Critical analysis of the novel the color purple the color purple is regarded as walker s most successful and critically acclaimed work. Becca villanueva, grace basset and haley rauch feminist criticism works cited canis, fatma koyuncu. Criticism and reflection of the color purple by alice walker criticized as a novel containing graphic violence, sexuality, sexism, and racism. Criticism and reflection of the color purple by alice walker criticized as a novel containing graphic violence, sexuality, sexism, and racism, the color purple was banned in several schools across the united states. Jan 27, 1986 blacks in heated debate over the color purple by e. 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. These actions interestingly follow along with the meanings of feminist criticism. 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. For further information on her life and complete works, see clc, volumes 5, 6, 9, 19, 27, and 103. 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. Each scholarly essay becomes a step of the journey that paves the way for the development of self and sexual awareness, the beginnings of religious transformation and the creation of nurturing places like home.
Alice walkers novel is unique in its preoccupation with spiritual survival and with exploring the. In studying the text, the reader needs to try to examine it objectively and also take into account how their own ethnicity and gender might affect the way in which the narrative is interpreted. The color purple cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. Her voice is also celies voicethe voice of a person who has grappled with ide with an issue. 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. Apr 01, 2015 the novel the color purple by alice walker is a groundbreaking work in american fiction. Today the color purple is such a beloved film in the black community that its hard to fathom that it wasnt loved by everybody when it was released 25 years ago on december 18, 1985.
The color purple, by alice walker, is a very intense book to read. Celie finds her voice and personal identity over the years. 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, while easily satisfyingthat claim, brings into sharper focus many of the diverse themes that threaded their way through her past work. The following entry presents criticism on walkers novel the color purple 1982 through 2001. Gender criticism and the color purple english literature essay. The color purple by alice walker goodreads share book. Alice walkers most famous novel the color purple earned both a pulitzer prize and the american book award. Pretty colors a literary analysis on alice walkers, the color purple alice walker was a writer who influenced many people in her time, and continues to influence a copious amount of people still today considering she is still living. In the color purple alice walker rises above the confines of gender and race in relation to religion. On the surface, the dissension has centered on the. Alice walker walker, alice contemporary literary criticism.
The movie, directed by steven spielberg and based on the pulitzer prizewinning novel by alice walker, tells the story of celie, a black woman. The color purple feminist analysis homework please. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the. Selected fulltext books and articles alice walkers the color purple by harold bloom chelsea house, 2000 librarians tip. The color purple won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1983, making walker the first black woman to win the prize. However, its deeper thematic elements offer an alternative approach to spirituality. Javangwe presentation writeup of alice walkers the color purple feminist literary criticism is an integral way of analysing literary works. The color purple has remained a cultural touchstone for black. The color purple won the american book award and the pulitzer prize in fiction in 1983. Alice walkers the color purple follows the personal and spiritual growth of an impregnated and abused african american girl in the south. Criticism and reflection of the color purple by alice walker. Walker also won the national book award for fiction in 1983. The topic of emotionalphysical abuse, especially that endured by black american women of earlier generations is not openly spoken about or documented in history books. In rural georgia during the first half of the 20th century, celie whoopi goldberg is married off to an abusive.
The lesbianism in the novel is still cited by those who wish to keep it off school readings lists, and when the book was first published, some critics. The color purple can be read and understood from both a feminist and a womanist perspective. The various waves of feminism throughout history have proven numerous times the difficulties involved when attempting to gain equal rights. The color purple at the auditorium theatre 4 stars. The color purple is a novel by alice walker that was first published in 1982. Alice walkers first book, the third life of grange copeland, was published in 1970. This revival of the musical takes a whole, new approach and sings straight to us in the audience. Critical analysis of the novel the color purple name. The color purple by alice walker in terms of feminist criticism. This month marks the 30th anniversary of alice walkers winning of the pulitzer prize for the color purple, the first for a novel by a black woman. The novel takes place in two distinct settingsrural georgia and a remote african villageboth suffused with problems of race and racism. The criticism got even more dramatic once the film adaptation. It explores the modern search for wholeness, connection of people in an age of fragmentation and exploitation. 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.
The feminist lens acts as a tool for thoroughly examining walkers portrayal of women. Alice walkers the color purple follows celies transformation from victim to hero. One of the books critics, elliot butlerevans, according to linda selzers essay race and domesticity in the color purple, criticized the novels epistolary form as. When she was eight years old, alice walker was sent to live with her grandfather, a recovering alcoholic, and grandmother for a year in rural. List of books and articles about the color purple online. The color purple is truly an amazing book and one i wish i could give double the 5 stars to. As such, the work does function as a feminist novel. In the novel the color purple, the author, alice walker, showcases celies journey of finding her identity through the use of celies letters to god, celies letters to nettie, and the formation of female relationships.
The color purple is alice walkers book and it talks about trials and challenges celie who is the main character goes through in her struggle to get united with nettie her sister. Although mainstream critiques and black male criticism of the film and novel have. Blacks in heated debate over the color purple the new. The color purple feminist crtiticism by becca villanueva on. Sweetness and stridency exist side by side in alice walkers color purple, a book whose great virtue is the conversational immediacy that lets its characters spring to life on the page. At the beginning of the book, you could say that celie has no sense of the color purple. 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 is one of the most successful and controversial books ever written by a black woman. Pulitzer prize for the color purple, the first for a novel by a black woman.
The color purple represents all the good things in the world that god creates for men and women to enjoy. In other words, she was not unknown to those of us who cared about the african american female literary voice. Washington square press, 1982 won a pulitzer prize in 1983 making the georgiaborn author and poet the. A literary analysis of alice walkersthe color purple 834 words 4 pages.
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. They lived separated for quite some time but still their love was permanent and it prevailed against all odds. The book vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor african americans especially women in the precivil. I can certainly see how this book made such an impact by its discussion of painful topics and its feminist messages, but it was mainly the second half that brought this book down to its 3 starrating. The book begins about 30 years before world war ii.
The color purple, by alice walker, demonstrates theses hardships. No, it is not just a movie, said nate clay in an interview. See a complete list of the characters in the color purple and indepth analyses of celie, shug avery, mr. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name. 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. Walker in love and trouble, meridian has set herself the task of an epistolary noveland she scores strongly with it. The color purple feminist criticism phs ap english. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole. The color purple is considered a classic womanist text. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the color purple, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis.
The color purple as a feministwomanist text the color. What follows is a literary criticism paper i once wrote for an undergraduate course in american literature. Walker, in the opening pages shows the severity of feminist injustice, by describing the repercussions of the main character being raped and abused. In rural georgia during the first half of the 20th century, celie whoopi goldberg is married off to an abusive man danny glover after becoming pregnant by h. It covers the first half of the 20th century, as we follow celie through thirty or forty years of. In other words, she was not unknown to those of us who cared about the africanamerican female literary voice. Crude language and explicit detail chronicle the life of celie, a young black woman. 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. Celie believes herself to be ugly in part because of her very dark skin.
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