Liturature Analyisis #1

1.            Celie is a young fourteen year old African American girl who is consistently abused and raped by her Pa. During the time she has lived with her Pa she had been impregnated by him twice, whom he had taken away from her immediately after birth and given away to a couple. Celie was later given off to the hand of an abusive man, who married her only for work, housekeeping, and care for his rotten children. Even though this isn’t the life she had dreamed of she is somewhat relieved that she was able to take the place for her younger sister Nettie. Soon after Nettie moved in with Celie to escape from Pa. Mr.__ had desires for Nettie but she rejected him, soon after he kicked her out and assured her that she’d never hear from Celie and Celie would never hear from her.  Celie then never heard from her again which makes her life worse because she was the only person that she had loved that loved her back. Years had passed and Mr.__ had brought home his passed love, Shug, who was severely sick. It was Celie’s job to nurse her back to health and soon after they became the closest friends. Celie fell in love with Shug and Shug fell in love with her. Shug and Celie later discovered that Mr.__ had hidden the letters Nettie had written to her in a trunk, which had changed her life completely. After reading those letters it gave her the courage and strength to leave Mr.__. Celie moved to Memphis with Shug.  Later she finds out that her Pa is dead, also that he isn’t really her Pa. Her real Pa had died many years ago and her house was left for Celie and Nettie. Celie finally settled in that house in the hope of return of her sister and her children.

2.           There are many different themes in this book but the theme I chose was sexism. There was a great deal of sexism and it played a huge role in this novel. The women in this story began as nothing, an object to be controlled by men, and always stepped over on. Sometimes they stay that way because they don’t have the courage to stand up to themselves and they get continuously abused and raped. Even though brave women who try to stick up to themselves end up getting trampled over on again. They begin to stick together and conjoin their abilities and are able to support themselves. I believe the author included this theme because it’s something that happens to this day constantly and many women could relate to it.

3.          A friend had recommended it to me but I had remembered I had seen the movie.  It was very interesting. As I read through the book it gave some explicit details and it kept me reading more and more. I loved it so much I couldn’t put the book down. It just seemed so real and I felt the sadness that the main character had and I captured every detail.

4.       I did find this book very realistic. It included realistic problems and ideas that have happened in the past and present like rape, sexism, love, and abuse. I was in fact surprised that it wasn’t based on a true story. The connection I had was with Celie and Shug, they were always giving, loving, caring and always helping everyone. I believe that I’m very much like that and those characteristics describe me.

5.       The author’s tone in the beginning is very honest, sad, and serious but in the end she is happy and satisfied with her life.

·         “He beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to me anyway.” (pg. 7)

·         “But I don’t know how to fight. All I know is how to stay alive.” (pg.17)

·         “And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this the youngest us ever felt.” (pg.289)

Characterization:

6.        

·         Hyperbole:  “You better not never tell nobody but God. It’d kill your mammy” (pg. 1)

When Celie has her baby her Pa forces her to keep it a secret and how important it is not to tell anyone.

·         Comparison: "I work on her like she a doll or like she Olivia- or like she Mama."  (pg. 55.)

Shug is someone who Celie loves unconditionally and it shows how much she values her.

·         Simile: "The Color Purple " is "hotter than July. Hotter than August and July. Hot like cooking dinner on a big stove in a little kitchen in August and July. Hot." (pg.167)

When Nettie is in Africa she is trying to describe and emphasize on how hot the weather is there.

·         Imagery: “She got a long pointed nose and big fleshy mouth. Lips look like black plum. Eyes big, glossy. Feverish. And mean.” (pg.44)

Celie is describing the physical traits of Shug when she first met her.

·         Simile: “people insane, say Shug. Crazy as betsy bugs.” (pg.208)

Shug is comparing her view of people and how they are crazy like bugs.

·         Personification: “You mean it want to be loved, just like the bible say.” (pg.191)

Shug is explaining to Celie that everything God creates wants to be loved.

·         Simile: “But one day when I was sitting quiet and feeling like a motherless child…”(pg.191)

Celie is remembering about her past and she is descping the way she felt.

·         Hyperbole: “She bout ten thousand times prettier than me.” (pg.7)

She exaggerates on Shug’s beauty because she is one of the most precious things in her life.

·         Personification: “My mind run up on a thought, git confuse, run back and sort of lay down.”(pg.197) When Celie is talking about how she usually handles her contradicting thoughts.

·         Hyperbole: “You made my life hell on earth. And your daddy here ain’t dead horse shit.” (pg.207) Celie finally stood up for herself and is telling Harpo that him and his siblings made her life even more difficult for her.

7.       Direct Characterization:

·         “Even if he do spend Shug’s money like he made it himself. Even if he do try to talk like somebody from the north.” (pg.111)

v  This character thinks greatly of himself and only interested in money.

·         “She got a long pointed nose and big fleshy mouth. Lips look like black plum. Eyes big, glossy. Feverish. And mean.” (pg.44)

v  This character is not very friendly with others. She sounds intimated and unapproachable.

Indirect Characterization:

·         “She ain’t smart either, and I’ll just be fair, you have to watch her or she’ll give away everything you own. But she can work like a man.” (pg.8)

v  This character is uneducated, unfaithful yet a hard working person.

·         “Oh, she say, I couldn’t ride in a pick-up with a strange colored man.”  (pg.100)

v  That this character doesn’t see herself and colored people the same and that she is racist.

8.       The syntax doesn’t change in the story when she is describing characters because she comes from an uneducated family. Throughout the whole novel it was written in her point of view and her description of the characters weren’t well-written. For example “you’re a trifling nigger, she say. You git that bucket and bring it back full.” The whole novel is written in letters in slang, showing that the narrator/character is uneducated.

9.       Celie is a dynamic and round character. In the beginning of the story she was very timid, shy, fearful, and never stood up for herself. Her life then changes when she meets Shug and everything turns for the best. She then becomes a confident, strong, brave, and powerful woman who gains control over her life.

10.   The novel was written in a diary from and it felt like I was reading about all of her secrets and personal thoughts throughout the book. It helped me get to know the narrator/character a lot better on the way her personality is and the way she thought about certain situations. I felt like I know everything there is about her, like a close friend whom she can tell everything to.  “He ain’t Shug, but he begin to be somebody I can talk to.” I chose this example because it shows on how she is very openly and honest about her life. She isn’t afraid to show how she really feels and embarrassed to express herself and that’s why I feel like I know her.

11.   Enduring Memory: One idea from this book that I would defiantly remember is when she was abused sexually, physically, and mentally. She was mostly abused by her Pa and her husband. She has gone through so a lot and suffered so much it was very painful to read. She was impregnated twice by her Pa and her children were forcibly removed from her soon after birth.  “He took my other little baby, a boy this time. “ She was constantly abused mentally, everyone always told her that she was ugly and fat, making her think less of herself. “She ugly.” Also she was very often beat physically by her Pa and later her husband. “He beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to me anyway.” The pain and suffering she has gone through is unforgettable.