by Alice Walker
Presentation
Caitlyn, Text and Context, February 21
Reading
Thursday, Feb 21: through page 113 in the Harcourt Edition; the letter ends, "Way after while, I act like a little lost baby too."
Tuesday, February 26: page 114-288 (end of novel)
Commenting
1st comment on/by February 20
2nd comment on/by February 28
Sunday, January 27, 2008
The Color Purple
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52 comments:
I started this book early and got so interested in it that I finished it. I hope my comments don't spoil any of the plot.
I loved the way the book was written through letters, and I didn't have much trouble with the dialect. I wonder if Alice Walker uses this style of writing or if she was using "epistles" since all of Celie's letters were written to God.
I thought it was an interesting point where Celie lost her faith and began to write her letters to Nettie. It seemed to me that finding out the truth about her parents would have been reassuring and would have taken away a lot of her guilt; she might have believed that God was looking after her. However, she mentioned that God was a man, and I guess it was betrayal upon betrayal by men that made her break.
I thought one of the saddest parts of the book was Corinne's suspicions. They made her miserable, along with Nettie and her entire family. I didn't understand the lack of communication among the characters, educated or not; so much harm was done because no one had ever revealed the truth. No one even seemed to ask questions.
We saw parts of the Great Rift Valley when we were in Jordan and Egypt last year. It is really something to behold. The current National Geographic Magazine has an article about the Nubians (from Sudan) who were Pharaohs for a few generations. I'm not sure if Walker was correct about Ramses being black, though. I think he was another generation. There were constant battles, and of course,later, the Ptolemys (Greek and Macedonia) were pharaohs.
Jeana
I also started it early and I can not put it down, but I haven't finished it. It's captivating and the way it's written makes it easy to relate to and feel like you're right there in the story.
It's been pretty depressing so far. I'll try not to give anything away. Celie is so easy to sympathesize with because she puts up with everybody and helps them as best she can. You feel so sorry for her because her situations seem so hopeless. The women in this novel generally seem so horribly controlled and abused by the men. I love Sofia's character. She was brought up among boys so knows how to defend herself.
I think this is my favorite that we've read so far.
I cannot put down this book to save my life.Once i open it up i'll just read and read and read.This book just reaches out and grabs me.It's so easy to read and i've gotten so involved in it since the very first page.The content of this book is so graphic; it'll break your heart.
It's so horrible, all the things that poor, poor Celie goes through. I can't even begin to somewhat realte to what she's had to go through throughout her entire life.I can't even believe how wonderfully she handles herself in all of these horrible situations she's found herself in.And, she's so positive despite her circumstaces which is remarkable to me.She shows a tremendous amount of strength snd she is truly inspiring to me.She is probably one of my favorite characters.
~Alexis~
Well I'll go against the first three people and say that I don't really like this book. I think it is well written, and the style of using letters is certainly intriguing. But honestly, I just don't like the subject matter. I don't like the setting; I don't particularly like the characters; and I don't like the plot much either. I guess I'm a little biased because I grew up with stories by Robert Louis Stevenson and Jules Verne. In these, there is always a clear hero and there is always a villain (who loses whatever the conflict is). But in The Color Purple, there isn't really much to be said for any of the characters. The women are either rebellious or repressed, and the men are almost all abusive and mean spirited.
I will say that I do like one character although he doesn't appear very much. Jack, Odessa's husband is really the only decent guy in the book. He takes care of his wife, listens to her needs, and loves his children. I wish there was more of the story with him in it. Sadly, it appears to be a story in which I can find little goodness. And honestly, I'd like to read an adventure story with a good guy and a villain much more than one in which a girl is raped by her "father" in the first five pages of the book.
-furrylittlemanager
I also haven't been able to stop reading this book. The first page alone was disturbing but for some reason I was drawn into the book. I think I was intrigued by the strength of Celie through all the hard times she experienced. I disagree with the post above, I think there is a hero and many villains in this story. To me, Celie is the hero because she remained strong throughout everything and managed to overcome horrific experiences in her past to begin to lead a somewhat happy life. I also think that there are numerous villains including her ‘father’ who is the most obvious. Of course Celie didn't win a physical fight which is something modern heros tend to do but I certainly believe that she won the battle within herself when she finally decided to leave her husband and pursue the life that she had always dreamed of.
-Jessi
I have to agree with furrylittlemanager. I'm not really enjoying this book. I have read plenty of books in difficult dialects, and about controversial and disturbing content, so that's not why I dislike it.
I find the writing style affected. I'm not trying to be cold or cruel, the characters just don't speak to me. They seem artificial, and very stereotyped in their roles. I think the author tried to play on her readers emotions too much, lending a contrived air to the novel. The convoluted plot got predictable and thus boring. Whatever seemed like should happen, the opposite was bound to. While I don't enjoy predictable books, this book was predictable sheerly for the fact that it seemed to try not to be. The author seems to try to invoke conflicting emotions, with the rape of Celie by her "father" (disgust and horror) to finding out he's not her real father ('oh, it wasn't that bad then', and then thought about if it really was just as bad), to try to convince reader's of the reality of situations. It is a thinly veiled attempt to make readers think, and therefore detracts from the novel.
