Classics Series Book Review: The Color Purple by Alice Walker
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Trigger warning: sexual assault
Overview
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is a classic in American literature and when you read it, it’s not hard to figure out why. The tale of Celie, who’s married off to an older man at a very young age in the deep South, and her sister Nettie who goes off to be a missionary in Africa is at once heart wrenching and eye-opening. It’s a true tale of survival and making the best of hardship. It’s also about love, not just between partners and sisters, but love for yourself and how hard that can be.
Content & Message
Written entirely in the epistolary style - writing in the form of letters - Celie initially writes to God. Her faith is unwavering despite being 14 years old and having been raped by the town doctor and gotten pregnant. By the time she’s 20, she’s had two babies, but she’s not allowed to keep them.
She’s married at 20 to a man, Mr. _____, who takes months to decide if he wants her because “She ain’t fresh,” “She spoiled. Twice,” and “She ugly” (7-8). The immediate reaction is one of incredible want to free her of the situation she’s in that really doesn’t have an escape. At least not for many years.
In the end, Celie is happy. I won’t spoil it, but the book ends in a way that feels good for Celie
Meanwhile, her younger sister, Nettie, leaves for a mission trip in Africa with a couple named Samuel & Corrine. The letters are now for Nettie. The couple takes care of her, and she writes to Celie often - except Mr. _____ hides the letters and makes Celie believe Nettie has abandoned her, or worse, died. It isn’t until famous musician Shug Avery comes to town - and falls in love with Celie - that they learn of Mr. _____’s treachery.
Celie finds years of letters from her sister, and it’s at this point that she decides she’s going to leave to be with Shug. She finally has an escape, and the love she’s always longed for. With Shug, and their life together in Shug’s big house, Celie can finally think about herself and learn to love herself. Shug even helps Celie begin a small sewing business - pants for women. Celie writes letters to God and Nettie.
In the end, Celie is happy. I won’t spoil it, but the book ends in a way that feels good for Celie: “I don’t think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this is the youngest us ever felt” (288).
Biggest Takeaway
The most powerful thing about this book is Celie’s story of her experience as a young black woman in the South. It’s not set in the present-day, as there are clear mentions about segregation throughout, but hearing about all the terrible things that happened in her life, in her words, makes the book tremendously moving.
Not only does Celie grapple with her own trauma, but she also has to navigate life experiences and her faith. Walker is a masterful storyteller, and this book tells an important story not just about one woman, but about how being African American, and a woman on top of that, was - and still remains - a complicated business far too often.
Overall Impressions
I love The Color Purple. I’ve read it at least 3-4 times, and while I won’t say it’s an easy read (because it’s not) I keep going back to it over and over again because Walker so fully captures the voices and experiences of Celie & Nettie.
From the first page, the reader begins to feel the scope of Celie’s tragedies in her own voice. I love epistolary novels and this remains one of the best examples I can think of to represent how powerful first person voice can be in a novel.
This book is a hard read, but a necessary one.
The topics and ideas are also important, even if they’re hard to read about. The book isn’t hard in the sense of academic language or long sentences (like many other classic books), but hard in the mental & emotional sense. It’s hard to read about these experiences knowing that real people lived like this - and not just one person, either. For the same reasons it’s hard to read, it’s a book that must be read.
For many of us in the modern day world, this book is a reminder that reality isn’t the same for everyone, and despite the many ways we’ve moved forward, not that many years ago public places were still segregated & Jim Crow laws were very much a part of everyday life. Not that many years ago it was still legal to discriminate against people based on race and gender.
This book is a hard read, but a necessary one. It’s beautifully written, and I think you’ll find that when you pick it up, you’ll keep turning page after page because you just have to know: what’s going to happen next? And how in the world can this woman survive, let alone have a happy ending?
Why Writers Need this Book
If you’re a writer, you need to read this book not just because of the way the book handles heavy themes and ideas with grace & clarity, but also because the language is incredible. You’ll be transported into Celie’s world, and that’s the ultimate goal of a book, but especially an epistolary style book.
The letters aren’t written in “proper English” as we usually think but in Celie’s voice as she would speak to you in a normal conversation - up to and including very direct language about bodies and love and faith.
Next Steps
There are a few steps to take next:
Get the book here. (Or here or here). Better yet, check your local library! Easy peasy.
Read the book & take it in.
My challenge to you is to read the book and think about the voices being represented.
Have you read the book? What did you think? What was your favorite part? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.
Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great reading & writing.