The differences between the novel by Alice Walker, "The Color Purple" and the film by the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg.
The paper shows the differences between the novel by Alice Walker, "The Color Purple" and the film by the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg. The paper shows the distinct differences between film and the literature that inspired both versions of "The Color Purple", differences unique to each different media that yield very different effects upon the reader and upon the viewers of Walker's tale. "In contrast, Celie's pregnancy in the film is revealed not verbally but visually. Film is often called a visual rather than a verbal medium and the film's rendering of this event confirms this. In the film, a sense of Celie's innocence is conveyed by the young girl's voice singing songs with her younger sister, the sight of the child Celie playing patty-cake with her sister and the two girls running through green fields. The scene looks idyllic, until the young actress playing Celie becomes entirely revealed from head to toe. Then, the viewer suddenly realizes with a jolt, the child is pregnant." Alice Walker's second and most famous novel, The Color Purple, tells the story of Celie, a fourteen year old girl repeatedly raped by her (step) father, and impregnated twice by him. Told in the form of letters to God and her younger sister, Nettie, the novel covers a period of time that we can only estimate to be almost 30 years or so. This novel gained particular popularity when made
The Color Purple is too concerned with the personal experiences of Celie to be a successful political novel
The Color Purple is too concerned with the personal experiences of Celie to be a successful political novel. Give your response to the above opinion. Written in 1982, it is clear several modern movements affected Walker's novel, The Color Purple. The impact of the Civil Rights Movement which took place during the 1950's and 60's compelled racial integration throughout the United States and thus in a novel written in its aftermath it is inevitable that Walker concerns her novel with political issues. I believe through using the character of Celie's experiences and encounters with the world as her pivot Walker explores a legacy of slavery, racial oppression and poverty, particularly for the non-mainstream majority groups such as black people, therefore making it a successful political novel. The stimulus statement suggests that the method Walker employs buries the public issues in the private emotions of the protagonist, Celie. The extent to which the novel is a successful political one is often open to debate, however, I believe it is through raising political issues, The Color Purple is able to look at topical areas more in line with every day life, and humanity in general. This piece of twentieth century American literature addresses political issues clearly influenced by the Civil Rights and Feminist Movements. Through engaging the reader by using the main character as
Analysing 'The Colour Purple' Film
Claire Fooks 10y English Assignment Analysing 'The Colour Purple' Film 'The Colour Purple' is a novel written by Alice Walker in 1982. It is the touching and inspirational story of Celie. The story is set at the start of the twentieth century and Celie is a young black girl living in the Deep South. Celie writes letters to God in which she tells about her life - her roles as daughter, wife, sister, and mother. Through the course of her story, Celie meets a series of other Black women who shape her life. Throughout the story Celie is the centre of this community of women, the one who knows how to survive. The highly praised Hollywood Director, Steven Spielberg modified the novel for film in the mid-1980s. When turning this novel into a film Spielberg may have anticipated some difficulties, such as condensing the story. The aim of the film was to portray the position and troubles of Afro-American women at the time. It shows that women were oppressed by their colour and gender. The harsh words said to Celie by Mister help depict the situation of most black women, 'you black, you poor, you ugly, you a woman - you nothing at all'. Like the novel, Spielberg's film does not dwell only on this depression and trouble, he also shows the strength and determination of the women. Despite all the scenes of racial cruelty, domestic violence and the shocking situations, the film shows the
An Analysis of Daughters of the Dust and The Color Purple using Black Feminist Theory
Belinda Clarke Student No: 9505215 An Analysis of Daughters of the Dust and The Color Purple using Black Feminist Theory Over the last three decades traditional feminism has been attacked by black feminist theorists who say they have been racially oppressed in the Woman's Movement and sexually oppressed by men in the Black Liberation Movement. Black feminists have accused the latter of representing only black men and have accused white feminist women of concentrating on oppression in terms of gender whilst ignoring other forms of oppression like race, class and sexuality. In an effort to resist this marginalisation, new black feminist and womanist theories have been produced to represent the needs of and account for the differing historical experiences of black women. Film makers have also begun to address the misrepresentations and exclusions of black women in white aesthetics. During this essay I will use black feminist theory to analyse the films Daughters of the Dust and The Color Purple. Firstly, a brief explanation of the black feminist theory that is relevant to this essay will be given, using the work of a number of theorists. This will be a very condensed outline and will in no way encompass the full richness of black feminist thought. Then an analysis of the above two films will ensue in order to investigate if and in what ways these films
How do the writers gain interest in the opening pages of 'Great Expectations' and 'The Color Purple'?
How do the writers gain interest in the opening pages of 'Great Expectations' and 'The Color Purple'? "My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening." Such captivating and expressive descriptions are continuously used throughout one of the most well-known and loved classics of the 19th century and it was none other than Charles Dickens who was attributed for such a powerful and pensive story - Great Expectations. Published in 1861, Great Expectations was 14th in a long line of remarkable books written by Dickens. However, the book's popularity is often ascribed to its autobiographic qualities; many of the events from Dickens' early life are mirrored in Great Expectations. Written in Victorian England, Great Expectations was set during the Industrial Revolution; a time when England saw the biggest social changes yet. London, the country's capital, was the destination for all those seeking economic opportunity. It was crowded, polluted and filthy - industry had taken over. The rigid divisions between social classes remained as huge as ever; upper class citizens were of the elite few - the rest of the population were industrious labourers. Great Expectations include many aspects of the Industrial Revolution and through the book's narrator and protagonist, Pip, we are able to
“Compare and contrast the extent to which the female characters in ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’ and ‘The Color Purple’ are shown to overcome the struggles they face.”