- Ava
Since the beginning of the book, I was intrigued not by the power and disturbance of the first scene, but by the format in which it was written, in letters addressed to God. I kinda wonder if she was actually writing the letters or just talking in her head. I wonder why sometimes she addresses the letters to God and other times to G-o-d and other times to GOD.
So far I like the book, I get exasperated sometimes about the whole situation, I feel powerless. Personally, I would like for Celie to beat up her stepfather and Mr. _____. It just seems like a recurring cycle that when one think is going to finally end, it starts all over again. First when Celie leaves her stepfather, one thinks that she is probably going to be better off with Mr. _____, but no, Mr. ____ beats her up also. Then even with Harpo, when Mr. ___and even Celie persuade him to beat up Sophia. It almost seems like a tradition that passes on from generation to generation; to be a real man, or to “wear the pants in a relationship” you have to control your wife by beating her up. And if you can’t do it, then certainly you are not man enough. Almost all of the male characters in The Color Purple act like ruthless jerks, so if the son always imitates the father, I am just wondering when will the cycle ever end, or how do you put an end to the cycle? I am eager to read the resolution of this book. Although I am probably way off, I am hoping for a happy ending.\
-Sodapop
This has been an awesome book to read. Not only is the plot interesting, but it also relates two world issues that may seem totally separate, but are actually very similar: the way the Olinka culture in Africa lived and the way a lower class African American family lived in the United States. One would think that considering how much more advanced technologically and socially American culture is supposed to be from the rest of the world, it would not have problems with the same end product as a culture like the Olinkas, who were living in a much more primitive way. In the end, the women in both social groups were brought up without an education because if they were educated, "no man would want them".
I also liked how in the end, Celie realizes that God is not necessarily a white man, but that God actually lives in every single thing and does not need a form, but that we can see manifestations of It in every beautiful thing in the world. I have to disagree with furrylittlemanager when he said that there were no clear heroes and villains in this novel: the clear villain is ignorance and poverty and the heroes are all the characters that overcome and defeat this villains by learning from experience and becoming something better in the end of the novel.
~Maria~
This book has been very interesting. It is a rather depressing book in that the main charaters, namely Celie, have no good fortune. I would have to disagree with Ava in that the characters are artificial. These characters have had to go through real horros that do happen in real life, but in our sometimes veiled society we tend to forget about some of the deep misfortunes like rape and a horrible home-life others have to deal with. I'm not saying because we go to school and generally have a decent home that we are free of traumatic events. Everyone has bad experiences and Celie is just expressing hers through writing. I feel her misfortunes are far greater than mine have ever been and thus I sympathize with her. Her character is REAL and this story illustrates how she has dealt with her various real-life situations.
This book has been a fascinating read, but it is not my favorite. There does not seem to be a plot at the moment and so it can be hard to read. I will be interested to see what happens in the coming pages and I hope the plot thickens.
~Mary
I have to agree with Ava, to some extent. I have enjoyed reading the book, and I feel really bad for Celie. However, none of the characters are real enough for me. They seem very distant and impersonal, and that defeats the purpose of the book in my opinion.Another problem I've had with the book is the lack of a plot. I typically enjoy books that have a plot, with a beginning climax and end. This book doesn't really seem to have that. I am still waiting for a more central and interesting story to take place. Granted, I have not finished the book. So there is hope yet for this book to really catch my interest.
-Erin
This book is crazy! I can not put it down for a second. I have lost sleep over this book. The first 30 or so pages were very disturbing and I feel terrible for Celie. I like this book because it doesn't have a plot at all, I can't determine what is going to happen next. This book hasn't gotten boring since it sort of jumps from Netties letters to Celie's life. The characters in this book seem real, but I don't know if this is how life was in this time frame for sure, so at the same time is seems unrealistic. I haven't finished this book and I can't even come to a prediction, isn't it awesome!
-steph
This book is awesome!!! Im not much of a reader but this is one book i sure like. The first 40 pages or so are quit disturbing! I feel so bad for Celie. It took me a while to get use to the language and dialect but now it is so easy to read and i've and i have really gotten into the book. The content of this book is very graphic sometimes it is really nasty and hard for me to think about the situations. It is horrible, all the things Celie goes through. I can't even begin to imagine what she's has to go through her entire life. I think she handles these situations she is put in very well. Celie shows a lot of personal and emotional strength and fatih in God. I think that that is a major factor in her life. --larae
I have two very different opinions of this book. First, I have to agree with Mary in that the characters are extremely "real." This is why I think it might be hard to relate to the characters because they are so unique and immersed in their own lives that it is hard for a detached reader (at least for me) to really get involved. Obviously, I feel very sorry for Celie and the various tragedies in her life. It's hard to imagine how powerless she must feel. Secondly, the constant switching between Celie's and Nettie's letters becomes a little tiresome. Just when you're getting into one character's story, you have to read the other's account. Overall, this is not my favorite book to read, but it is certainly one that tells a powerful and emotional story. Hopefully, Celie will become more independent and able to stand up for herself.
-Meenu
Let me start off by saying that I've found this book to be so interesting. Even though a lot of the content is very disturbing, Walker writes in such a way that you can't help but be drawn into the story.
