White folks is a miracle of affliction!. Review on Color Purple, The - Alice Walker

The Color Purple is not a traditional literary work focusing on the African-American experience. Mr. and Celie do not represent the usual poverty- stricken black literary characters. They are members of the fledgling black middle class that was present at the turn of the Century. Mr. is a comfortable farmer with a high yellow mulatto father who has money to spend. Also, Celie’s background is solidly middle class as well. Walker alludes to the fact within the novel that Celie’s natural father was a businessman—he started the store that Celie eventually inherited (which was the reason why he was lynched. Statistics show that a majority of those Blacks lynched in the South between the late 19th Century and mid-Twentieth Century were entrepreneurs).

Celie's voice is the voice of the silenced middle class Black woman, trapped within the confines of Black patriarchal power. The issue that Walker is trying to address within the book is a very serious one. And that is the wholly detrimental effect that patriarchy has had upon the Black community. Patriarchy is wicked, and the damage that occurs as a result of it can be seen in the ways in which it affects all within the book-- Celie, Shug, M. Sophia, and Harpo-and all the rest. Walker presents other situations in the book which add to its depth.

The sexual experience shared between Celie and Shug is beautifully crafted in such a way that it is most relatable to the reader. The subtlety with which Walker puts forth the natural progression and the depth and warmth of their relationship is wholly captivating. One of the most beautiful aspects of this novel is the way in which we as readers can watch as the characters within it grow and develop into more fully whole and vulnerable beings. This is especially the case with Mr. who, as the ultimate symbol of patriarchy and the evils within it, by the end of the book has learned, through the wear and tear of age and experience, to be a kindler, gentler soul and to relate to other people, especially women, with humility and with his humanity exposed.

Alice Walker is unquestionably the most powerful writer of contemporary literature. This book has been a cornerstone in my life, and Ms. Walker's writing style has very much left its own impression upon my own literary style. The Color Purple will maintain its relevance and its power as a novel for years to come.

KEY FACTS:

Type of Novel · Historical fiction

Genre · Epistolary novel, confessional novel

Date of Publication · 1982

Publisher · Simon & Schuster Inc.

Narrator · Celie (and Nettie at times)

Setting (time) · 1910–1940.

Though The Color Purple is a historical novel, it never refers to any factual events. There are no dates, little sense of the passage of time, and very few mentions of characters’ ages.