Shug Avery has been presented as a rather likeable character in the colour purple, whom Celie has confided in, and has found true happiness with after the problems she faced throughout her childhood.

In both novels the narrator of the story seem to have a lot of people surrounding them, however both have someone they can turn to as their role model. Shug Avery has been presented as a rather likeable character in the colour purple, whom Celie has confided in, and has found true happiness with after the problems she faced throughout her childhood. In Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, Jeanette seems to rely on Elsie Norris as someone she can rely on and as someone she can go to get away from the life of an oppressed young girl who may not always want religion as her main priority. In the Colour Purple, Celie starts the novel off by using a graphalogical effect in italic letters, this introduces the main event of the story about how Celie writes to 'god' because it seems she only turns to god for comfort. Then we enter the main novel being delimited with Celie's childhood life. The fact that her stepfather has raped her disturbs the readers thought about the story and how Celie is going to behave further on, we seem to be uncomfortable to be left with a vision of a young girl raped with no-one to help her get through it, the death of her mother and the role of her looking after her young siblings show us as the readers the hard life Celie has. The forced marriage she goes through effects us and we feel like this is the way her life is probably going to be till the end. When

  • Word count: 1590
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Analyse and discuss the themes of slavery and racism in the Color Purple. How is the white community portrayed by walker?

Essay: 'The colour Purple' Analyse and discuss the themes of slavery and racism in the Color Purple. How is the white community portrayed by walker? Alice Walkers 'The colour purple' was largely based in a black community in the deep south of America, in between the end of the nineteenth century and the Second World War. It has been described as a rendition of her own life, thus far, I am none the wiser. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, slavery had long been abolished in America, but old habits die hard, especially in the deep south of America-where barely any politicians would set foot-, the black community was still plagued by the white man's retained mannerism, although the black community had won a civil rights campaign to be considered equal to the white man, to many people the civil rights act was of no consequence, the black community to them was still as it had always been, it must be very hard to change a concept which has been with you throughout your whole life. In letter 10 we see this retained mentality rearing its ugly head, 'He say, Girl you want cloth or not' here the white shopkeeper contemptuously refers to Pauline's mother as 'Girl', a reminder that civil rights cannot change the mentality of some people. It is interesting also to note, that in reply to this, Pauline's mother replies very politely and unshaken to the shopkeeper-'Yes sir', in

  • Word count: 1466
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Despite Their Cultural Differences, Do Jeanette From ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’ & Celie From ‘The Colour Purple’ Both Share The Same Struggle?

Gareth Crabtree Despite Their Cultural Differences, Do Jeanette From 'Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit' & Celie From 'The Colour Purple' Both Share The Same Struggle? The cultural differences of the two characters are numerous and the implications far reaching. The austere but comfortable working class security of 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit', contrasts greatly with the urban squalor of 'The Colour Purple.' Even though there is such a massive social divide the two women share many similar struggles. Both women are struggling against the imposition and enforcement of belief systems and intolerant judgements upon them. In Jeanette's life her mother mainly imposes her controlling and stifling religious views upon her. She feels press - ganged to the extent that 'I had been brought in to join her in a tag match against the Rest of the World.' The entirety of Jeanette's early life is a moulding process, where she is forced to endure the influence of 'enemies' including 'The Devil (in his many forms), Next Door, Sex (in its many forms), and slugs.' Celie's initial struggle takes on a much more chilling and darker tone. Her perspective comes from her being made to accept the role of a victim. Her stepfather tears away her basic human rights as he abuses her, 'He start to choke me, saying you better shut up and git used to it.' It is a constant challenge to achieve the

  • Word count: 2042
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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How have the texts you have studied this year effectively shaped your understanding of the meaning of change?

How have the texts you have studied this year effectively shaped your understanding of the meaning of change? The texts that have influenced my understandings on change were the film "Pleasantville", the poem "The door" and the song "Cats in the Cradle". The film "Pleasantville" portrays the changes that have occurred in American society over the past 50 years. The movie describes changes in sexual relations, language, violence, and family matters and roles. Viewers are shown how the racial and sexual equality began. It shows there is no "perfect" way of life and as the movie slogan says "nothing is as simple as black and white". The movie has used a range of techniques that have helped to effectively shape my understanding of change for instance colour/symbolism and its absence, camera angles, and language Pleasantville has used the element of colour to help portray the change in the town and characters, which contrast greatly against the black and white society. As the characters begin to change their simplistic little town begins to turn into an intricate and dangerous place. The colour not only makes it clear in showing when changes in the characters have occurred though also through objects as symbols much like when Jennifer "pins" Skip and this is when the first sign of colour appears (the pink rose). The pink rose symbolizes love, passion and intimacy and in a way

  • Word count: 1626
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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In her story Everyday Use, Alice Walker is telling the story though the eyes of Mama,

Fan Qi Fan Professor D.E. Lambert English 28-Sec. #6051 November 06 2012 Comparison and contrast of “Everyday Use” In her story “Everyday Use,” Alice Walker is telling the story though the eyes of Mama, who is the narrator of this story. The story begins by describing the beautiful garden, which is like an extended living room on a common day. Then Mama introduces one of her two daughters, Maggie, whose life is held away by her sister Dee. This story tells about many different themes and issues in common daily life. One of the major themes in “Everyday Use” is contrasting ways of life and thinking between Maggie and Dee. Maggie and Dee have different thinking on their mother. The narrator says that she has had a dream in which she is on a TV show with her daughter Dee and the host is congratulating her on raising such a fine girl as her daughter. Then the narrator moves from her description of her dream to bring reality to light. “In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough man-working hands” (page. 161), the narrator says, and she compares herself to a man who works so hard even to kill hogs. In contrast, Dee wants her to be a hundred pounds lighter, skin like an uncooked barley pancake and with a witty tongue. Maggie does not have this opinion. It is clear that the Maggie and Dee have the different expectations about their own mother. The

  • Word count: 715
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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The Color Purple

THE COLOR PURPLE Discuss the dramatic impact of a key extract from 'The Color Purple'. The film, 'The Color Purple', was released in 1985 and it is based on the novel published in 1983 by Alice Walker. 'The Color Purple' won nine Oscar nominations and was directed by Steven Spielberg. The film, 'The Color Purple', tells the story of Celie from the age of 13 through to womanhood. The man she thinks is her father rapes her. She has two children who are both taken away from her. She is forced to marry an older man. He abuses her and treats her with complete disrespect. Her husband separates her from her sister and does not allow Celie to get any mail from her sister. She then meets Shug Avery and she discovers love and support of women. It took her many years to break free from the abuse of her husband and she is finally re-united with her sister and her children. The themes that are examined in the film are those of hatred through sexism and abuse, revenge and racism. Sexism is shown by the way that Celie is not treated equally. At the time the film was set, 1930's America, the man ruled the house and the woman did the housework such as; cooking, cleaning and looking after the children. Because of this, the woman would never question their husbands. Celie is the ideal example of this because Albert is the man of the house and is in charge and Celie is forced to cook

  • Word count: 1155
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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