I think the one aspect of the novel that is so unique is how sincere her characters are. They have all had experiences and are in situations that most of us could never even imagine. However, this makes it somewhat hard to become fully engaged in the story, because you can't really relate to any of the characters wholly. I also have to agree with Erin though, in saying that the story really has no plot; you never really see Walker building up to one distinct climax.
However, despite certain aspects of the novel that are less pleasing than others, I think the novel is amazingly written, especially when you consider the subject matter.
I LOVE THIS BOOK!! i can't seem to put it down. All though its wonderful it is disturbing at the same time. I love at the beginging celie has such a close relationship with God! He is her rock. Her friend. You do see as the book unfolds that she starts to see God as just another man like all the others. She begins to break out of her silenced shell and starts standing up for her and all women. She starts letting the real Celie shine through and not just this girl everyone wants or expects her to be!I have not yet finished the book but i am extremly exciited to see how it unfolds for Celie and the others.
-Brittany M.
I never expected such graphic content but I think that is one of the reasons I am thouroughly enjoying this book. I even went as far as taking the book to the dinner table with me! i dont personally identify with celie because I am lucky enough not to be in an abusive relationship. However I can relate to Celie's relationship with God because sometimes I feel like hes the only one to turn to. After reading the first part of this book, I want to say that I am truely blessed to live a life where I can be myself as a women. I am not beaten, raped, abused or verbally abused on a regular bases! Throughout the book my emotions are constantly stirring. My heart goes out to celie as i read. Not only celie but all of the women in this book. (sofia,sqeak,shug,etc.) ~Kayla~
I love this book, however it has been somewhat difficult to read due to the dialect. i love all of the drama that is constantly happening. I think that have the drama makes it easier to read. I also feel very emotionally invested in the characters. I think that I feel most sympathetic towards Celie. She has had to deal with so many horrible things in her life. I think she is a much stronger person for being able to deal with it all. This book has made me realized how lucky I am in life. I have never had to life in a physically abusive realationship. It has forced me to see that I do not apperciate all of the things that I have as much as I should. I can not wait to finish this book and see how it all works out!
Kimberly
Most everyone has said that they feel sorry for Celie because she's been abused and such. When I most feel sorry for her; however, is in the scenes with her and Shug Avery. She must really be a passive, oppressed woman to let her husband's lover stay under the same roof with her. What makes it worse, I think is that her father-in-law and those around her seem to praise her for it. I don't know how I made it through graduate school without having read this novel before or at least watching the film, but I haven't. I'm glad I have not, though. I like discussing the book in the context of a Women's Studies class rather than just a literary class. I think there are many more women's issues to discuss here. The fact that Celie is taught about her sexuality by Shug is very significant. I wonder if Celie turns to her because she's been abused by men or because that's the way she feels. I went ahead and posted here after I read up until the point we were supposed to, but I'm going to keep reading because I just have to find out what happens next!
One important thing to remember is that Celie does not love Mr. She does not see him in the sense that we may think of a husband. So, I don't feel sorry for her for having Shug under her roof, in fact, I am grateful that she lets Shug live with them, because through Shug, Celie learns how to live...how to be independent.
Some important issues in the book:
the dual repression of black women, by both white people and black males--the black males of the novel treat the women just as bad as white folk do, if not worse; women seen as interchangeable by the males, only for sex and work; God and the church--unable to protect women--bad things seem to happen just as the characters leave church.
I don't think Celie addresses her letters to God as a way to show some kind of strong relationship with God, she addresses the letters to God because her step-father tells her not to tell anyone but God what has happened between them-she has noone else to address her letters to. She does not expect anything from this God she is writing to, many times she even asks for signals from God and does not recieve any...so I don't believe her relationship with this God is nearly as important to her development as a strong independent woman as is her relationship to Nettie and Shug...after all, why should a woman be reliant upon a patriachal white man's god?
--Cindy
I, for one, am really enjoying this book. I saw the musical first, so I had an idea of what was going to happen, but, of course, the book is so much better. I'm going to have to disagree with Erin, a lot. In my opinion the characters are very real, but I think it is hard for people to relate to a character when they haven't had any of the same experiences or are familiar with the same culture as the character. No, the book does not have a plot, and in response to furrylittlemanager, no, it does not have clear cut heroes and villains. To me, this is what makes this book so wonderful. I think walker was writing a book about life through the life of Celie. Life has no plot, no real heroes, no distinct villains. It doens't have a singular beginning, climax or end, but rather many of these, just like Walker's book. Another think I really like about this book is it addresses a lot of stereotypes through the eyes of the stereotyped, but that could be a discussion in and of itself. This is probably one of my favorite books and I can't wait to finish it.
~Chelsea~
I felt that this was a beautiful book about the struggles of women, african americans and african tribes and how so many oppressed people found strength and beauty within themselves and their abilities to stand up for what they beleived as people. I really liked Shug Avery's opinions on God and to me that was a very uplifting, loving, and embracing notion about life that really ephasized the bond between women in this story. Then, from this Celie thought about god being within all things and people and nature,and instead of being ashamed and beleiving what oppressors told her, she was able to see the light within herself and the world, from where before she only saw death as a comfort instead of her life because it was filled with so much hatred and violence.
