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The Color Purple | Introduction

The Color Purple, Alice Walker's third novel, was published in 1982. The novel brought fame and financial success to its author. It also won her considerable praise and much criticism for its controversial themes. Many reviewers were disturbed by her portrayal of black males, which they found unduly negative. When the novel was made into a film in 1985 by Steven Spielberg, Walker became even more successful and controversial. While she was criticized for negative portrayal of her male characters, Walker was admired for her powerful portraits of black women. Reviewers praised her for her use of the epistolary form, in which written correspondence between characters comprises the content of the book, and her ability to use black folk English. Reflecting her early political interests as a civil rights worker during the 1960s, many of her social views are expressed in the novel. In The Color Purple, as in her other writings, Walker focuses on the theme of double repression of black women in the American experience. Walker contends that black women suffer from discrimination by the white community, and from a second repression from black males, who impose the double standard of white society on women. As the civil rights movement helped shape Ms. Walker's thinking regarding racial issues at home, it also shaped her interest in Africa. During the 1960s, a strong interest in ethnic and racial identity stimulated many African Americans to look for their roots in Africa. The primary theme of The Color Purple, though, reflects Walker's desire to project a positive outcome in life, even under the harshest conditions. Her central character triumphs over adversity and forgives those who oppressed her. This central theme of the triumph of good over evil is no doubt the source of the book's great success.

The Color Purple Summary

First Period
In The Color Purple, the story is told through letters. The only sentences outside the letters are the first two: "You better not never tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy." Silenced forever, the main character, fourteen-year-old Celie, writes letters to God. Her father has raped her, and she has two children, a girl and a boy, whom "Pa" took away from her. Celie's mother has died and Pa is looking too much at her little sister, Nettie.

Mr. wants to marry Nettie but Pa rejects him because of the Mr.'s scandals with Shug Avery, a blues singer. Celie manages to get a picture of Shug and falls in love with her. Eventually, Mr. agrees to take Celie instead of Nettie because Pa offers him a cow.

Once she is in his care, Mr. beats Celie all the time. Meanwhile, Nettie runs away from Pa and comes to Mr.'s house, but when she rejects him, he throws her out, Celie advises Nettie to ask her daughter Olivia's new "mother" for help. Nettie promises to write but her letters never arrive.

One day, Shug Avery comes to town, but Mr. does not take Celie to see her. Harpo, Mr.'s son, gets married to Sofia, a strong brave woman, and when he complains that Sofia does not obey him. Celie advises Harpo to beat her. Sofia finds out, and in the conversation that follows, Celie realizes she is jealous of Sofia: "You do what I can't. Fight," she says.

Second Period
Shug is ill and Mr. brings her to his home. To Celie's surprise, she calls Mr. by his first name, Albert. Celie's love and care make Shug better; Shug starts composing a new song.

Sofia finally leaves Harpo, who turns his house into a juke joint and asks Shug to sing. Shug invites Celie to the performance. Shug sings "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" and then her new piece, called "Celie's Song." Celie discovers that she is important to someone.

Before leaving, Shug says she will make sure Mr. never beats Celie again. She also teaches Celie to love herself. By the time Sofia returns with a new man and six children instead of five, Harpo has a little girlfriend he calls Squeak. Sofia and Squeak hit each other in the juke joint, and finally Sofia leaves.

The mayor's wife sees Sofia in town with the kids and asks Sofia to be her maid. Sofia answers: "Hell no" and hits the mayor when he protests. She is arrested, beaten and left in prison. Meanwhile, Squeak takes care of Sofia's children. When she finds out one of Sofia's wardens is her uncle, Squeak tries to save Sofia. She convinces the warden that working for the mayor's wife would be a better punishment for Sofia. The warden forces Squeak to have sexual intercourse with him. When Squeak goes back home, furious and humiliated, she orders Harpo to call her Mary Agnes, her real name. Sofia starts working for the mayor's wife, but she is treated as a slave.

On her next visit, Shug is married. She and Celie have missed each other, and one night, when the men are away, Celie tells Shug the story of Pa and the children. Shug kisses her, and they make love.

Third Period
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1. The Color Purple: Introduction
2. The Color Purple: Summary
3. The Color Purple: Overview
4. The Color Purple: Alice Walker Biography
5. The Color Purple: Summary and Analysis
   1. Letters 1–9: Summary and Analysis
   2. Letters 10–12: Summary and Analysis
   3. Letters 13-18: Summary and Analysis
   4. Letters 19–21: Summary and Analysis
   5. Letters 22–27: Summary and Analysis
   6. Letters 28–31: Summary and Analysis
   7. Letters 32–36: Summary and Analysis
   8. Letters 37–41: Summary and Analysis
   9. Letters 42–44: Summary and Analysis
   10. Letters 45–48: Summary and Analysis
   11. Letters 49–51: Summary and Analysis
   12. Letters 52–60: Summary and Analysis
   13. Letters 61-63: Summary and Analysis
   14. Letters 64–69: Summary and Analysis
   15. Letters 70–73: Summary and Analysis
   16. Letters 74–77: Summary and Analysis
   17. Letters 78–79: Summary and Analysis
   18. Letters 80–81: Summary and Analysis
   19. Letters 82–85: Summary and Analysis
   20. Letters 86–87: Summary and Analysis
   21. Letters 88–90: Summary and Analysis
6. The Color Purple: Quizzes
   1. Letters 1–9: Questions and Answers
   2. Letters 10–12: Questions and Answers
   3. Letters 13-18: Questions and Answers
   4. Letters 19–21: Questions and Answers
   5. Letters 22–27: Questions and Answers
   6. Letters 28–31: Questions and Answers
   7. Letters 32–36: Questions and Answers
   8. Letters 37-41: Questions and Answers
   9. Letters 42–44: Questions and Answers
   10. Letters 45–48: Questions and Answers
   11. Letters 49–51: Questions and Answers
   12. Letters 52–60: Questions and Answers
   13. Letters 61-63: Questions and Answers
   14. Letters 64–69: Questions and Answers
   15. Letters 70–73: Questions and Answers
   16. Letters 74–77: Questions and Answers
   17. Letters 78–79: Questions and Answers
   18. Letters 80–81: Questions and Answers
   19. Letters 82–85: Questions and Answers
   20. Letters 86–87: Questions and Answers
   21. Letters 88–90: Questions and Answers
7. The Color Purple: Characters
8. The Color Purple: Themes
9. The Color Purple: Historical Context
10. The Color Purple: Critical Overview
11. The Color Purple: Essays and Criticism
    1. Celie's Growth as a Person and Her Evolving Perception of God as a Consequence
    2. From Victimization to Free Enterprise: Alice Walker's The Color Purple
    3. Celie, You a Tree
12. The Color Purple: Suggested Essay Topics
13. The Color Purple: Sample Essay Outlines
14. The Color Purple: Compare and Contrast
15. The Color Purple: Topics for Further Study
16. The Color Purple: Media Adaptations
17. The Color Purple: What Do I Read Next?
18. The Color Purple: Bibliography and Further Reading
19. The Color Purple: Pictures
20. Copyright

Related Topics

1. Alice Walker
2. African-American Literature
3. Twentieth-Century Literature
4. Epistolary Novel

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