The color purple cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. See a complete list of the characters in the color purple and indepth analyses of celie, shug avery, mr. Color purple by alice walker abebooks shop for books. General fiction alice walker s masterpiece, a powerful novel of courage in the face of oppression celie has grown up in.
In we are the ones we have been waiting for, alice walker, pulitzer prize winning author of the color purple, draws on her deep spiritual grounding, her passionate political convictions and her extraordinary literary gifts to give us a series of meditations on the universal struggles for wisdom, justice, and peace. The color purple by walker, alice and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A poor, black, ugly and uneducated female in the americas jim crow south in the first half of the 20th century, she is the victim of constant rape, violence and. Its been the subject of controversy over her portrayal of black men and her use of black vernacular language.
Alice walker also sets up an important subplot revolving around celies sister, nettie, and her time as a missionary in africa. Pdf the color purple book by alice walker free download. A feminist work about an abused and uneducated african american womans struggle for empowerment, the color purple was praised for the depth of its female characters and for its eloquent use of black english vernacular. And though the many letters from celies sister are hidden by her husband, netties unwavering support will prove to be the most breathtaking of all.
Summary read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. The first edition of the novel was published in 1982, and was written by alice walker. Celie, the protagonist and narrator of the color purple, is a poor, uneducated, fourteenyearold black girl living in rural georgia. In 1983, walker became the first africanamerican woman to win a pulitzer prize for fiction with her novel the color purple, which also won the national book. Alice walkers the color purple, despite its strong descriptions of rape and violence, is a powerful novel showing the empowerment of black women, namely. The color purple is a cultural touchstone for black. The color purple is a 1982 epistolary novel, by american author alice walker, which won the 1983 pulitzer prize, for fiction and the national book award for fiction. The color purple alice walker read online free books. Walker in love and trouble, meridian has set herself the task of an epistolary novel and she scores strongly with it. The main characters of this classics, fiction story are nettie, albert. The color purple literature essays are academic essays for citation. She is best known for her 1982 novel the color purple, which won. Even though it touches on difficult subject matter like child abuse and forced marriage, this story believes that human kindness, courage and love can defeat any challenge. In 1983, the book won the pulitzer prize for fiction and the national book award for fiction.
Set in the deep american south between the wars, the color purple is the classic tale of celie, a young black girl born into poverty and segregation. The novel was praised for the depth of its female characters, and it was adapted into a popular film and a musical. Celie gave birth to a girl, whom her father stole and presumably killed in the. In her long career, alice walker has distinguished herself as a writer of poetry, essays, short fiction, and novels. It uses detailed imagery to paint a picture of all of the characters, their physical and emotional attributes.
The novel, the color purple, is about the main character, celie, and her sister nettie. Dec 04, 2017 i read alice walkers the color purple for as part of being a member of emma watsons feminist book club, our shared shelf. The color purple alice walker the official website. Alice walker has 84 books on goodreads with 11846 ratings. Some other characters are celie and nettie s stepfather, celies husband, and celies lover, shug. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole. It was the first work by a black woman to win both the pulitzer and national book. My goto comfort novel is the color purple, by alice walker. Alice walker born february 9, 1944 is an american novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. On the 30th anniversary of the publication of the color purple, we speak with author, poet and activist alice walker about her groundbreaking novel and its enduring legacy.
It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name. June 28, 1982 walker in love and trouble, meridian has set herself the task of an epistolary noveland she scores strongly with it. The color purple is a pulitzer prize winning novel by alice walker. The pages are clean with no writing, marks or bookplates in the book.
Jun 05, 2014 the color purple is a lush celebration of all that it means to be female, to be a black female and like the best of celebrations, it is an honest one. By intense, it is a book touching very difficult and hard aspects of life of a poor, black oppressed woman in the early twentieth century. The focus, however, more often become not literary merits of the novel, but a variety of proble. The color purple flliee walker r tl pulitzer prize winner ik f tl authors. No mean accomplishment, since her previous books which, in addition to several collections of poetry and two collections of short stories, include two novels the third life of grange copeland and medridian have elicited almost unanimous praise for miss walker as a lavishly gifted writer. However the significance of the title the color purple holds true throughout the novel. Alice walker s iconic modern classic is now a penguin book. Winner of the pulitzer prize and the national book award.
The color purple, novel by alice walker, published in 1982. The novel is told in an epistolary style, through the usage of 90 different letters written by the characters. The color purple deals with a black womans struggle to free herself from a position of servitude in a maledominated society. Celie grows up in rural georgia, navigating a childhood of ceaseless abuse. Lauded as a literary masterpiece, this is the groundbreaking novel that placed walker in the company of faulkner the nation, and remains a wrenchingyet intensely upliftingexperience for new generations of readers.
Alice walker s most famous work is the pulitzer prizewinning novel the color purple 1982, which depicts the growing up and selfrealization of a southern black woman between 1909 and 1947. Her other bestselling novels include by the light of my fathers smile, possessing the secret of. Alice walkers novel the color purple has had an interesting life, as far as books go. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 295 pages and is available in paperback format. Color purple by alice walker abebooks passion for books. Walker lived in the south which was the hub of racial discrimination. Literary techniques employed by alice walker to develop celies character. Its big, beautiful happy ending is heartfelt and hardwon. Alice walker books biography and list of works author. The color purple has sold more than five million copies, inspired an academy awardnominated film starring oprah winfrey and directed by steven spielberg, and been adapted into a tony. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the. Celie is a poor, black girl in the american south of the 1930s.