In reference to the color purple being a part of the story, there were a few things I noticed that seemed to tie in to the title, but I haven't finished yet so this is just what I've noticed so far. I remember it was mentioned to the kind of dress she wanted to wear but the store did not sell that color to her. To me this was kind of symbolism for Celie's longing for independence and to have something beautiful in her life, but this was not something she was allowed to have, just as how she is kept from her freedom and from herself. Then it is also refereced again when Shug mentions enjoying the beauty of the world and how the color purple was one of the things there to be loved by people.
-Julia Hawkins-
Although I found the book riveting and had to finish it, I cannot say that it is one of my favorite books.
I agreed with Ava, that somehow the book seemed a little contrived. However, I was thinking more of the scenes of graphic sexual encounters; and it made me wonder if McCarthy and Walker used those scenes to actually create controversy and increase the sales of their books. After all, these authors are also earning their livings and I wonder if all their writing is done for art's sake.
As all the partners in the book kept swapping mates, I also couldn't help wonder about STD's. Sometimes sexual customs of a previous generation are held in great distain, but there is often genetic memory involved in the evolution of societal mores. (Like the prohibition of eating pork by Muslims and Jews.)
It also bothered me that so many black men were awful. Her villians are almost unbelievable. Walker seems to be identifying more with gender than with race, and I'll be interested in the class discussion. I'm sure there must have been controversy about this book. In fact, this is an interesting year politically in our country as some voters also are considering gender and race as they vote.
Jeana
I loved Maria’s comment – “the villain is ignorance and poverty” – that’s perfect! There are heroes in this book – the everyday kind that the world needs more of. I do have a great deal of compassion for Celie, but I also admire her very much. Cindy pointed out that Celie doesn’t expect anything from her God; I don’t think she expects anything from anyone, or from Life. She takes things as they come, and doesn’t let externals change her true Self. Lack of expectations can be seen as weakness, especially in our society today, when most people seem to feel that the world owes them something in exchange for their mere existence. The same lack, though, protects Celie from being spoiled by the bitterness that comes with disappointment, and makes her truly grateful for the few “blessings” she’s granted.
In Women’s Studies we learn that a cornerstone of feminism is the recognition that it must be aligned with issues of race and class inequality/oppression. I think Walker does an excellent job of tying all these together in this story. The marriage of Harpo and Sofia demonstrates the nonsense of the sexual division of labor forced upon people and the logic of each person doing the work they are best fit to do. At the beginning of his marriage, Harpo is happy and proud of Sofia, and enjoys the freedom of being “allowed” to do the work he likes, that he would never have dared do in his father’s house. After his “fellow man” gets hold of him and convinces him that he should always be “on top” in order to be a REAL man, he trades his fulfilling home life for an illusion of manhood with which he hopes to impress his father, becoming the destroyer of his own happiness.
Every time I read this book I get something more from it. I’ll have to admit that the first time, I just thought it was “okay”, mainly because I don’t usually like books comprised of letters or diary entries. But after I got to know the characters better, I could much more easily imagine the whole story, including what is not written. The movie was on TV last night, and I watched some of it. I didn’t think I’d ever seen it before, and I still don’t remember watching it previously, but, when reading the book, I always fill in “Mr. ____” with “Mr. Johnson” and that’s the name used in the movie. Since I seriously doubt that I am psychic, I think I must have seen at least bits of it before. Watching it helped me to “picture” the characters, too. I knew that Whoopi Goldberg played Celie, and I had had a hard time reconciling her personality to the fact that she portrayed this character, but she really pulled it off.
I agree with Cindy; this book definitely shows how black women are dually oppressed. These women are kept down by everyone around them for the color of the skin, their gender, and also their social class. The way the men treat the women is astounding. It definitely seems to be socially constructed that women should be dominated by the men. Harpo seemed like he had potential to be a fair and loving man but instead learns from his father that women must be obedient to their wives and if they aren't then they should be beaten. It is so horrifying what these women put up with. Their positions seem so hopeless. Fortunately a strong woman character comes in to give some power to Celie, Shug. I hate what happened to Sophia when she defied the mayor's wife. That was awful. I won't get into detail about that since some people may not be there yet. I love how the story progresses and some of the characters grow and gain independence.
I haven't taken the time to read all of the comments so I will apologize ahead of time if I say anything that is repetitive.
I am really enjoying this book. It is definitely a page turner and it is also very easy to read (I think it has something to do with how it is written in letters). As I was reading and really getting far along (even up to what we are supposed to have read for our first discussion in class) I kept thinking, 'Ok...where is the 'community of women'?' I just wasn't getting it. It seemed like the story was basically about Celie and her life. However, once she found the letters from her sister I could see where the community of women comes up.
Something I wondered as I read (and definitely wondered after the last letter we were to have read) was whether or not Celie was a lesbian. At first I thought, no she isn't. She just has an admiring woman-crush on Shug. But then there is the scene where she sees Shug naked for the first time, and then she seems to get jealous when Shug is romantically involved with someone else, and then of course there is the scene where they are in bed together. So I just don't know. I haven't finished the book yet but I plan on doing so tonight. So hopefully the mystery will be solved.
