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I read this book back in high school for a paper on slavery. Reading it now, with the intention of learning more about feminism, is so great. It's amazing to me that I didn't even think about that perspective in high school, and it makes me a little disappointed it wasn't a discussion point aided by my teacher.

I first read this marvelous novel back before I realized what Feminism even was. It has forever stayed on my top-ten list of favorites, simply because it evoked every emotion from me, and even now, over 30 years later (is that possible?!?), I remember feeling so strongly about Celie, and being so proud of her for overcoming so much, succeeding against all odds, and finding happiness and love.
I'm almost afraid to read it again, for fear that it won't affect me as strongly a second time. I don't want the love I have for the book to be diminished at all!

The first time I read it was just before the movie came out. There was so much hype (deservedly so) for the movie that I had to read the book. At the time, it was just a book I read. The movie brought it to life for me that I had to re-read it again right after. It will be good to revisit again with a new perspective and life experience.

This was a writing assignment I did for an EcoFeminism class at the University of Vermont on The Color Purple. Note: The flow of the piece is disjointed because I am answering assignment questions and building off of previous group discussions.

Ecofeminism: Global Connections
June 3, 2015
Writing assignment 2 (Section 2) Alice Walker, The Color Purple
The Color Purple, is a compilation of journal entries and letters written by and to a black woman named Celie in the American South during the early 1900s. The entries begin when Celie is about 14 years old being raped by her stepfather. Celie’s only friend is her sister, Nettie. They are connected by a bond stronger than most sisters because they must keep each other’s spirits positive to survive the oppression and subservient roles they are forced to play. However, Nettie is forced away from Celie and letters from Nettie are hidden from Celie by her husband. Celie and Nettie rely on hope that they are still alive and both are connected by gazing at the sky, “only the sky above us do we hold in common� (p.190). Nature transcends the trials and tribulations the two sisters experience and nature connects them to each other even when it is forbidden.
Celie’s life is dictated by the decisions of her father and then husband. She has no free choice or rights of any kind. If she rebels or questions the men in her life, she gets beaten, raped, or both. And because she is a black woman in the South, she doesn’t have many options for finding work on her own or living independently. She has been taught to do what she’s told without question, stay under the radar as much as possible, speak as little as possible, and not ask for anything for herself. She is a master at becoming nearly invisible. Celie raises her husband’s children and lets life pass her by; feeling helpless. Nettie on the other hand was a bit younger than Celie and was viewed as more attractive and smarter. Nettie gravitated towards education and she was able to stand up for herself and become independent.
Celie’s second love, besides her sister, was Shug Avery. Celie first became infatuated with Shug Avery when her sisters-in-law were talking about how they think Celie is a good wife for their brother; “Shug Avery, Shug Avery, Carrie say. I’m sick of her. Somebody say she going round trying to sing. Umph, what she got to sing about. Say she wearing dresses all up her leg and headpieces with little balls and tassels hanging down, like window dressing� (p.21). This is the first time Celie has heard a flattering description of her husband’s love interest. Then the first time Celie sees Shug in person her description becomes romantic, “And she dress to kill. She got on a red wool dress and chestful of black beads. A shiny black hat with what look like chickinhawk feathers curve down side one cheek, and she carrying a little snakeskin bag, match her shoes� (p.45). Shug and Celie’s relationship becomes intimate when Shug showed Celie how to masturbate (p. 78-80). They fall in love with each other as lovers and friends as Shug helps protect Celie from her husband’s beatings. They become even further connected after Shug and Celie visit Celie’s Step-father; Shug says, "Us each other’s peoples now, and kiss me� (p.184). As Shug grows to reciprocate love back to Celie, Celie’s outlook on the future becomes more positive.
Celie comes to see Shug as a divine being, and an unattainable status that she fantasizes about. Shug seems exotic to Celie and defies what is appropriate for attractive women. Shug isn’t afraid of flirting in a more forward way like men and say things like, “Girl, you look like a good time, you do" (p.82). Another example of Shug being provocative, which may seem wonderful and exotic to Celie, is when she uses the word “Fuck� instead of “making love� (p.113). Celie sees Shug as exciting and defiant, she’s attracted to Shug’s beauty but also her selfish attitude; an attitude that Celie has never had the privilege of exploring for herself.
Celie learns to become independent through Shug and eventually leaves her husband to travel with Shug and then develops her own garment business making pants with Shug’s support. Celie says that her strength to become independent from her husband comes from the trees, “And it seem to come to me from the trees� (p.209). However, just as her love connection with Nettie is facilitated through the sky, Celie’s love for Shug is also grounded in nature and perhaps Shug’s thin frame resembles a tree in Celie’s mind.
As Celie becomes independent from her husband, she also changes her writing style to be more hopeful, matter of fact, filled with love, and more grammatically correct. With help from two of her seamstresses, Jerene and Darlene, Celie learns about grammar and in particular the difference between US and WE; “Plus, Darlene trying to teach me how to talk. She say US not so hot� (p. 218). Celie’s transformation in writing style directly reflects her boost in confidence and relationship with Shug.
