The Color Purple

A detailed Summary of The Color Purple


In the novel The Color Purple, by Alice Walker there are many references to the color purple. Purple is a very unique color especially in today's society. It is the color generally associated with lesbianism, and was previously used in the Phoenician Empire to show that someone was of royalty. The lesbianism significance is an important part, especially in this novel because of Celie and Shug's relationship. Throughout the novel, the inference to the color purple is used as a literary device to describe the uniqueness and lesbian tendencies of the protagonist, Celie.

The first reference to the color purple is the scene where Celie's sister-in-laws try to help her relationship with her husband, their brother. The girls decide that they will take Celie down to the store to buy her some new material for clothes. Celie had never been able to afford her own new clothes, so she was trying to decide what color the new material would be. "I think what color Shug Avery would wear.


"Well here it is, I say, standing in the door. Everything in my room purple and red cept the floor, that painted bright yellow. She [Shug] go right to the little purple frog perch on my mantelpiece, What this? she ast. Oh, I say, a little something Albert carve for me." (Walker 291) In this last cite Celie has moved on from her past life with Albert and Shug. She is at her home/pant factory, where she designs her own pants. The purple in this scene stands for majestic freedom. Celie is finally free to do what she wants, without anyone to stop her. She has figured out the game of life and is now a few steps ahead.

This quote is Celie just taking a step back from the world she lives in and looking at what is really going on in her life. She is finally asking the questions that she has always been told not to ask. She doesn't have the feelings for men that she is "supposed" to have. Yet, she has all of these strange feelings for Shug. All of her feelings have had to be put away because of

Some common words found in the essay are:
God I'm, Celie Shug's, Celie Shug, Albert Shug, Alice Walker, Kate Somethin, color purple, Phoenician Empire, Celie's Shug, Shug Avery, Color Purple, celie shug, purple novel, purple scene, reference color, color purple novel, alice walker, reference color purple,

Approximate Word count = 679
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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