NationMaster - Encyclopedia: The Color Purple

The Color Purple is an acclaimed 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker. It received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name. The Color Purple can refer to: The Color Purple, the 1982 novel by Alice Walker. ... The Color Purple book cover This image is a book cover. ... Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American author and feminist. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... Harcourt Trade Publishers is a U.S. publishing firm, and one of the worlds largest publishers of textbooks. ... See also: 1981 in literature, other events of 1982, 1983 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... â€œISBNâ€ redirects here. ... See also: 1981 in literature, other events of 1982, 1983 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Titlepage of Aphra Behns Love-Letters (1684) An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. ... Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American author and feminist. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded since 1948 for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. ... The National Book Awards is one of the most preeminent literary prizes in the United States. ... The Color Purple is the ninth film directed by Steven Spielberg, and was released 1985. ... The Color Purple is a Broadway musical based upon the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker. ...

Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story addresses many issues related to African-American life during the early to mid 20th century in the American south, especially focusing on women's low position in black social culture. Because of the novel's sometimes explicit content, particularly in terms of violence, it has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 at number eighteen.^[1] Languages Predominantly American English Religions Protestantism (chiefly Baptist and Methodist); Roman Catholicism; Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... ALA Logo The American Library Association (ALA) is a group based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. ...

Plot summary

The story is told through a series of diary entries and letters. Celie is a poor, uneducated young woman who, at 14, is sexually abused and impregnated twice by a man she believes to be her father, Alphonso. After her children are taken away to "be with God," she is forced to marry a widower, with several children, who is physically abusive. At first, she is joined in her new home by her younger sister, Nettie, whom Celie's new husband had originally wanted to marry. After he attempts to seduce Nettie, she escapes, promising to write to Celie. As time passes, Celie assumes that Nettie is dead. In her writings, Celie refers to her husband as "Mr. ___." One of his sons, Harpo, falls in love with and marries an strong and physically imposing woman named Sofia. Though both Harpo and "Mr. ___" attempt to treat her as an inferior, Sofia fights back, sometimes even physically, and Celie is amazed by her defiance. Spousal abuse refers to a wide spectrum of abuse. ...

"Mr. ___" has a mistress, singer Shug (short for "Sugar") Avery, and she comes to live with the family because of her poor health. Like "Mr. __", Shug at first has little respect for Celie and the life she lives. She copies her lover, abusing Celie and adding to her humiliation. Celie initially feels threatened by this effervescent, liberated version of femininity, but she eventually realizes that she is sexually attracted to Shug. When Shug discovers that "Mr. ___" beats Celie, she decides to remain in the house in order to protect her.

After a few years of constant fighting, Sofia leaves Harpo, taking their children with her. At the same time, Celie and Shug become intimate and a strong bond grows between them. When Sofia returns to town for a visit, she becomes involved in a fight with Harpo's new girlfriend, who is nicknamed "Squeak" because of her high-pitched voice. One day, the mayor’s wife, Miss Millie, asks Sofia to work as her maid. When Sofia declines with the words, "Hell, no," the mayor slaps Sofia. When she returns the blow, knocking the mayor down, she is arrested for hitting a white man. She is later sentenced to work for twelve years as the mayor's maid. The separation from her family and her freedom breaks her spirit.

Even after Shug marries a man called Grady, she and Celie become lovers. One night, when Shug asks Celie about Nettie, Celie says that she believes her sister to be dead, since she had promised to write but Celie had never received any letters. Shug informs Celie that she has seen "Mr. ___" hide numerous mysterious letters in a trunk and suggests that they investigate. When they do so, they find dozens of letters written by Nettie to Celie over the years. These tell of Nettie's travels to Africa with a missionary couple, Samuel and Corrine, and their adopted children, Olivia and Adam. When Corrine becomes ill, Samuel tells Nettie how they came to adopt their children and that his wife has suspected that Nettie was their biological mother due to their resemblance. Nettie then learns that Olivia and Adam are Celie's long-lost children, and that she is the children's aunt. She also learns that Alphonso was not her and Celie's father but rather their stepfather. Their biological father, a store-owner, had been lynched by a mob of white men because they believed he was too successful. After Corrine's acceptance of Nettie's story, she dies, and Samuel and Nettie discover that they are deeply in love; they eventually marry.

