GENERAL:
1. Celie is abused and raped by her Pa, who takes away her children after they’re born. Eventually, Pa marries Celie off to a man who is just as abusive as Pa. Celie’s new husband looks after of his house, and work in his fields. Celie is somewhat happy to marry him because she can now remove her younger sister, Nettie, from Pa’s household. However, after Nettie lives in his household for a time without encouraging his sexual advances, he kicks Nettie out. Though Nettie promises to write to her sister, Celie doesn’t hear from her. Celie’s life gets worse and worse, as she’s now separated from the only person in the world whom she loves and who loves her back. Celie’s life changes when he brings his deathly ill mistress home for Celie to nurse back to health. His mistress, Shug, is everything that Celie isn’t: sexy, sassy, and independent. Celie quickly falls in love with Shug, and Shug falls in love back. For the first time in Celie’s life, she has a chance to enjoy sex, romance, and friendship. Together with Shug, Celie discovers the mystery of Nettie’s silence for so many decades: he has been hiding all of Nettie’s letters in his locked trunk. When Celie finds her sister’s letters, it unlocks a new world for her. Instead of being submissive and downtrodden, she realizes the full extent of the abuses she has suffered from him. This knowledge gives her the strength to leave him. Celie heads off to Memphis with Shug to start a new life. Nettie’s letters transform the way Celie sees the world. From Nettie, Celie learns that Pa isn’t actually her biological father. Celie also learns that Nettie is living with the Reverend Samuel and his family, working as a missionary in Africa. The Reverend Samuel had also adopted Celie’s two children from Pa many years back. Nettie, Samuel, and the children plan to return from Africa soon. Celie learns that Pa has died. She also finds out that the house that Pa lived in actually has belonged to Celie and Nettie since their mother passed away. So now Celie owns a home, which she prepares for Nettie’s arrival. Now an independent woman, Celie remains close friends with Shug, although Shug is not faithful or constant in their romantic relationship. Celie also gains a new friend. After she left him, he became a changed man. He’s reformed and is now a pretty decent guy. Although Celie isn’t remotely romantically interested in him, they now enjoy each other’s company. After several decades abroad in Africa, Nettie returns with Samuel, who is now her husband, and with Celie’s two children. The sisters have a blissful reunion, and although they’re now old women, we get the sense that they’ve just begun the best years of their lives.
2. The theme of the novel builds a huge significance around female relationships. Female ties take many forms: some are motherly or sisterly, some are in the form of mentor and pupil, some are sexual, and some are simply friendships. Sofia claims that her ability to fight comes from her strong relationships with her sisters. Nettie’s relationship with Celie anchors her through years of living in the unfamiliar culture of Africa. Samuel notes that the strong relationships among Olinka women are the only thing that makes polygamy bearable for them. Most important, Celie’s ties to Shug bring about Celie’s gradual redemption and her attainment of a sense of self.
3. The tone is very serious and honest. This is not a funny novel. In fact, though there may be one or two funny moments in the novel, we can’t remember them right now. This is a novel about utter hardship, sadness, tragedy – and a woman who finally figures out how to beat the odds no matter how badly they are stacked against her. Celie, the primary narrator, takes a serious look at her life through letters to God. She’s not joking around, she’s expressing the sadness of her life in the healthiest way she can. Her letters to God, and later to Nettie, are very honest. She doesn’t hide the hardship that she’s been through, her embarrassment, or shame. Essentially, the novel is intended to be like the unedited thoughts that go through a person’s mind.
4. Symbolism: The color purple represents all the good things God created in life for man.
Imagery: The pants are an image of how Celie transforms from a woman under a man's hand to her own self.
Allegory: The letters and conversations that Celie has with God is a story throughout the whole novel where she is able to maintain her sanity.
Setting: Georgia in early 20th century; small African town in early 20th century
Syntax: helps describe the time period in the early 20th century
CHARACTERIZATION:
1. Direct: The author is decribing her character's appearances; Describes the character's traits
Indirect: Celie calls Albert Mr.; Celie is explaining how she feels about Mr. The author uses more direct chracterization throughout the story because she is more of a descriptive author in the fact that she more describes the people and situations directly rather than have characters create the story by dialogue.
2. The author only uses one sort of syntax and diction because she only speaks really of Celie. The syntax is very loving and sweet when Celie is a little girl. And as she grows, so does the text.
3. Celie, the protagonist, is definitely dinamic. When she is a young child, she is scared and helpless and extremely sad. But as she grows she becomes this independent strong woman. The situations she goes through create her character and mold her into a passionate strong woman.
4. After finishing this book, I felt the deepest compassion for Celie. I felt as though I went through everything she did. I was there with her at an early age and grew up with her as she grew into this beautiful woman. She literally became a beautiful sight in my eyes. The book was no longer text, but almost like a dream. I definitely felt as though I lived through The Color Purple.
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