Also, I think it is interesting to see how different the letters are from Nettie and Celie. You can tell in Nettie's letters that her education is so much better than Celie's. Not only that, but I think you can see Nettie's education progress in her letters. The writing and the language seem to improve with each letter.
I really like this book.
-Elizabeth Bowman Phelps
Well I feel like I don't have much more to add to the blog than what's already been said. I'm glad that the class is divided on this one though. I feel relieved finally that we are reading a novel with applicable, realistic and womanistic themes. I don't find it artificial or stereotypical in any way shape or form. I think the characters are honest, flawed and dynamic portraits of humanity. I think that the issues of incest, rape, lesbianism and religion are obvious at times but subverted by character development at others. I mean that when something happens, I'll have a typical, rational feminist response to the event and Celie has another. So the theme that Walker is showcasing may appeal to me quite obviously but Celie might ignore it's significance.
I'm so glad that we are reading a womanist text. I think the fact that the novel is born and bred from womanism may be some of the reasons that so many of us have a hard time identifying with the characters and plot. Nonetheless,
I feel that the issues are brave in their validity to the experience of the Black woman in American.
I guess I'm confused on the blog post dates again. I thought that the first comment would be due today since we have not yet discussed the novel in class. Sorry to everyone if this is late.
Can't wait to talk about the novel in class.
-Phaedra
Phaedra, I think our first comment is due today since we are having our first discussion on the book tomorrow. I, too, feel pretty much the same as everyone else about this book. Although I procrastinated actually beginning the novel since we didn't have to have it read by last Thursday, I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. I am almost done with the novel and have really enjoyed reading it so far.
Even after reading the first few letters I was shocked by this novel, and have pretty much stayed that way throughout the rest of it. It's horrible that any human being should ever have to go through what some of the characters in this book go through, especially Celia and Sofia. When Celie was describing how Sofia looked when she first saw her in jail I was beyond horrified. How any human can do that to another is beyond me.
I also have found myself hating every male that is in this novel. All of them seem completely arrogant, selfish, and ignorant. To me it seems like most of the males feel like they have failed in life and they beat their wives because it is the one thing that they feel like that get power from. I certainly can't wait to continue reading the letters between Celie and her sister and I am very glad that she has been brought back into the novel. I am extremely interested to discover how this novel will end.
I've also really enjoyed reading The Color Purple. I saw the movie several years ago, but I've been able to appreciate the story much more from reading the novel. I've read the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker so I knew that I would most likely enjoy reading the novel even though I had seen the movie. I like how the novel is written in diary entries and letters because it makes it seem like you know the characters on more of a personal level.
I agree with several of the comments that have been made about the men in the novel which only seem capable of abusing women. I know that Alice Walker has been criticized for her portrayal of black men in the novel, but I think that it has less to do with race and more to do with the way that women were oppressed. I'm looking forward to hearing what the class has to say about the issues such as abuse, incest and homosexuality that The Color Purple tackles.
While some of the twists in the novel may seem far fetched I think that The Color Purple is still a great story that is well written and clearly had a lasting effect.
-Rachel
Well, I'll let up some on the judgement of this book, mainly because the ending in my mind was satisfactory. True, there wasn't much retribution for past sins, but I think all had been forgiven. And what's the point of forgiveness if you still want revenge?
I never was a big fan of Shug, just because she seemed so flaky. She never could make up her mind about who she loved until the end, and I guess in my mind that should never be the case. Her behavior made me feel bad for Celie and (surprisingly) Albert. Both loved Shug deeply, and both were very hurt by her nonchalant approach towards relationships.
Lastly, I am glad that Nettie made it home. I was thinking that there was a chance that she really did drown. It wouldn't be unusual for letters to come after a person has died (mothers recieved letters from dead sons in WW1 and WW2). I guess the only good that would have come from Nettie's death would have been a spicier ending. Overall, the book was worth reading, but it lacked in reality.
-furrylittlemanager
Well,I've just fallen in love with this book entirely. I was a little worried about the ending wondering if the conclusion to this story would be like what I had hoped. And, it pretty much fulfilled my hopes for the most part. I really like how all of the people in the story dropped their grudges and forgave each other for the past. I really admired how they kept their gignity by not trying to get back and simply let go of everything.
The one thing that didnt go as I had hoped was the realtionship between Shug and Celie. It was so heartbreaking how much Celie was in love with Shug, but she just kept on leaving her for something that was glittery for the moment. It was like Celie wasnt good enough, she was just a back-up for when there was nothing better to chase.That really upset me.
One thing that really surprised me was the change that occurred with Albert. At the end he is an entirely new person, it is so amazing to me. I guess his wake-up call worked. And it was so weird, but I just instantly forgave aLbert for all of the horrible things he had done before. SO his new found character was totally refreshing to me.
As a whole, this is probably one of my favorite books now. I absolutely loved every part of it. I think what really appealed to me was that it was so realistic, the events were ones that you can actually see in real life, but all the same disturbing. The one unrealistic part would be the fairytale ending, but i mean that had to happen! I couldnt think of a person in this world that wasnt hoping Celie and Nettie would finally be reunited. It was like all of the cruelty in the book was made up for by the ending.GREAT BOOK!!!
