The Color Purple

FORM

• Epistolary Novel - letters from Celie to God, then Celie to Nettie vise versa, personal confessional tone - allows readers to witness growth + trauma intimately

• First-person narrative

• Bildungsroman

• African-American Vernacular English

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• Set in early 20th century American South during the Jim Crow Era

• Published during 1980s Black Feminist literary wave

LEGISLATIONS

• Jim Crow/Segregation Laws 1890s - legalised racial segregations

• ‘Separate but Equal’ Doctrine 1896 - justified unequal treatment

• Prohibition 1920-33

Celie - Defiant

“I’m pore, I may be ugly and can’t cook…but I’m here” pg.187 - Celie asserts her worth and resilience despite abuse and oppression. She repeats Mr’s words emphasising her owning the words use to oppress her.

Celie - Spiritual Growth

“Dear God, Dear stars, dear trees, dear sky, dear peoples” pg.259 - shows Celie’s spiritual growth reflecting her emotional healing and awakening.

Celie - Empowered

“Albert” pg. 257 - her 1st time calling Mr, Albert - she no longer fears him and sees herself as her equal, reflecting her personal growth and liberation.

Celie - Emotional Rebirth

“I think this the youngest us ever felt” pg.261 - paradox + contrast suggests Celie’s emotional rebirth, despite age she feels freer, happier than ever before

Celie - Overwhelming Joy

“When Nettie’s foot come down on the porch I almost die” pg.260 - hyperbole and emotion show Celie’s overwhelming joy, contrasting her past hopelessness

AO5: T.Playte

‘When Celie begins to sew, she also begins to establish her own identity’

AO5: Gates

‘Celie’s new understanding and acceptance of herself eventually leads to Albert’s evaluation and reconciliation’

Shug Avery - Compassionate

“I won’t leave, until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you” pg.72 - shows protectiveness + solidarity between women, she protects her from Albert

Shug Avery - Spiritual Independence

“God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God.” pg.176

• Shows her spiritual independence and rejection of traditional, male-dominated religion

Shug - Wise + Self-aware

"When you look into Shug's eyes, you know she been where she been what she seen did what she did. And now she know." pg. 244

• emphasizes Shug’s growth, wisdom, and self-awareness after a life of experience.

Mr/Albert - Oppressive

“You black, you pore, you ugly, you a woman. Goddam, you nothing at all” pg. 187

• he tries to strip her identity by attacking her race, class, appearance and gender - all things society devalues

Mr/Albert - Vulnerability

“I look in his eyes and I see he feeling scared of me” pg.201

• conveys vulnerability - he’s now scared of Celie, shift in roles, also emphasise her growth + his loss of control

Mr/Albert - Change

“clean that house just like a woman” pg. 201

• he takes on domestic roles, washing dishes and cooking, he becomes gentle + softer

• shows his transformation — he’s taken on tasks he once belittled, reflecting humility and a shift away from rigid masculinity.

Nettie - Nurturing

“helping the children with they spelling. Helping me with spelling” pg. 18

• repetition of “helping” shows Nettie’s generosity + how she uplifts those who aren’t as intelligent

Nettie - Loving, Affectionate

“I love you will all my heart” pg. 115

• emotive language reinforces female solidarity + unbreakable bond of sisterhood

• she expresses profound sisterly love + emotional support

Nettie - Hope + Optimism

“there are colored people in this world who want us to know! Want us to grow and see the light.” pg. 119

• tricolon builds momentum + emphasises progress

• metaphor “see the light” suggests enlightenment, education + liberation + growing awareness

Sofia - Resilient

“All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins.” pg. 39

• repetition “I had to fight” emphasises the never-ending nature of Sofia’s struggle

• list of male family members shows her oppression is both systemic and personal, starting within her own home.

Sofia - Defiant

“Hello no” pg.81

• short, punchy syntax - 2 words yet they hold so much power

• symbolises her resistance against both racial oppression + gender expectation - that black women should be compliant

Sofia - Unbreakable, Strong

“Some womens can’t be beat. Sofia one of them” pg. 61

• indirect characterisation - Sofia’s strength is recognised by others

• has a double meaning:

  • literal - she refuses to be physically beaten

  • figurately - her spirit is strong + unbreakable

• reflects Southern AAVE, working class voice + cultural realism

Harpo - Ashamed

“Harpo look down at his hands. Naw, suh, he say low, embarrass.” pg. 55

• body language + tone reflects his emotional struggle with masculinity

• Harpo feels remorse and shame for the pressure to hit women

Harpo - Vulnerability

“I love you Squeak. He kneel down and try to put his arm round her waist.” pg. 90

• action of kneeling symbolises vulnerability + emotional openness

• shifts from dominance to emotional expression

Harpo - Internalised Patriarchy

“I want her to do what I say like you do for Pa” pg. 60

• direct comparison to Celie + Mr reflects Harpo’s internalised patriarchy

• simple sentence structure reveals a childlike mindset - Harpo doesn’t understand healthy relationships, he wants control not collection

Squeak - Empowerment

“My name Mary Agnes” pg.90

• short, declarative sentence - she reclaims her identity, rejecting her nickname and stepping into her own power.

• links to setting + context - during this time black people were given offensive name e.g. Squeak because she’s quiet.

Squeak - Bold

“Shut up, Harpo. I’m telling it” pg. 89

• imperative, shows assertiveness, her command interrupts a man

• she finds her voice, breaking away from submissiveness and speaking her truth on her own terms.

Pa - Controlling

“You better not never tell nobody but God” pg. 3

• lack of agency, she is isolated so she speaks to God, finding solace

• He uses fear and silence to maintain power

Pa - Objectification

“But I can let you have Celie… she ain’t fresh tho… she spoiled. Twice” pg.9

• objectification, treats her as commodity

• dehumanizes her, implying she is damaged - euphemism for sexual purity

Miss Millie - Racism, Patronizing

“All your children so clean” pg.81

• reveals her patronizing racism—she’s shocked Black children can be clean, exposing deep prejudice.

AO5: Benjamin Zephaniah

‘The great irony about The Color Purple is that it transcends color’

AO5: Yasmin Brown

‘Families are not always sanctuaries’