"Somethin purple, maybe a little red in it too... no purple. Plenty red but she say, Naw he won't pay for red. Too happy lookin. We go choice of brown, maroon, or navy blue." pgs 21-22
Colors serve as a motif in The Color Purple, a fitting reocurrence for a novel with a title named for a color! At the store with Kate, Celie declares what color dress she would like; however, the colors of purple and red signify too much happiness. At this point in the book, the dull colors of navy and brown symbolize the despair and gloom constantly enveloping Celie.
"I walk around the whole day with the annoucement burning a hole in my pocket. It pink." Pg. 25, last paragraph
Something of such simplicity etches excitement into Celie's distressed life. It is liberating for her to bear Shug Avery's flyer on her person, and she makes a point to declare its color!
"Shug Avery donate her old yellow dress for scrap, and I work in a piece every chance I get... I want it for myself, just for the little yellow pieces, look like stars, but not." pg. 59 para. 1
A little bit of brightness is sewn into Celie's life as her relationship with Shug Avery blossoms slowly. Shug gives an old yellow dress for Sofia and Celie to incorporate into the quilt. Here, Shug unknowingly brightens Celie's world, shown in the stitching of the quilt.
As the story progresses and Celie meets people who brighten her life, the colors discussed and noticed also grow brighter. I wonder if the next half brings brighter or darker colors to Celie's life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdHCYgO9zh8
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Dear G-o-d
"But I just say, Never mine, never mine, long as I can spell G-o-d I got somebody along." pg 18
"Dear God,"
The novel is structured as a constant letter. When Celie tells the story, each new "chapter" begins with "Dear God." I speculated that she started each entry like this because she wanted to feel some connection with God, someone who would feel so distant from her life based on all that had happened to her. Though she doesn't believe it, Celie has immense strength to pray to a God, or at least address God, who seemingly tossed her aside to be spoiled by greedy men. Later, on page 130, Nettie's fourth letter says, "I remember one time you said your life made you feel so ashamed you couln't even talk about it to God, you had to write it...." Still structured in a letter-type fomat Nettie writes to Celie and indicates that Celie writes to God because her past is too much to face. Who could blame her!? The "Dear God" comes across as more of a habit or calling than a prayer.
"Dear God,"
The novel is structured as a constant letter. When Celie tells the story, each new "chapter" begins with "Dear God." I speculated that she started each entry like this because she wanted to feel some connection with God, someone who would feel so distant from her life based on all that had happened to her. Though she doesn't believe it, Celie has immense strength to pray to a God, or at least address God, who seemingly tossed her aside to be spoiled by greedy men. Later, on page 130, Nettie's fourth letter says, "I remember one time you said your life made you feel so ashamed you couln't even talk about it to God, you had to write it...." Still structured in a letter-type fomat Nettie writes to Celie and indicates that Celie writes to God because her past is too much to face. Who could blame her!? The "Dear God" comes across as more of a habit or calling than a prayer.
They're All the Same
"Mr.____ don't say nothing. I drop little spit in Old Mr.____ water." pg 54, bottom of pg.
"Crossed out The Lucky Star of Colman Road, put in Harpo's of _____ plantation." pg. 73 para 2
In the time of The Color Purple, society based itself around the names, status, and reputation of men. They were without a doubt the superior sex. More often then not, men ran the show- of the family, of towns, of cities, of the country. Alice Walker chooses to minimize not only the role of men, but also the respect associated with them. Celie's character addresses few male figures by their name; these few names (Harpo, Buster, Swain, Grady) are those which do not threaten Celie. Lacking the respect of a last name, all men are called "Mr.____" linking them all together. In Celie's case, all grown men are or have the tendency to act and perform alike. Since she gets no respect from men, as she is raped and abused on countless occasions, she seemingly sees no point in tacking on the respect of a last name. While confusing at times as to which Mr.____ is being referred to, Celie's private stubbornness in erasing last names amidst her prayers to God serves as some sort of relief to the constant abuse she takes on.
"Crossed out The Lucky Star of Colman Road, put in Harpo's of _____ plantation." pg. 73 para 2
In the time of The Color Purple, society based itself around the names, status, and reputation of men. They were without a doubt the superior sex. More often then not, men ran the show- of the family, of towns, of cities, of the country. Alice Walker chooses to minimize not only the role of men, but also the respect associated with them. Celie's character addresses few male figures by their name; these few names (Harpo, Buster, Swain, Grady) are those which do not threaten Celie. Lacking the respect of a last name, all men are called "Mr.____" linking them all together. In Celie's case, all grown men are or have the tendency to act and perform alike. Since she gets no respect from men, as she is raped and abused on countless occasions, she seemingly sees no point in tacking on the respect of a last name. While confusing at times as to which Mr.____ is being referred to, Celie's private stubbornness in erasing last names amidst her prayers to God serves as some sort of relief to the constant abuse she takes on.
Excuse me! You forgot your quotes!
"I say it cause you do what I can't. What that? she say. Fight. I saw. She stand there a long time, like what I said took the wind out her jaws. She mad before, sad now." pg. 40, para. 3
I noticed off the bat that Walker strays away from quotation marks. I figured she did this for many reasons:
I noticed off the bat that Walker strays away from quotation marks. I figured she did this for many reasons:
- This book is set in simpler time, so without the quotation marks distinguishing speech from action a simplistic tone is added to the otherwise graphic novel.
- Without quotes, the reader focuses on the action and words spoken together, not separately. For instance, in the above stated quote, the thought is continuous because quotes do not separate what Celie and Sofia discuss and the feelings surrounding the text.
A bit of theme also emerges from this quote. Celie brings to Sofia's attention that the fact that she can't fight back against the beatings. Confused, I wondered how Celie could possibly prompt Harpo to beat Sofia into submission after being beaten so long herself. However, like Sofia, I was disturbed to find out that Celie envies Sofia for her ability and will to fight back. Beatings were not an anomaly for Celie, so I believe the theme of male superiority over women is especially prevalent in this scene.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Innocence Gone So Young
"And now I feels sick every time I be the one to cook." pg. 1, para. 4 Throughout the first half of The Color Purple, Alice Walker utilizes euphemism in a subtle way. She downplays different scenarios which Celie describes to emphasize Celie's young innocent nature wrapped up in the violence that surrounds her. By using euphemisms such as the one quoted, Celie hints at her pregnancy but does not come straight out and admit she is pregnant by her father until later. The euphemisms wear off I noticed as she became older and saw realism through her relationship with Shug Avery. After Celie sees Olivia in town one day, she says smiling felt like it split her face, meaning she hasn't smiled in so long that the very act of it hurt and was foreign. However, Celie does not dwell on or draw attention to WHY she has been so unhappy. She instead makes matters seem better by covering up her lack of smiling.
"Finish saying I do with a big ole nursing boy in her arms." pg. 34 para. 1
Another technique Walker instills in the novel is humor. Celie adds humor in her descriptions of mostly everything, even the most serious of topics. Here, Harpo ran away to get married to strong-willed Sofia because her Pa said he wasn't fitting for Sofia. After their child had already been born, they eloped; Sofia carried out hr motherly duties on the alter with a nursing baby. What a sight to see!!
"Finish saying I do with a big ole nursing boy in her arms." pg. 34 para. 1
Another technique Walker instills in the novel is humor. Celie adds humor in her descriptions of mostly everything, even the most serious of topics. Here, Harpo ran away to get married to strong-willed Sofia because her Pa said he wasn't fitting for Sofia. After their child had already been born, they eloped; Sofia carried out hr motherly duties on the alter with a nursing baby. What a sight to see!!
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