds in the color purple by alice walker. 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. Nobby clark t he color purple, book, movie, musical, has been successful beyond anything i could have imagined when i was writing it. Read the full book report essay paper on the color purple research paper if you need an original book report essay written from scratch, place your order at. A summary of the book, the color purple by alicve walker. In her first letters, she details how her father has been sexually abusing her. Jul 20, 20 the color purple, a bestselling africanamerican classic about a southern girls redemptive journey from family enslavement to selfrealisation, has become the kind of theatrical warhorse.
Later on, it won the pulitzer prize and is now accepted as a modern classic. Celie, a young girl who lives with her abusive father, her sick mother, and her younger sister nettie, begins writing letters to god. General fiction alice walkers masterpiece, a powerful. Her mother is perpetually pregnant and frustrated with her numerous siblings. Celie starts writing letters to god because her father, alphonso, beats and rapes her. The color purple is an epistolary novel, made up of letters written by celie to god and by nettie to celie. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the early twentieth century.
She says that she thinks god gets angry when you walk past the colour purplemore if you read the book, its a reference to something shug says to celie. The book vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor african americans especially women in the precivil. It is about being a woman and a black, living in the frame of male civilization, racist and sexist, being subject to all possible forms of oppression. The color purple represents all the good things in the world that god creates for men and women to enjoy. Edgy tale of poor, abused womans journey to independence. Walker has also contributed to american culture as an activist, teacher, and public intellectual.
At the beginning of the book, you could say that celie has no sense of the color purple. Orinoco womble tidy bag and all if you read the book, its a reference to something shug says to celie. Thirty years later, at the end of the novel, she has forged her own life. Buy the color purple book online at best prices in india on. This is troubling to adam especially, since he hopes to marry tashi one day and bring her back to america.
Full text of the color purple alicewalker see other formats. The color purple, novel by alice walker, published in 1982. The color purple is truly an amazing book and one i wish i could give double the 5 stars to. 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.
Celie, the protagonist and narrator of the color purple, is a poor, uneducated, fourteenyearold black girl living in rural georgia. Walker also won the national book award for fiction in 1983. Celie becomes pregnant twice, and each time her father gives away the children. Eventually, pa marries celie off to a man who is just as abusive as pa. Alice walkers the color purple is a classic comingofage story centered on the life of africanamerican protagonist celie, as she overcomes her issues with self image and her abusive childhood. 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. It explores the modern search for wholeness, connection of people in an age of fragmentation and exploitation. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name taking place mostly in rural georgia, the story focuses on the life of africanamerican women in the southern united states in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues. Because of this large family, celie is often left alone and with her terrifyingly violent father. Winner of the pulitzer prize and the national book award, this novel about a. Even if the narrative is rather predictable and bland. The color purple project relationships and conflicts by.
A comparison of the racial discrimination of the scottsboro boys and sofia in the color purple by alice walker. Its told in an epistolary style, through the usage of 90 different letters written by the characters the color purple summary book reports. The color purple research paper read a free book report. Her other bestselling novels include by the light of my fathers smile, possessing the secret of joy and the temple of my familiar.
Celie eventually learns that her abusive husband has been keeping her sisters letters. 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. On the surface, the dissension has centered on the. This novel depicts the life journey of a woman and her sister and therefore takes place in different locations. Oct 18, 2009 why is the book called the color purple. Biography alice walker was born in eatonton, georgia on february 9, 1944. The story focuses on the life of a young girl named celie who, at the start of the novel, is living with her sexually and physically abusive father. The color purple book report essay example for students 1959.
The book begins about 30 years before world war ii. Having first seen the film on a flight to vancouver, i knew this would be a good story but i was unnerved by the epistolary approach, the dialect and the first person pov. Walker in love and trouble, meridian has set herself the task of an epistolary noveland she scores strongly with it. Alice walkers the color purple is a classic comingofage story centered on the life of africanamerican protagonist celie, as she overcomes her. 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. The color purple won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1983, making walker the first black woman to win the prize. It explores the modern search for wholeness, connection of.
In the book, the color purple, alice walker used several symbols and personifications to describe celies insecure and painful life. 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. As the color purple ended its run on broadway today, i wanted to give a few reasons why this musical transcends time. Alice walker is an african american author that gained worldwide fame for her pulitzerwinning book the color purple. Upon their return, they find out that tashi has scarred her face in the traditional olinka custom. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the.
Free study guide for the color purple by alice walker free book summary previous page table of contents study questions essay topics book report ideas. 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. The color purple study questionsbook report topicsessay ideas. In 1983, the book won the pulitzer prize for fiction and the national book award for fiction. The color purple book report title the color purple. Reading the color purple by jacqueline bobo the color purple, the novel and the film, have both been the subject of intense opposition since the arrival of alice walkers book in 1982 and the release of steven spielbergs film in december 1985. Eventually, then, halfway through the book, as celies subliterate dialect letters to god continue to mount. The color purple study questions book report topicsessay ideas. Chapter 9 pages 204225 nettie and her new husband and family return to africa to tell the olinka people that the missionary society cant help them any longer. A black child born into poverty, walker started life with many disadvantages. As a woman and more profoundly as a black woman, this musical gave me nothing but strength and guidance to look within at my own life. Buy the color purple book online at low prices in india.