The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Jarell Wilson

October 16, 2008

Book Analysis #2 - October 17, 2008

AP Question: 073. Write an essay in which you show how the character’s relationship to

the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

 People often, allow difficult situations to affect their lives, this leads to a sense of

inferiority and dependence on others. Therefore people should learn to overcome the

difficulties they face in order to become independent of others and gain self-confidence.

Alice Walker demonstrates this truth to the reader in her novel The Color Purple.

Throughout the book Walker uses first-person narration, imagery, plot, and

characterization to accurately portray this theme to the reader.

Walker uses first-person narration to effectively portray the main character’s

feelings and emotions. “He love looking at Shug. I love looking at Shug. But Shug don’t

love looking at but one of us. Him. (73)” These intimate revelations from Celie, the

main character, help reveal the theme to the reader, through her the reader is shown that

characters in the story are all dependent one another. This strategy is also used again by

Walker to properly demonstrate to the reader the difficulty Celie has expressing herself

aloud. “Come on in, I want to cry. To shout. Come on in…But I don’t say nothing. (45)”

First-person narration is the strategy used flawlessly by Walker to reveal to the reader

that Celie has difficulties expressing herself, which in turn results in her dependence on

others and a sense of inferiority.

Walker uses imagery to reveal the theme to the reader by using the characters’

physical appearance to paint a picture of characters’ personalities. For instance, Sofia’s

personality was revealed by the imagery used to describe her physical form. “She not

quite as tall as Harpo but much bigger, and strong and ruddy looking, like her mama

brought her up on pork. (30)” Sofia is a character defined by her strength and her

reputation for never backing down from confrontation. Another character revealed by

imagery is Harpo. “He black as the inside of a chimney. His eyes be sad and thoughtful.
His face begin to look like a woman face. (27)” Harpo is a character in the novel that is

always changing, no character is ever quite sure of what he will do; he is a mystery much

like the color used to describe him black. The last character to have her personality

revealed by imagery is Shug Avery. “She weak as a kitten. But her mouth just packed

with claws. (49)” by using imagery to reveal character Walker gives the reader an idea of

what the characters look like and what their behavioral patterns could be. The revelation

character through imagery properly displays to the reader the characters’ personalities

and the characters’ different dependencies and insecurities.

Plot is used by the author to reveal to the reader the theme by placing the

characters, especially Celie, in difficult situations in order to reveal the content of the

character. For example, Celie was rapped by a man she considered to be her father this

causes her dependence on Shug Avery, “He beat for dressing trampy but he do it to me

anyway. (7)” Another difficult experience used to demonstrate the theme is Sofia being

forced to serve the mayor and his wife this causes her dependence on her families

support, “I’m at they beck and call all night and all day. They won’t let me see my

children…I’m a slave…(103)” Shug Avery is also put in a difficult situation when she

grows ill and no one wants to take her in this causes her dependence of Mr._, “Shug

Avery sick and nobody in this town want to take the Queen Honeybee in. Her mammy

say She told her so. Her pappy, Tramp. (43)” Nettie also goes through difficult times in

Africa when a rubber company tears down part of her village, causing her dependence on

her future husband Samuel, “Every hut that lay in the proposed roadpath was leveled.

And, Celie, our church, our school, my hut, all went down in a matter of hours. (169)”

Harpo’s moment of difficulty is found when Sofia takes the children and leaves to go live
with her sister and brother-in-law this causes Harpo to become dependent on Squeak and

his friend Swain, “Sofia gone six months, Harpo act like a different man. (69)” All of

these difficult situations put the characters into positions in which they become dependent

on someone and lose their self-confidence.

Walker uses sex in the plot to describe the characters’ dependence on outside

things and other people. Mr._, Celie’s husband has sex with her against her will, while

she has sex with him and tries to enjoy it because that is what her hero Shug would do. “I

know what he doing to me he done to Shug Avery and maybe she like it. I put my arm

around him. (12)” Shug Avery and Celie take place in sexual activity which causes Celie

to become even more dependent on Shug Avery. “Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss

no more. Then us touch each other. (113)” Walker use of sex as a tool used for control of

another human being, it reveals to the reader that sex creates a sense of dependency on

the characters, and even a sense of inferiority in Celie, “Why, Miss Celie. You make it

sound like he going to the toilet on you. That what it feel like, I say. (77)” The author’s

use of sex effectively reveals to the reader dependency in the characters.

Characterization is the tool used most by Alice Walker to reveal the theme to the

reader. Celie starts out as an innocent semi-religious girl until she is raped(1), and then

her world goes spinning in-and-out of difficult situations for instance: her children are

taken from her(2-3); she is forced to marry an abusive husband and put up with his

horrible children (12); the only woman that loved her other than her sister (Shug) married

another man (107); then when she and Shug are alone again, Shug leaves her for another

man (248-251); yet even in the midst of all these struggles Celie finds a way to find hope.

“Now I know Nettie alive I begin to strut a little bit. (148)”, simple hope in the midst of
tragedy helps Celie through the rest of her trials to come and even helps wean her from

her dependence on Shug, Mr._, and all the other people in her life, she even reveals her

self-worth to the reader and the other characters, “I’m pore, I’m black, I may be ugly and

can’t cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I’m here. (207)” The greatest

demonstration of character growth in Celie is her realization that she does not need Shug

to validate her, “If she come, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content. And then I figure this

the lesson I was suppose to learn. (283)” This revelation in Celie’s person shows the

reader that even though she was dependent on others she came into a realization own her

own, that she can be independent of Shug Avery, and that the sense of dependency and

inferiority Celie had can only be defeated within her, where this feeling was developed.

Personally this novel reached into my innermost fiber and made me realize so

much about my own dependence on others. For my entire life I have been dependent on

what others think of me. I wanted to be liked by everyone and to receive compliments to

affirm the sense of worth I so greatly desired, yet it never seemed to be enough. I wanted

to please my father so I played sports, I wanted to please my mother so I sang in the

church choir, and I wanted to please God so I served at church all the time. This lifestyle

of living to please others was not only physically draining, it drained my soul. It was a

terrible life to lead going from person to person seeking approval, much like Celie, I was

dependent on others. One day, while reading my Bible, I came to this realization that I

am important, whether others realize it or not, I still hold a level of importance in God’s

eyes. Celie came to the realization that just because she was alive she had the right to be

happy and independent from others.

 This novel has great literary merit, it reveals to all who read it truths about

themselves and truths about dependence on others. Author Alice Walker uses this book as

a tool to reveal a deep meaning in life; independence is a birthright as is self-confidence.

Walker’s use of first-person narration, imagery, plot, and characterization to accurately

portray to the reader that it is necessary for all people to learn to overcome the difficulties

of life in order to gain independence and self-confidence.