Throughout Celie’s writings, she draws attention to the fact that white attributes were considered more attractive and favored. When her stepson, Harpo, starts dating Sophie she is described negatively as, “Clear medium brown skin, gleam on it like on good furniture� (p. 31). When Celie sees Shug for the first time, she notices that Shug has make up to make her look more white, “Close up I see all this yellow powder caked up on her face� (p.45). When Albert’s father visits to convey his disapproval of Shug he emphasizes her black characteristics as though she is repulsive, “She black as tar, she nappy headed. She got legs like baseball bats� (p.54). When Mary Agnes goes to convince the warden to release Sophia, she dresses “like she a white woman� to gain respect (p.95). Mary Agnes is also considered to be attractive because her skin tone is lighter colored and referred to as yellow, which is more desirable in a mate (p.99 & 101). Because of Mary Agnes’s white like features she is feared by women and desired by men, “Yellow like she is, stringy hair and cloudy eyes, the men’ll be crazy bout her� (p. 118).
As Nettie learns more about Africa during her mission work, she comes to understand that there are similar social classes to the States except instead of Whites oppressing the Blacks, the Blacks are oppressing other Blacks. She learns about Egypt and the creation of the pyramids (p.132), she learns that Jesus Christ had dark skin (p.135), and she learns about the civil wars over slavery (p.139). As Nettie spends time with the Olinka people she comes to learn that they oppress their own just as Nettie was oppressed back in America, “They’re like white people at home who don’t want colored people to learn� (p.157). Men want their women to be uneducated; “The men do not like it: who wants a wife who knows everything her husband knows?� (p. 172) Also, African people have insatiable egos just as the white people in America do, “I think Africans are very much like white people back home, in that they think they are the center of the universe and that everything that is done is done for them� (p. 169).
Celie and Nettie undergo their own form of spiritual development. Celie must make peace with a white God that she has created in her mind. He is a dominant man ruling over her instead of a caring and nurturing being that looks over her. She learns to create her own reality and find her own love with Shug, and that becomes her sanctuary and religion. Nettie changes her view of God from a traditional Christian view to a spiritual being that can be worshiped in various ways. Nettie is exposed to the Olinka’s form of God represented in the RoofLeaf that protects them (p. 230). Both women open their minds about religion and come to understand God as whatever form they find comfort and joy from.
Celie and Nettie experience oppression, love, sacrifice, and spiritual development at similar times and yet they were unaware of it. When they were finally reunited, they had grown at the same rate and therefore were still as similar and connected as ever. They were connected by nature, and anytime they were feeling down they could think of one another or “conjure up flowers, wind, water� and know that they would be together again (p. 198).
While reading Alice Walker’s The Color Purple I found myself running the gamut of emotions and drawing from various memories about racism from my past. I have lived a privileged life with all of the superior cultural capital that one might imagine for an affluent white girl raised in a rich suburb of Washington D.C., Chevy Chase, MD. However, I have had my fair share of work with those who are less fortunate than me and for those experiences I am eternally grateful. I’ve had the privilege of working on Native American reservations from a very early age in Utah and Arizona, then at 18-19 years old I worked within Aborigine communities in Australia, and when I was 20 years old I worked with child services in Washington D.C. During my junior year in high school, I spent an entire semester attending an inner city public school in Houston, TX that had metal detectors and a strict dress code to include mesh or clear plastic backpacks and regular searches. Many of my friends were of minority races; some rich diplomats and some fortunate select few who were invited to attend our elite school system in Chevy Chase.
It became quite clear, early on, that I had more access and money than many of my friends and it hurt to be told that I could not share my wealth with others. It was about 3rd grade when I came to understand that I was from a different social class than many of my peers. It was a tough reality to swallow. I didn’t want to be different from them, and I wanted them to be included in everything I did. I’ve seen my fair share of blatant racism and discrimination and thankfully had the courage and support to stand up for the victims on several occasions. However, there are many occasions that I shamefully fled situations or stayed silent as to save myself the trouble of provoking conflict. After reading Alice Walkers’s novel, I’m returning to those regretful experiences and pondering on how I might change my behavior in the future.
-Kate Flynn

I read it back in high school for project. I was more focused on doing the project, instead of for fun. I found that I enjoyed more now that I am older and wasn't being forced to read it.

I read this book a few years ago in college for an African American Women Writer's English class... I retained nearly nothing of it as it was more school work than pleasure reading. This second time a round was enlightening and riveting and I can't wait to read it again in a few years' time and see how I view it then- always give school books a second chance!

I read the book many years ago and it has remained one of my all time best books ever read. I also saw the movie -- I was disappointed and didn't think it compared well to the book. I've seen the musical several times. Once on Broadway and then two regional productions. The regional productions were much more satisfying because they were much more simply produced. I have always seen this as a story about women and women's issues.

Yes I read it when it came out, then saw the film.
I was emotionally affected by both (I cried) now rereading it I see how she is able to humanise the male characters (Harpo and Mr M__________) and make the story come alive.

Dominic wrote: "Yes I read it when it came out, then saw the film.
I was emotionally affected by both (I cried) now rereading it I see how she is able to humanise the male characters (Harpo and Mr M__________) and..."
Her compassionate description of her male characters was one of my favorite things about the book. I think the one thing that disappointed me in the movie was that that was not as evident.