Writing Guidelines for The Color Purple Essay
Intro
In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities,
attitudes, or values of a character. In fact the character’s relationship to the past often contributes
to the meaning of the work as a whole. In Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple, the
protagonist, Celie, experiences a traumatic childhood, one that would be enough to break most
individuals. Yet somehow Celie manages to survive and even grow stronger despite all the
adversity she faces in her youth. (This is the theme that we can make it through adversity and grow stronger and better
because of our suffering.)
Body Paragraph 1:
Raped by her father
Give details from the book to show the horror Celie went through. How did these horrible things impact her self-image.
How did she survive these things? What does her survival say about her attitudes and values – in other words, how does it
contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Body Paragraph 2
Forced to quit school because of her pregnancies
Give details from the book to show the horror Celie went through. How did these horrible things impact her self-image.
How did she survive these things? What does her survival say about her attitudes and values – in other words, how does it
contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Body Paragraph 3
Forced into a loveless marriage
Give details from the book to show the horror Celie went through. How did these horrible things impact her self-image.
How did she survive these things? What does her survival say about her attitudes and values – in other words, how does it
contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Conclusion
In The Color Purple, Walker creates a protagonist that shows the reader the resiliency of the
human spirit. Through Celie, the reader is reminded that facing adversity and maintaining the
strength, courage, and faith to overcome it can only make us stronger and often provide us with a
genuine appreciation of life.