Literature Analysis #3

"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

•  Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker is about a young girl named Celie growing up with various obstacles in her life which she eventually overcame. She grew up with an abusive stepfather who would rape her multiple times and as a result, she got pregnant twice. The first time she gave birth, her father killed it and then the next time she gave birth, her father stole it. At that moment, her mom passed away as well. Later she is forced to marry a man who they called Mr.______ (Albert) by the stepfather because he didn't want Nettie, his youngest daughter, to marry him. He was another one of those abusive men who while with her cheated on her and did everything he could to make her life miserable. He would even hide letters from Nettie after she disappeared from home and Celie ended up thinking she was dead. One day, Mr.______'s lover Shug was very ill and ended up staying at Celie's and Mr.______'s house until she got better. While being there, Celie and Shug got very close to each other and ended up being great friends. She found out how Mr.______ would constantly beat her so Shug eventually decided to help Celie out. Because of Shug, Celie is able to finally obtain all of Nettie's letters which  after reading, she finds out Nettie is alive and safe. Nettie had left with some missionary people, Samuel and Corrine, to Africa. While being there, Nettie finds out that Samuel's and Corrine's kids Adam and Olivia, are really Celie's kids who Alphonso, the stepfather had said he had gotten rid of. Corrine ends up dying and the kids are given back to Cellie. Alphonso dies as well. At first Celie does not want to forgive Mr.______ but later she decides to and they begin to enjoy each others company. Celie also ends up being a successful woman owning a business.

• Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

 The theme of this novel would be "black women's rights" because of how the protagonist, Celie, is treated in the story. She is greatly abused by the men and does not do anything to save herself until the end when she finally stands up for herself.

• Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

Alice Walker's tones while writing the novel were depressive, hopeful, serious, and confessional. Throughout the whole novel, in all the letters she writes, she is hoping that her life gets better somehow. She is never throwing out jokes or ever sounds happy until the end. She admits that her life sucks and does not enjoy any minute of it. 

 *"I tell him I can fix myself up for him. I duck into my room and come out wearing horsehair, feathers, and a pair of our new mammy high heel shoes. He beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to me anyway." (hopeful)
*"He go down to Harpo's to watch her sing. And just to look at her. Then way late they come home. They giggle and they talk and they rassle until the morning. Then they go to bed until it time for her to get ready to go back to work." (depressed, husband is cheating on her in front of her)
*Dear God, I am fourteen years old. I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me. (hopeful)
*"He beat me when you not here." (confessing how Mr. _____ beats her)

• Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts that will help your reader understand each one.

The author's structure was one main technique that the author used to help strengthen the reader's understanding of the novel. Alice wrote the book like diary entries and letters especially to God and the fact that they were letters written to God showed her faith and how she was hopeful that He would make a change in her life. Diction was also another technique Alice used even though it was slang--it seemed easier to understand because the words weren't too big as in you had to look up most of them in the dictionary. Another literary technique used would be syntax. With the use of syntax for example at the beginning, we know why Celie is the women she has turned out to be and why she acts the way she does.  A literary element she uses a lot throughout the novel would be symbolism. The color purple is one example of where she uses symbolism. It helps understand the novel better because when Shrug begins to explain the color purple, that's when Celie starts to give up on God and then Shrug explains why she shouldn't. Setting would be another literary element that helps us understand the plot of the novel since it takes place in the rural south during the twentieth century.

 *"Sofia gone six months, Harpo act like a different man. Used to be a homebody, now all the time in the road." (diction)
*Well, us talk and talk about God, but I’m still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head. I been so busy thinking bout him I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?)..." (symbolism)
*"He never had a kine word to say to me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn't..." (syntax)