Book Analysis - The Color Purple

The Color Purple by Alice Walker Jarell Wilson October 16, 2008 Book Analysis #2 - October 17, 2008 AP Question: 073. Write an essay in which you show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

People often, allow difficult situations to affect their lives, this leads to a sense of inferiority and dependence on others. Therefore people should learn to overcome the difficulties they face in order to become independent of others and gain self-confidence. Alice Walker demonstrates this truth to the reader in her novel The Color Purple. Throughout the book Walker uses first-person narration, imagery, plot, and characterization to accurately portray this theme to the reader. Walker uses first-person narration to effectively portray the main character’s feelings and emotions. “He love looking at Shug. I love looking at Shug. But Shug don’t love looking at but one of us. Him. (73)”

These intimate revelations from Celie, the

main character, help reveal the theme to the reader, through her the reader is shown that characters in the story are all dependent one another. This strategy is also used again by Walker to properly demonstrate to the reader the difficulty Celie has expressing herself aloud. “Come on in, I want to cry. To shout. Come on in…But I don’t say nothing. (45)” First-person narration is the strategy used flawlessly by Walker to reveal to the reader that Celie has difficulties expressing herself, which in turn results in her dependence on others and a sense of inferiority. Walker uses imagery to reveal the theme to the reader by using the characters’ physical appearance to paint a picture of characters’ personalities. For instance, Sofia’s personality was revealed by the imagery used to describe her physical form. “She not quite as tall as Harpo but much bigger, and strong and ruddy looking, like her mama brought her up on pork. (30)” Sofia is a character defined by her strength and her reputation for never backing down from confrontation. Another character revealed by imagery is Harpo. “He black as the inside of a chimney. His eyes be sad and thoughtful.

His face begin to look like a woman face. (27)” Harpo is a character in the novel that is always changing, no character is ever quite sure of what he will do; he is a mystery much like the color used to describe him black. The last character to have her personality revealed by imagery is Shug Avery. “She weak as a kitten. But her mouth just packed with claws. (49)” by using imagery to reveal character Walker gives the reader an idea of what the characters look like and what their behavioral patterns could be. The revelation character through imagery properly displays to the reader the characters’ personalities and the characters’ different dependencies and insecurities. Plot is used by the author to reveal to the reader the theme by placing the characters, especially Celie, in difficult situations in order to reveal the content of the character. For example, Celie was rapped by a man she considered to be her father this causes her dependence on Shug Avery, “He beat for dressing trampy but he do it to me anyway. (7)” Another difficult experience used to demonstrate the theme is Sofia being forced to serve the mayor and his wife this causes her dependence on her families support, “I’m at they beck and call all night and all day. They won’t let me see my children…I’m a slave…(103)” Shug Avery is also put in a difficult situation when she grows ill and no one wants to take her in this causes her dependence of Mr._, “Shug Avery sick and nobody in this town want to take the Queen Honeybee in. Her mammy say She told her so. Her pappy, Tramp. (43)” Nettie also goes through difficult times in Africa when a rubber company tears down part of her village, causing her dependence on her future husband Samuel, “Every hut that lay in the proposed roadpath was leveled. And, Celie, our church, our school, my hut, all went down in a matter of hours. (169)” Harpo’s moment of difficulty is found when Sofia takes the children and leaves to go live

with her sister and brother-in-law this causes Harpo to become dependent on Squeak and his friend Swain, “Sofia gone six months, Harpo act like a different man. (69)” All of these difficult situations put the characters into positions in which they become dependent on someone and lose their self-confidence. Walker uses sex in the plot to describe the characters’ dependence on outside things and other people. Mr._, Celie’s husband has sex with her against her will, while she has sex with him and tries to enjoy it because that is what her hero Shug would do. “I know what he doing to me he done to Shug Avery and maybe she like it. I put my arm around him. (12)” Shug Avery and Celie take place in sexual activity which causes Celie to become even more dependent on Shug Avery. “Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more. Then us touch each other. (113)” Walker use of sex as a tool used for control of another human being, it reveals to the reader that sex creates a sense of dependency on the characters, and even a sense of inferiority in Celie, “Why, Miss Celie. You make it sound like he going to the toilet on you. That what it feel like, I say. (77)” The author’s use of sex effectively reveals to the reader dependency in the characters. Characterization is the tool used most by Alice Walker to reveal the theme to the reader. Celie starts out as an innocent semi-religious girl until she is raped(1), and then her world goes spinning in-and-out of difficult situations for instance: her children are taken from her(2-3); she is forced to marry an abusive husband and put up with his horrible children (12); the only woman that loved her other than her sister (Shug) married another man (107); then when she and Shug are alone again, Shug leaves her for another man (248-251); yet even in the midst of all these struggles Celie finds a way to find hope. “Now I know Nettie alive I begin to strut a little bit. (148)”, simple hope in the midst of

tragedy helps Celie through the rest of her trials to come and even helps wean her from her dependence on Shug, Mr._, and all the other people in her life, she even reveals her self-worth to the reader and the other characters, “I’m pore, I’m black, I may be ugly and can’t cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I’m here. (207)” The greatest demonstration of character growth in Celie is her realization that she does not need Shug to validate her, “If she come, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content. And then I figure this the lesson I was suppose to learn. (283)” This revelation in Celie’s person shows the reader that even though she was dependent on others she came into a realization own her own, that she can be independent of Shug Avery, and that the sense of dependency and inferiority Celie had can only be defeated within her, where this feeling was developed. Personally this novel reached into my innermost fiber and made me realize so much about my own dependence on others. For my entire life I have been dependent on what others think of me. I wanted to be liked by everyone and to receive compliments to affirm the sense of worth I so greatly desired, yet it never seemed to be enough. I wanted to please my father so I played sports, I wanted to please my mother so I sang in the church choir, and I wanted to please God so I served at church all the time. This lifestyle of living to please others was not only physically draining, it drained my soul. It was a terrible life to lead going from person to person seeking approval, much like Celie, I was dependent on others. One day, while reading my Bible, I came to this realization that I am important, whether others realize it or not, I still hold a level of importance in God’s eyes. Celie came to the realization that just because she was alive she had the right to be happy and independent from others.

This novel has great literary merit, it reveals to all who read it truths about themselves and truths about dependence on others. Author Alice Walker uses this book as a tool to reveal a deep meaning in life; independence is a birthright as is self-confidence. Walker’s use of first-person narration, imagery, plot, and characterization to accurately portray to the reader that it is necessary for all people to learn to overcome the difficulties of life in order to gain independence and self-confidence.