Alice walker won the pulitzer prize and the national book award for her novel the color purple. The color purple is a novel by alice walker that was first published in 1982. My books alice walker the official website for the. Alice walker s the color purple weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for in the first few letters, celie tells god that she has been raped by her father and that she is pregnant for the second time with his child. She is also the author of three collections of short stories, three collections. Net android app builtin search books by popularity login for bookmarks articles of journalists. In 2016, early bird books partnered with alice walker to celebrate black history month by reading and discussing the color purple. The classic, pulitzer prizewinning novel that made alice walker a household name. The margos finally take on the alice walker classic the color purple which won both the pulitzer prize for fiction and the national book award in 1983. In 1983, walker became the first african american woman to win a pulitzer prize for fiction with her novel the color. Book summary alice walkers the color purple weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for. The book altered the face of africanamerican literature, and walker s life both for better. Teen, 16 years old written by guatever2k17 april 12, 2018. Born to sharecropper parents, alice walker grew up to become a highly acclaimed novelist, essayist and poet.
Alice walker won the pulitzer prize and the american book award for her novel the color purple, which was preceded by the third life of grange copeland and meridian. Alice walker s most popular book is the color purple. A powerful cultural touchstone of modern american literature, the color purple. In the first few letters, celie tells god that she has been raped by her father and that she is pregnant for the second time with his child. Literary discussions inspired by the novel often devolved into shouting matches, split along gender lines.
Biography of alice walker, pulitzer prize winning writer. In 1983, walker became the first african american woman to win a pulitzer prize for fiction with her novel the color purple, which also won the national book award. Mar 12, 2020 the color purple the color purple, by alice walker, tells the story of two sisters, celie and nettie, one living in rural georgia and the other in africa during the 1920s. The color purple is an epistolary novel by alice walker. The color purple, by alice walker, is a very intense book to read. The color purple is among the best of her many fine literary achievements, and this novel continues to have a vibrant life of its own.
She is, at the age of fourteen, repeatedly raped by her father, has two children by him, and is then married off to a widower. The color purple is a 1982 novel written by alice walker. Aug 28, 2014 there an evident psychological and spiritual growth in the novel. Celie starts writing letters to god because her father, alphonso, beats and rapes her. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the color purple by alice walker. Sep 20, 2011 the color purple ebook written by alice walker. Book vs movie replay the color purple the alice walker pulitzerprize winning novel vs the steven spielberg multiacademy award nominated film. Not only is she poor and despised by the society around her, shes badly treated by her family.
Alice walker biography and list of works alice walker books. The book is in great shape with minor wear to the boards. Magazine editor, the daughter of sharecropperspublished the color purple in 1982. Her other novels include by the light of my fathers smile and possessing the secret of joy. Literary discussions inspired by the novel often devolved. Though he was more than 40 years her senior, alice walker was lucky to know hughes toward the end of his. The color purple is written by the africanamerican writer alice walker. Alice walker born february 9, 1944 is a writer and activist, perhaps best known as the author of the color purple and more than 20 other books and poetry collections. She won the pulitzer prize in 1983 and the national book award in 1984.
Celie, as the novel starts is a staunch member of the church who states that, as long as i can spell god i got somebody along. Alice walker biography alice malsenior walker born february 9, 1944 is an africanamerican author and feminist who received the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1983 for the color purple. The color purple is the story of two sistersone a missionary to africa and the other a child wife living in the southwho remain loyal to one another across time, distance, and silence. Read online the color purple pdf by alice walker for free.
Free download or read online the color purple pdf epub book. Her other bestselling novels include by the light of my fathers smile, possessing the secret of joy and the temple of my familiar. This copy is signed by alice walker on the title page. Alice walkers pulitzer prize winning novel the color purple is a tale of personal empowerment which opens with a protagonist celie who is at the bottom of americas social caste. The color purple is alice walkers stunning, pulitzer prizewinning novel of courage in the face of oppression. Alice walker walked through the fire to give us the color purple.
In 1982, she wrote the novel the color purple, for which she won the national book award for hardcover fiction, and the pulitzer prize for fiction. The color purple, a heartfelt masterpiece published by user, 19 years ago. She is also the author of three collections of short stories, three collections of essays, seven volumes of poetry, and several childrens books. She is also known for recovering the work of zora neale hurston and for her work against female circumcision. Alice walker s honesty in this book is combative, relentless and redemptive. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis.
While the book was well written, the themes of rape, sexual identity, and violence all led. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the color purple. For the novel, which chronicles the struggle of several black women in rural georgia in the first half of the twentieth century, walker won the pulitzer prize and the american book award. Alice walker, one of the united states preeminent writers, is an awardwinning author of novels, stories, essays, and poetry. Essence banner winner of the pulitzer prize and the national book award bio bestselling novelist alice walker is also the author of three collections of short. The epistolary structure of this novel develops the characters through the point of view of celie and nettie. The color purple is an american novel of permanent importance. Essence magazine is said to have refused to run an excerpt, and ishmael reed led the charge to brand her as a manhater. In 1983, walker became the first africanamerican woman to win a pulitzer prize for fiction with her novel the color purple, which also won the national book award. In 1982, walker published her most famous novel, the color purple. A powerful cultural touchstone of modern american literature, the color purple depicts the lives of african american women in early twentiethcentury rural georgia.
Alice walker announced the impromptu online book club on february 1, which also happens to be langston hughess birthday. General fiction alice walkers masterpiece, a powerful novel of courage in the face of oppression celie has grown up in. About alice walker alice walker won the pulitzer prize and the national book award for her novel the color purple. Walker does social criticism in her novel, mostly criticizing the way black women were treated in the early twentieth century. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic of american literature is rich with passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life.