Letter 73

1. Explain, using quotes from this letter, two reasons why Celie was writing to God and why she has now started writing to Nettie.  You should try to analyse the language used in your choice of quotes.
    
2. What does this change show us about how Celie’s character is developing?
    
3. What was Nettie implying when she said Jesus’ hair was like lamb’s wool?
    
4. In this letter, Alice Walker uses Shug as a mouthpiece for her own ideas about religion.  Explain in detail, using a quote from this letter, what Shug’s interpretation of God is.
    
5. Why do you think Alice Walker chose Shug as the character to express her views on religion?
    
6. Examine the language used in the following quotes.  You should explain what the quote means and then analyse the effect of word choice:
   1. Celie says God is, ‘just like all the other mens I know.  Trifling, forgitful and lowdown.’
   2. Shug says, ‘I knew that if I cut a tree, my arm would bleed.’
   3. Shug says, ‘I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.’
   4. Celie says, ‘Every time I conjure up a rock, I throw it.’
       
7. Why do you think this novel is called The Color Purple?
    
8. Do you think the reader might begin to feel differently towards Celie and Shug at this point in the novel?  Explain your answer.
    
9. Can any links be made between Shug’s God and the Olinka’s God?

Letters 83-90

•How does Nettie and Samuel’s concept of God change?

•What is significant about the family gathering on 4th July?

•Compare the first letter to the last letter.

•In terms of context, what is the significance of Walker writing the novel, and Celie narrating the novel?

•What is significant about the address of Celie’s last letter?

•Are there any conflicts that remain unresolved at the end of the novel?

Letters 70-82

1.How does Celie view God? How does Shug view God? How do their different interpretations affect their outlook on life?

2.In your own words, write about Celie’s defining moment in the novel.

3.Discuss how Celie has changed from the beginning of the novel until this point.

4.Do you think Celie’s empowerment is aided by her economic independence? If yes, how? If no, why not?

Letters 61-69

•What is a missionary?

•How and why does Corrine attempt to distance herself from Nettie?

•What does the reader learn about Nettie and Celie’s father in these letters?

•How do Alphonso and Samuel know each other?

•Why do you think Celie stops writing to God and begins writing to Nettie?

•What do you think Shug means by the words: “us each other’s people now”?

•Describe the differences in how Americans and Africans view slavery.

•What do you think Celie means by “You must be sleep.” (Letter 68)?

•Note down the oppressions faced by the Olinka people.

Big Question

Discuss how the novel presents break downs in communication as well as repairs in communication. How do these effect relationships between the characters?

Ideas to discuss: Celia and Alphonso, Celie and Mr._____, Celie and Nettie, and Nettie, Samuel and Corrine.

Celie finds Nettie’s letters, Samuel tells the story of his children to Nettie, Celie talks with Alphonso…

Letters 22-33

Celie and Shug

Shug’s first words to Celie are:

“You sure is ugly.”

Why do you think Celie continues to like Shug?

When Mr._____’s Dad comes to visit he reprimands his son for his lifestyle.

Consequently, Celie and Mr._____ share a moment of eye contact and she says:

“the closest us ever felt.”

Why do you think she says this?

Shug and Albert

We learn from Shug that Mr._____’s name is Albert.

Why do you think we learn this from Shug and not Celie?

Harpo

Why do you think Harpo is eating so much?

Why do you think Celie goes back on her advice to Harpo about beating Sophia?

Celie

Celie is becoming self-aware:

“I might as well be under the table, for all they care. I hate the way I look, I hate the way I’m dress.”

Why do you think this is the case?

Comment on the theme of sexuality in letters 22-33.

Summary of Letters 1-10

Letters 1-10

• The novel opens with Celie’s memory of her Father’s command that she needs to stay quiet about his abuse of her.
• In the first letter Celie asks God for guidance as she does not know what is happening to her (she is pregnant for the second time as a result of rape and incest).
• Celie’s Father (Alphonso) is abusing her, because her Mother is ill and can no longer provide him with sexual gratification.
• Celie’s Mother dies.
• Celie believes that her Father stole her first baby and killed it in the woods. She believes that the same will happen to her second baby.
• Alphonso brings home a new wife.
• Alphonso beats Celie for winking at a boy in Church, but she insists she had something in her eye.
• Alphonso beats Celie again for dressing ‘trampy’.
• Celie and her younger sister (Nettie), learn that a man named Mr._____ is interested in marrying Nettie.
• Mr._____ is widowed because his first wife was murdered by her lover. The reader also learns that Mr._____ had/has a lover outside marriage (Shug Avery).
• Celie and Nettie find a photo of Shug, and Celie is captivated by her beauty.
• Alphonso refuses to give Nettie over to Mr._____ because she is too young and inexperienced.
• Alphonso offers Celie to Mr.­­_____ instead, although he claims that Celie is a liar and “spoiled twice”.
• After a few months, Mr._____ makes the decision to marry Celie. Celie desperately wants to finish school, but Alphonso insists that she is too dumb for school.
• Celie spends her wedding day bandaging a wound that she sustains from Mr._____’s son throwing a rock at her. She spends her wedding night with Mr._____ on top of her, but she is worrying about Nettie’s safety.
• One day whilst in town Celie catches sight of a girl who she thinks is her daughter. The girl’s new Mother calls her Olivia.
• In a fabric shop the shopkeeper is very racist towards Olivia’s new Mother.

Letters 1-36

After reading the first 36 letters:

 

1. Read the list of features below and add an extra point of your own choice if you like.
    
2. Rank order the features from one to ten, starting with the one that best characterises for you the way in which the novel will continue.
    
3. For your top three features, find evidence from the first 36 letters to support and explain your choices.
    
4. Justify your choice to the rest of the group, making use of the evidence you have found.
    
   This is a novel:
    

• with a strong central character
   
• about the exploitation of women
   
• with a distinctive structure
   
• about family relationships
   
• exploring a racist society
   
• about love and romance
   
• with a particular historical and geographical setting
   
• about religion
   
• containing hope/containing a warning
   
• about power and conflict
   
• in which …………………………….…(not listed above) is important.
   

Feature	Evidence from the text
1.
2.
3.

Letter 13

When reading, respond to:

1. Mr___’s reasons for beating Celie.

2. What is Mr ____ a symbol of?

3. Mr____ and Harpo’s reported dialogue; what does this tell us about the men in the novel?

4. What types of conflict are conveyed on this page?

5. Can this page be related to womanism?

Letter 12

When reading, respond to:

1. Celie’s narrative structure – what sentence types does she use? Is it direct or reported speech?

2. How much does Celie actually say? How might a womanist reader respond to this?

3. What are Celie’s views on life in this extract?

4. Explain the types of conflict presented by Walker in this section of the novel.