~Alexis~
This book was a very fascinating read. The story was easy to get immersed in for a few hours. The characters were each unique and it was nice to see how each of them devloped throughout the novel. i was very happy that Celie was able to break free from the bonds of her marriage and begin her own life. She had never lived for herself before this point and it was nice to see her gradually become more confident and happy with her life.
I thought an odd part in this book was the two totally different stories that were being told at the same time. One in Africa, and one in the states. I wish there had been less about Nettie's story because the book seemed to be based around Celie's character. The constant back and forth between the two continents I thought detracted from the story about Celie. By the time I had become immeresed in one story, they had switched leaving for a more disjointed book.
Overall, this book was entertaining and a nice read. It iwas by no means my favorite book, but it is worth a read because it opens your eyes to the suffering and hardship that can come to one's life.
~Mary
After finishing this book, I have to say that I was very satisfied by the ending. I know that some people think that the happy (relatively speaking) ending didn't really mesh with the rest of the book, but I think that the ending provided hopein an otherwise dark and grim novel. It supplied that ounce of optimism that made this a powerful book. It showed that there is a chance at redemption for all those who have undergone struggles.
I was glad that Celie finally decided to become independent and live her own life. Also, like other people have commented, Shug's inconsiderate personality somewhat annoyed me. It was so obvious that Celie, and even Albert, adored her; yet, she ran off with a man a third of her age. This was the one aspect of the ending that I was little dissatisfied with. It wasn't quite clear if Shug and Celie are together at the end, or if Shug is just living in the area.
Overall, I think that this is an informative and important read, and although it is not my favorite book, I would recommend it to others.
-Meenu
I really like the use of religion in this novel. All the characters seemed to have a strong sense of faith, in varying ways. I especially liked Shug's view of God, being not the image of a person but something all around you in nature, being unbiased and always present and not something to be feared. I could really relate to her views on God because it is very similar to my own. I also didn't like seeing God as an elderly man. I like how Nettie also came to the conclusion that God should not be viewed as a person because it is restricting and seems to cause a lot of controversy. I loved Nettie's "intellectual power" with her eagerness to learn which gave her a way out of the usual oppression the women in that community had of being kept from an education. It was interesting to see how Celie's writing seemed to improve after she began reading the letters from her sister and having to struggle to get the meaning from the different way her sister talked from being educated. I really loved this book, but the end did seem a little rushed and almost like it didn't fit with the rest of the book because it was just so good and perfect.
I really enjoyed the class discussion and had an "ah-ha" moment when Dr. Cajka mentioned that there were two economic points of view --those of middle-class blacks and those of Celie, both of her perception of poverty and her own reality of it.
The realities of economic livelyhood play such an important role in the lives of women in every book we have read. Although Shug helped and encouraged Celie in her business and in her growth out of oppression, I think being economically independent was really the turning point in Celie's life. She had learned that she was a complete person without relying on anyone.
I think Oprah must feel strongly about economic independence also; i.e., her free download of Suze Orman's book about Women and Money.
I didn't think the ending was contrived. I thought it had always been Samuel and Nettie's goal to return to their hometown. Many people in this area are retirees, making their living somewhere else and then returning to their roots. I also think that with age and the vagarities of life, you either become embittered, or you become forgiving and thankful. I could understand Celie's friendship with Mr.____.
When I read about Celie's parentage, my first thought was "She owns that house." Perhaps her lack of education made her not even question the ownership until her stepfather's death. Gossip in small Southern towns is rampant--I found it hard to believe no one told her. That to me was the only contrived part of the book.
Jeana
I finally finished this book and I really enjoyed it. I think it is very well written and the characters are just so real. I hate that I have been sick and wasn't able to be in class Tuesday to discuss this book.
One thing I kept in the back of my mind while reading this was whether or not Celie is truly a lesbian. Honestly, I don't think she is. I think she has been so hurt by men in her past that she has completely shut them out of her life. Women are the only people who have ever loved Celie and I think that is why she is so attached to Shug.
The ending of the book where the sisters are reunited was very nice. Also, I have been trying to keep up with age. I figure Celie and Nettie are in their 40s-50s, right?
Anywho, this book was great. I really enjoyed it.
-Elizabeth Bowman Phelps
I just have to say that I absolutely love this book. Alice Walker is a fantastic writer. This book presents so many issues and deals with so much. I love the fact that Celie and Shug's relationship is not labeled. Why should our relationships be labeled? We love someone for them, supposedly. Because of what is inside, not because of what parts they have. Maybe that is why so many marriages fail...people want to try to define and label love rather than just love. I don't label Celie a lesbian or bisexual or anything, just merely a woman, a human. If only our society could catch up.
Also, I love that Mr. starts sewing. It is what he has always wanted to do but his father discouraged him because it is not manly---yet another label. Mr. is happiest at the end of the novel it seems, when he and Celie have a decent relationship and he is sewing with her.
I really liked the sewing parts, too. It's wonderfully ironic that the man who wouldn't have let Harpo cook or take care of children because it was Woman's Work ends up rocking on the front porch sewing clothes - and liking it. Maybe there's something there about how almost every character benefited from Celie's sewing, even if it was just because s/he got a pair of pants that exactly suited.
