The Color Purple by Alice Walker -- Analysis, themes, close reading, and notes

• Very strong language

When I start to hurt and
then my stomach start moving and then that
little baby come out my pussy chewing on it
fist you could have knock me over with a
feather.

• Education is important

He got only three children
though. He seen Nettie in church and now
every Sunday evening here come Mr.___.I
tell Nettie to keep at her books.

• Dreaming of a different life

Shug Avery was a woman. The
most beautiful woman I ever saw. She more
pretty then my mama. She bout ten
thousand times more prettier then me. I see
her there in furs. Her face rouge. Her hair
like somethin tail. She grinning with her foot
up on somebody motocar. Her eyes serious
tho. Sad some.
I ast her to give me the picture. An all night
long I stare at it. An now when I dream, I
dream of Shug Avery. She be dress to kill,
whirling and laughing.

• Protective of Netti

I ast him to take me instead of Nettie while
our new mammy sick. But he just ast me
what I'm talking bout. I tell him I can fix myself
up for him. I duck into my room and
come out wearing horsehair, feathers, and a
pair of our new mammy high heel shoes. He
beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to
me anyway.

• Non-virgins/women who have given birth are spoiled + negotiating for women

But I can let you have Celie. She
the oldest anyway. She ought to marry first.
She ain't fresh tho, but I spect you know that.
She spoiled.

• We learn celie's name only when He says it.
• Celie just has her children taken away from her

You can do
everything just like you want to and she ain't
gonna make you feed it or clothe it.
Insulting Celie as though she isn't there
Well, next time you come you can look at
her. She ugly. Don't even look like she kin to
Nettie. But she'll make the better wife. 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.
Mr.___ say How old she is?
He say, She near twenty. And another
thing? She tell lies.

• Running away

All
I thought about was Nettie. How she could
come to me if I marry him and he be so love
struck with her I could figure out a way for
us to run away.

• Reference to Columbus

The way you know who discover America,
Nettie say, is think bout cucumbers. That
what Columbus sound like. I learned all
about Columbus in first grade, but look like
he the first thing I forgot. She say Columbus
come here in boats call the Neater, the Peter,
and the Santomareater. Indians so nice to
him he force a bunch of 'em back home with
him to wait on the queen.

• Desire to be married

Even Miss Beasley say so. Nettie dote on
Miss Beasley. Think nobody like her in the
world. Pa say, Whoever listen to anything
Addie Beasley have to say. She run off at the
mouth so much no man would have her.
That how come she have to teach school.

• Lucious as light

I turn round. One of my little brothers
come up. I think it was Lucious. He fat and
playful, all the time munching on something.

• When the pain of rape abets, she can call him daddy again

Dear God,
I was in town sitting on the wagon while
Mr.___ was in the dry good store. I seen my
baby girl. I knowed it was her. She look just
like me and my daddy. Like more us then us
is ourself. She be tagging long hind a lady
and they be dress just alike. They pass the
wagon and I speak. The lady speak pleasant.
My little girl she look up and sort of frown.
She fretting over something. She got my eyes
just like they is today. Like everything I seen,
she seen, and she pondering it.

• Misspelled words

why, wasn't nothing
to come here in the winter time and all
these children have colds, they have flue,
they have direar, they have newmonya, they
have worms, they have the chill and fever.
They hungry. They hair ain't comb. They too
nasty to touch

• Figures she looks up to: Shug Avery, Kate, Nettie, sofia. In different ways. Shug Avery's role is superficial, Nettie is close and painful, Kate is kind.

This time Kate come by herself. She maybe
twenty-five. Old-maid. She look younger
than me. Healthy. Eyes bright. Tongue
sharp.

• Women are responsible for all that is wrong in the eyes of men
• Harpo as semi feminine
• Harpo and sofia change gender roles
• Time: at first the entries are infrequent but then they get infrequent. Time starts fast and slows down.
• Nettie write celie on faith like Celie writes god on faith
• Tashi is like a second opportunity for Celie. She has a chance at a better life. She has many of the fears that Nettie has but also a brighter future.
• In Africa, men regard women as in America whites regard blacks
• Corrine is jealous of Nettie

It is in 
work that the women get to know and care 
about each other.

But the women have their ways, 
and they love their children, even their girls. 

• God becomes a black woman

Anyhow, I say, the God I been praying and 
writing to is a man. And act just tike all the 
other mens I know. Trifling, forgitful and 
lowdown. 

• Shug- helped celie change her perception of God, and thus find some emancipation.