Racism (response to question asked on previous page)
The implication throughout the text is that 1930s Georgia was a difficult place to live for black people, due to the widely-held prejudices amongst the white population. Slavery was a recent memory. Due to their mistreatment at the hands of white people, the characters believe that their children are doomed to grow up in a racist society, with no hope for improvement. Furthermore, Sofia is convinced that due to the influence of society's prejudice her children will become cynical of everyone around them. The black characters have difficulty accepting this condition, yet they no see no hope of change in the future (Wikipedia)
Language:
Note Celie's choice of language to describe events:
'a great big man in black holding a whip. We sure do thank you for your hospitality. She laugh again, look at the horses flicking flies off they rump. Horsepitality, she say. And I git it and laugh. It feel like to split my face.'
Her choice of words may be full of AAVE and incorrect grammar; but, her choice of what she describes from the flies on the rump to the metaphor of her face splitting in laughter - all this suggest intelligence and an ability to effectively create a picture.
Page 21:
'...good with children, good cook. Brother couldn't have done better if he tried.
I think about how he tried'.
What does this reaction from Celie say about her attitude towards the marriage between her and Mr__________?
Page 25:
'I is glad, I say
What do you mean? He ast.
You looks nice, I say. Any woman be proud.
You think so? He say.'
Celie is responding to Mr________dressing up to meet his ex-girlfriend Shug - and yet she's married to him! What does this simple piece of dialogue say about Celie and Mr _______'s relationship with each other?
Celie is excited about the arrival of Shug Avery because she represents a self-made woman who seems to break all the rules and yet survives. She also commands the respect of the menfolk that rule over her life. Even before she has met her she is in awe.
Harpo
Consider his attitude towards:
Women
Love
Women:
1: He regards women as the ones who should work: p.22 - 'Women work. I'm a man.'
2: Love: Find a quote that sums up his
attitude
What (or who) might have given him this attitude?
(Father's influence - the attitude of the elders around him).
Write your own brief letter to Celie:
Knowing what you do of her predicament and beliefs;
What would you say to her?
Where can she find hope?
Who should she listen to?
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Celie has an inner sense of irony and wit as she tells her story; note the quote below and how it displays this wit:
'Talk to Mr____________. I say. He your daddy. Maybe he got some good advice. Maybe not. I think.'
Now look to the top of page 36 and see if you can see another example of this wit and sense of irony.
Sofia:
We are introduced to her on these pages.
Find a quote from these pages that sums her up.
How is Sofia different from the other characters we have met so far in the book?
Page 35: Note Sofia's reaction to men when they walk in the room (she ignores them and carries on talking)
Page 35: 'Never do what I say. Always backtalk. to tell the truth, he sound a little proud of this to me'.
Why would Harpo be proud of Sofia arguing with him when telling Mr________?
Page 36:
Do you think Celie knew what would happen when he told Harpo to beat Sofia?
Page 39: 'The Lord don't like Ugly, she say'
Bearing this quote in mind, what of support and hope does Sofia offer Celie?
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Shug
Celie thinks that Shug is 'too evil to submit to illness for too long' - what do you think she means by this?
This suggests Celie has a particular idea of what 'evil' means.
Write out your own answer before looking at the suggested answers below.
Suggested answer:
Perhaps Celie is saying that she thinks Shug is too powerful to succumb to the effects of illness. This suggests that Celie's use of the word 'evil' is more akin to the word 'power'. So why use 'evil'? Clearly 'evil' in Celie's voice doesn't have the same connotations as the normal interpretation. Shug appears not to fear God, but still corrects Blasphemy (page 42), this may also influence Celie's opinion of her as 'evil'. Shug Avery is apparently based on the famous blues singer Bessie Smith - here she is singing St Louis Blues in 1929:
'That when I note Shug talk and act sometimes like a man'. Page 77.
Can you see why Celie regards Shug a s a symbol of hope?
Shug has not only slept with Albert before he met Celie, but moves onto Grady and finally Germaine (a nineteen year old), thereby indicating a prolific sexual apetite - considered normal in a man but 'loose' in a woman; such is the partriarchal society she is capable of flaunting.
Shug introduces Celie to her idea of God - that it's not a 'He' but an 'It'; that is in the trees and the fields and nature itself - the Color Purple.
==============================================Here's the family connections so far, note that we do not know that her supposed father, Alphonso, is really just a step father; when Celie learns of this she is unburdened of the sense that when she was raped she was somewhat to blame for incest.
Albert Johnson (Mr_________) : 'Pa' Alphonso
(Not the real father)
Eldest son: -------- Wife
(Harpo) (Sofia)
Main character:
(Celie)
(Nettie)