Responding to all the comments made about the characters’ credibility and lacking of plot, even though I agree to some extent, I think that regardless of those elements, Walker accomplished a powerful piece of literature that accurately represents women’s struggle throughout time. I would have to agree with all the ones that said that the characters didn’t seem real enough, because I couldn’t really connect with them either. But, I could really understand the message that Walker was trying to transmit through them. At the beginning of the novel, Celie is a girl tied up to her “duties” as a woman, just like any other female character in the novel (with the exception of Shug). In the novel, we can see the segregation of our world, the male sphere and the female sphere, which ultimately lead to the “established” gender roles. I was happy with the ending of the novel, because of two things: one, that the gender roles were kinda reversed, just one example of it, albert started sewing and cleaning and celie started her own business. And two, that the characters deserved it, I mean, with those painful hard lives, the least they could have was a happy ending.
-Sodapop
I love what Cindy said above about not labeling Celie, just that she is a human with feelings. I think that's probably part of what gets lost in translation here. We try to put our labels on Walker's story of the struggle of humanity. I can't say that I completely loved the book. I did at first, but the end started to drag for me and I just wanted someone to get together or die or Nettie to come home already or something! Sorry, but that's just how I felt. I, too, felt that Shug was a bit flaky as someone has said, but if it wasn't for her, Celie would not have gained self-confidence and her business. I could definitely see the communities that I had talked about in my presentation in this book. At Sophia's mother's funeral the women were even referred to as "amazons". The community of family was very strong in this book as well as education (with Nettie teaching in Africa). I still have mixed feelings about the book as far as her depiction of men being only negative (as that is a problem in this culture now). I also have a problem with the fact that Celie was going to get back with Albert in the end before Shug came back. Can any woman just stay by herself in these novels?
After reading this book, I was somewhat disappointed. I admit that I wanted some sort of retribution for all of the bad things that had happened, but i see the reason why it wasn't. It had a very realistic ending to it, with Nettie coming home, Shug still not loving Celie or Albert, and Albert at least partially redeeming himself. I am much like furrylittlemanager in that i prefer books that have a definite hero and villain. I don't like this confusing business of everyone being bad and good at the same time. I mean of course I can see that Celie should be considered the heroine for staying strong through everything her life threw at her, but she was not the kind of romantic heroine that I like.
As others have mentioned, I, too, became frustrated with Shug's nonchalance and flakiness. She was so fickle in her relationship that she ended up hurting both Albert and Celie. I think that this is a very selfish way of living. She lived purely for herself, without real regard for everyone else in her life.
Erin
This book is practically the Womanist's bible. It delves into every Womanist issue imaginable from the relationship between oppressed/oppressor to coming into one's sexual identity.
One issue in particular that I was hoping we would touch on in class was the role of religion in these women's lives. This was my favorite theme of the book. Walker makes clear the importance of reinventing religious meaning to include women of color, specifically during Celie and Shug's discussion of God.
Religion is of course problematic for many women on the principle that women's lives should not be imposed upon by moral standards which were defined or written into sacred law by men but expected to be upheld by women. Some women feel (including myself) that religion enslaves women into the confines of an institution ruled by the divinely endorsed superiority and authority of men. Feminists and Womanists, alike, struggle with the issue.
Jacquelyn Grant is the leading Womanist theologian. Her book, "White Women's Christ, Black Women's Jesus," came out 7 years after "The Color Purple" was published and I feel like it could not have been written had it not been for Walker's influence. Here's a quote from Grant's "White Women's Christ, Black Women's Jesus" in which she questions the authority of Christianity in the lives of Black People:
"How do you justify teaching a people a life of service when they have been imprisoned by the most exploitative forms of service? Furthermore, how do you propose that we are called to service to Jesus, the one has been sent by God to redeem us when both God and Jesus have been principle weapons in the oppressive (white patriarchal) arsenal to keep blacks and black women in their appropriate place."
I think The Color Purple is the most important Womanist text that exists today along with Grant's White Women's Christ, Black Women's Jesus and Walker's In Search of Our Mother's Gardens. I think Walker proves herself to be a genius of weaving social issues into fiction without them being blatantly present as "social issues" (ie. lesbianism).
Sorry, long comment!
Phaedra
Not only was this book and awesome read, but I was able to apply some things to my own life from this book. One of the very important things this book has taught me is not to hold grudges. It amazes me how so many people are to forgive the people who had done horrible things. I honestly dont think that I could forgive someone who raped me, abused me physically and verbally, like Celie did with Albert. Although Albert had made a change for the better, I still dont care for him in the least.
When Celie finally leaves for memphis, I felt this huge sense of relief because its like shes finally breaking free! When she starts making pants I think its her way of doing things her owm way. When Celie recieves her childhood house, its kind of like shes getting some of the things she deserved in the first place back. The house is much nicer than when she first lived there. This is the first house that belongs to her and i cant imagine how celie feels upon recieving it!
I absolutely love the ending. Everyone seems to be at peace. Nettie and Celie meet again and everyone seems happy. Kayla
I was going to mention this in class on Thursday, but one thing led to another and I forgot. We were talking about the significance of quilting and what it represents in the novel. It's interesting because we had nearly the same discussion in Dr. Weiss's drama class the other day after reading Glaspell's play Trifles. Dr. Weiss referenced another drama called The Quiltmaker in which one character says that quilting is "making order out of chaos". It seems to me that this is also pretty applicable to the quilts that are made in this novel, especially as they reflect the relationship between Celie and Albert.