Having read the letters and learned the truth about her children as well as her biological father, Celie visits Alphonso to confirm the story, which he does. Celie finds a new sense of empowerment, and at dinner one night she releases her pent-up anger at "Mr. ___", cursing him for the years of abuse that she has had to endure. Shug, Celie, and Squeak decide to move to Tennessee, where Celie begins a lucrative business designing and sewing tailored pants. She returns to Georgia for a visit and finds that not only has "Mr. ___" reformed himself and his ways, but Alphonso has died and all of his land now belongs to her. Celie decides to move back, relocating her business.

Meanwhile, Nettie and Samuel are preparing for their return to America. Adam falls in love with and marries an African girl named Tashi, who undergoes the painful rituals of female circumcision and facial scarring. Adam also goes through the facial scarring ritual in solidarity. Nettie writes to Celie to let her know that the family is on their way. Female genital cutting (FGC) refers to a number of procedures performed for cultural, rather than medical, reasons on the female genitalia. ...

Celie is now an independent woman. Celie and "Mr. ___" eventually reconcile, and he begins to help her with her business, sewing with her as they sit on the porch. Sofia and Harpo remarry, and Sofia also works for Celie. Nettie and Samuel return with the children, and Celie and her sister are happily reunited.

Origins of the title

The title derives from a discussion between Celie and Shug about faith. Describing what God does to please people, Shug says, "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." After Celie asks what God does in response to this obliviousness, Shug replies that he creates something else people will see, because God just wants to be loved. The discussion leads the rekindling of Celie's faith, despite years of abuse and neglect.

Film and theatrical adaptations

The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1985. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Danny Glover as "Mr. ___", and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia. Though nominated for 11 Academy Awards, it did not win any. This perceived snubbing ignited some controversy because many critics considered it the best picture that year,^[2] including Roger Ebert.^[3] Others were upset by the film's depiction of the black male as abusive, uncaring, and disloyal. Other critics felt that Steven Spielberg was a poor choice for such a complex drama and that the film had changed or eliminated much of the book's defense of lesbianism. The Color Purple is the ninth film directed by Steven Spielberg, and was released 1985. ... The Color Purple is a Broadway musical based upon the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker. ... The Color Purple is the ninth film directed by Steven Spielberg, and was released 1985. ... This article is about the year. ... Steven Spielberg (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director and producer. ... Whoopi Goldberg performing stand-up at a benefit for Rainforest Action Network. ... Danny Lebern Glover[1] (born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. ... Oprah Winfrey, (born January 29, 1954) is a multiple-Emmy Award winning host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the highest rated talk show in television history. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ...

On December 1, 2005, a musical adaptation of the novel opened at the Broadway Theater in New York City. The show was produced by Oprah Winfrey and garnered five 2006 Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, including Outstanding Broadway Musical and Outstanding New Score. That same year, the show was nominated for eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score Written for the Theater, and Best Leading Actress in a Musical (LaChanze). LaChanze did win the Tony Award, though the show itself won no other awards. LaChanze's win was attributed to the variety of roles for which she had garnered positive attention, as well as for a powerful backstory. is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Color Purple is a Broadway musical based upon the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker. ... Note on spelling: While most Americans use er (as per American spelling conventions), the majority of venues, performers and trade groups for live theatre use re. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Begun during the 1949-1950 theater season, the Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award® but is formally the Antoinette Perry Award is an annual American award celebrating achievements in theater, including musical theater. ... LaChanze (whose name means one who is charmed) is an African-American actress, singer, and dancer. ...

Editions

A Prebound book is a book that was previously bound and has been rebound with a library quality hardcover binding. ... Categories: Stub | Books ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Contents

Plot summary

Origins of the title

Film and theatrical adaptations

Editions

See also

Citations

External links

Contents

Plot summary GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Origins of the title

Film and theatrical adaptations

Editions

See also

Citations

External links

Plot summary