"Compare and contrast the extent to which the female characters in 'Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit' and 'The Color Purple' are shown to overcome the struggles they face." Although many of the themes in 'The Color Purple' and 'Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit' are similar, the moods of the novels completely different. 'The Color Purple' is about survival with an underlying and unquenchable sense of wonder and hope, whereas in 'Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit' the mood is one of confusion and exasperation. In the face of the struggles Celie must contend with; oppression of poverty, racism, and sexism, she sustains her dignity and even after all she has faced, when she is presented with the opportunity to love, she is openheartedly willing to accept. Jeannette's confusion is due to the contradictions she is confronted with in her early life: her religion verses her personal feelings. She is told that what feels right to her is wrong, but this is never explained to her. What aggravates this confusion is that the religion in which she is raised is based on absolutes; there are no grey areas in fundamental religious practices. However, protagonists of both novels share a repressed and dysfunctional family background, the catalyst for their struggle. The main similarities in 'The Color Purple' and 'Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit' are that both Celie and Jeannette have one passive
Discuss how Walker and Atwood present the self awakening of key characters within the Colour Purple and Margaret Atwood poems.
Discuss how Walker and Atwood present the self awakening of key characters within the Colour Purple and Margaret Atwood poems. Both writers explore the plight of women and condemn the acts of sexism and racism. Walker and Atwood both show how women can overcome the harsh situations that occur, however the writers do this using various different styles. The life of Celie in "The Color Purple" emphasises the hardships and joys of black people, focussing on gender inequality. Celie is in a position of complete powerlessness throughout the beginning letters. She is so defenceless that the only person she talks to is God, and even then she is forced to write letters rather than pray. "Dear God what is happening to me? " Celie first loses the ability to control her own life when her mother falls ill. This forces her to assume the duties of her mother. Through rapes and beatings she is completely dominated by Pa. "Wives are like children and they must be beaten if they are to be kept in order" When talking of Celie Pa states"I can let you have Celie, I got a fresh one in there myself" This reminds us of the purchase of a slave. And shows how Celie is used throughout the beginning of the novel. Trudier Harris also thought that Walker was "trying to divide the black community through her accounts of male dominance." However I think Alice Walker gives a realistic
Examine Walker's narrative techniques in The Color Purple including consideration of the use of letters, language and imagery, as well as responding to critical opinions of these techniques.
Examine Walker's narrative techniques in The Color Purple including consideration of the use of letters, language and imagery, as well as responding to critical opinions of these techniques. The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a short novel set in the Southern States of America during the 1920's. The main character in the book is a black girl named Celie who writes letters to God in a diary form about her unusually traumatic life. Celie's writing letters to God is known as an epistolary form, because letters to God or in a religious context are called epistles. Walker's language, style and choice of letters instead of chapters are effective in many ways, both in telling the story and also in conveying important themes. Celie's letters to God are a very effective medium for Walker to convey messages to the reader. They present an intimate view of the character's thoughts without interference from the author and they convey the shape of events to come with dramatic immediacy. They are all unsigned and read more like diary entries and therefore they involve the reader in more ways than one. Firstly, the reader connects with the first-person narrator and empathises with her as a mature adult reading a child's plea for help- "Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me". Yvonne Johnson comments on this bonding between reader and character- "the reader...
The impact of 'The Color Purple' is emotional rather than intellectual and this exemplifies the fact that for the society presented in the novel intellectual pursuit is futile
The impact of 'The Color Purple' is emotional rather than intellectual and this exemplifies the fact that for the society presented in the novel intellectual pursuit is futile Alice Walker's 'The Color Purple' is a controversial novel criticised positively and negatively by all walks of life. At first glance, the book affects the reader emotionally, but after a second reading it is clear that there are intellectual layers to the novel, such as women's rights and race relations. This text can change the reader emotionally and their views of the world in just 261 pages. I believe that although the novel does have some intellectual impact, there is more of an emotional experience to be had - however does this mean that intellectual pursuit for the society presented is futile? When reading this novel, we are presented with the shocking opening line 'You better not never tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy'. The language Walker has used here is intended to shock the reader and entice them to read on as the words creating a foreboding atmosphere. In this first letter we meet Celie - a fourteen-year-old black American girl who is raped by who she thinks is her father. From this age Celie is already used to being repressed by men, but soon after she is forcibly pushed into a marriage with Mr -, who really wants her sister Nettie. When Celie sees that Mr - wants Nettie she
Compare racial and cultural struggles in Alice Walker's The Color Purple as well as Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye.
In African-American texts, blacks are seen as struggling with the patriarchal worlds they live in order to achieve a sense of Self and Identity. The texts I have chosen illustrate the hazards of Western religion, Rape, Patriarchal Dominance and Colonial notions of white supremacy; an intend to show how the protagonists of Alice Walker's The Color Purple as well as Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, cope with or crumble due to these issues in their struggle to find their identities. The search for self-identity and self-knowledge is not an easy task, even more so when you are a black woman and considered a mule and a piece of property. Providing an in depth analysis of these texts, this essay attempts to illustrate how both of these Afro-American writers depict and resolve their respective protagonists' struggles. Religion is believed by many to serve as a means to achieving or finding self or identity. However, in the Euro-influenced Christian religion especially, directly after 'finding one's self', one is called to deny one's self in the name of a white 'God'. 'Humble yourself and cast your burdens to God' they say, for 'He will make all wrongs right'. Logically however, one must ask...what interest does the white God (who is especially portrayed in Afro-American writings such as The Color Purple and The Bluest Eye as a further extension of Patriarchal values) have in black