In response to the comment about Celie's sexuality, I also agree that Celie only turns to women because of the horrible experiences that she has had with the men in her life. It makes sense that she would feel an atachment to women and even feel more attracted to women after she has been raped.
In response to Erin's comment about there not being a true hero and villian in the novel and the frustration with Shug's selfishness, I think that these qualities made the book more realistic. I have met several people in my life that like Shug, just do what they want and just seem to go with how they are feeling that day. While it was frustrating to see the negative qualities in all of the characters it was also more realistic to how people are in life.
-Rachel
I really enjoyed reading this great book! It has taught me not to take advantage of the things that are just given to me in life. It has shown me to apperciate things more. I love the quote from Squeak about if we walk through a feild and there is the color purple but we do not take the time to notice it we piss God off... that has made forced me to stop and take notice of beautiful colors! I loved the ending of the book. Celie is finally able to be happy. Nettie comes back and is reunited with her. I think it is nice that Celie can finally be happy and enjoy her life!
-Kimberly
In the beginning of this novel, I would never have predicted that I would eventually feel sorry for Albert. However, as a I read I began to realize how much both he and Celie were truly in love with Shug. Until the end, it appeared that Shug had no concern for their feelings. Sure, she loved them when it was convenient for her but as soon as something that was, in her eyes, better came along she moved on with her life. It was easy for me to feel Celie’s pain in this situation but I was very surprised that I started to dislike Shug for the way she treated Albert and believed that he should have been treated better.
Also, I partially agree with what has been said about this novel lacking reality. However, I believe these situations do occur and it may seem like a lack of reality to some of us because the events are not something that we have ever experienced in our lives. Everyone experiences hardships but in this novel it seemed that the characters experienced one after another constantly throughout the book. That also created a lack of reality for me because it seemed that all the characters were experiencing were hard times and the good times were very few, and far between. The ending provided a very good feeling of closure though and I was happy everything ended that way it did, with everyone happy and peaceful.
-Jessi
I finished the book and first of all, I was surprised by how much Albert changed. I never would have guessed he would turn out ok and be kind to Celie. I found the part with the purple frog carving to be the most interesting. It seemed to show how he respected her decision not to be with him and how he respected her choice in life and her views on men.
Secondly, I was a little bummed about Shug leaving Celie, I liked their relationship and I thought that they really connected as people. But, it did turn out better for Celie because she truly became aware of her independence in life and how she could be happy with her life just for her. I think all of her realizations were really important and were basically why I liked the book so much because it was one of those coming of age stories and in this case it was an amazing journey to be able to read about.
-Julia-
After finishing this book, I don't like it any more than I did before. In response to those who has said this book is realistic for portraying real situations...I understand that this does happen. At the same time, writing about something that does happen does not make a book realistic. The author milks her readers for every emotional reaction and keeps the plot twisting until the end. Honestly, I got tired of it.
The end provided abrupt closure. While I applaud the author for at least having some closure, instead of letting the novel drag out, I disliked the ending. Everything was left very convoluted.
In response to the discussion about Celie's sexuality, I agree with whoever disagreed with labeling her. She is a woman, plain and simple, who falls in love with another woman. Whether or not she fell in love with a woman because she was raped is fairly irrelevant in my mind. Live and let live, and let's leave it at that.
Ava
I absolutely loved this book. This book deals with so many issues. The way Albert treats Celie at the beginning of the book. He abuses, rapes, and sexual assaults her. Then at the end she forgive him. I could never forgive someone who done something like that to me. I think she is a very strong girl for doing that. I was shocked by how much albert changed towards the end of the book. The ending was total opposite of what i thought would happen. I never thought Nettie would come back. I learned alot from this book. We as Americans seem to judge everyone by what we see on the outside odf someone and never give ourselves the chance to see what is in the inside of the person. I learned to stop and realsize the inner beauty of someone instead of relying on first impressions. **larae
I really enjoyed this book a lot. However, I agreed with Mary concerning the story in Africa. It wasn't very interesting and distracted from Celie's story; the only interesting character in Africa was Tashi. I was also disappointed in Shug but I think it was essential for Celie to become independent from Shug and not rely on her for her own identity. I thought the carving of the frog that Albert made for Celie was a little odd considering the other references to frogs in the book. I really liked some of the major themes in this book, especially religion, but I thought Walker could have presented them stronger without so many letters from Africa and without so many technical errors. For example, from the beginning of the book when Celie sees her little girl to when Nettie is writing letters in Africa the little girl's name changes. I found other contradicting technical details that distracted from the book, but that was the most glaring one. I liked how Walker let us see violence against women from the woman's point of view. We often tend to think that many women would be fighting back or at least be defiant, but Celie becomes submissive. When she talks to Shug about it she didn't seem to think that what Albert did to her was that bad. I think this happens to a lot of women especially in other cultures. Overall I really like the book although I think it could have been better written, but the ideas Walker presents are wonderful.
-Chelsea
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