BY: SAIRAH GRACE JOHN
REGISTRATION NO: II PSENG, 1313246
cia III: ‘THE COLOUR PURPLE’ ALICE WALKER’S : ‘THE COLOUR PURPLE’- FORM,STRUCTURE AND CERTAIN LITERARY DEVICES USED
THE COLOUR PURPLE
BY: ALICE WALKER
The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name. Taking place typically in rustic Georgia, the story centers on the life of women of color in the southern United States in the 1930s, addressing recurrent issues including their extremely low-slung locus in American social culture.
About the author- Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American author and activist. She wrote the critically acclaimed novel The Color Purple (1982) for which she won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Walker was born in Putnam County, Georgia, the youngest of eight children, to Willie Lee Walker and Minnie Lou Tallulah Grant.
Growing up with an oral tradition, listening to stories from her grandfather (who was the model for the character of Mr. in The Color Purple), Walker began writing, very privately, when she was eight years old. "With my family, I had to hide things," she said. "And I had to keep a lot in my mind."
Writing career:- Walker's first book of poetry was written while she was a senior at Sarah Lawrence. In addition to her collected short stories and poetry, Walker's first novel, The Third Life of Grange Copeland, was published in 1970. In 1982, Walker published what has become her best-known work, The Color Purple. The novel follows a young troubled black woman fighting her way through not just racist white culture but patriarchal black culture as well. The book became a bestseller and was subsequently adapted into a critically acclaimed 1985 movie as well as a 2005 Broadway musical.
She has published a number of collections of short stories, poetry, and other writings. Her work is focused on the struggles of black people, particularly women, and their lives in a racist, sexist, and violent society. Walker is a leading figure in liberal politics.
In 2013, Alice Walker released two new books, one of them entitled The Cushion in the Road: Meditation and Wandering as the Whole World Awakens to Being in Harm's Way. The other was a book of poems entitled The World Will Follow Joy Turning Madness into Flowers (New Poems).
FORM, STRUCTURE AND CERTAIN LITERARY DEVICES USED
FORM:- refers to the “shape” or organizational mode of a literary work; the form may reflect the theme, topic or idea of the words in the actual shape of the text.
STRUCTURE:- means 'composed of parts' or 'the organization of something,' when referring to literature. The structure of literature can be described as the organizational method of the written material.
The form and structure in ‘The Colour Purple’: Walker plots The Color Purple in a circle, from separation back to wholeness. The main plot revolves around a series of reunions.
The Color Purple is written in the first person, and the voice is predominately Celie’s, but some of the letters that comprise the book are written to Celie by her sister Nettie. The structure of The Color Purple is the series of letters Celie writes to God and to her sister Nettie.
Some of the letters in the book are written by Nettie to Celie. This literary form is called the epistolary novel, a form developed in eighteenth-century England by novelists like Samuel Richardson. A major advantage of this structure is that the reader becomes intimate with the character of the letter writer.
With the epistolary form, Walker was able to focus on the inner life of her main character and create a sense of intimacy that may be partly responsible for the success of the book. This technique creates a confidential reading experience. The reader has a chance to read over the character’s shoulder and look inside her. Walker then is able to capture a sense of time as it occurs in the passing moments. This technique also gives voice to a character who would otherwise be unheard because they are uneducated.
Besides being held together by its circular structure, the novel is held together by the fact that each chapter is really a letter, written either by Celie or Nettie. The repetition of this structure helps to overcome the diversity of the plot in character, time, and place. Although Celie is at the center of the plot, there are many varying characters that enter the action. Walker's use of "slave narrative" language, "womanist," domestic, and African anti-colonial themes, Christian imagery, and capitalist "fairy tale" structure that allow Celie to free herself from the male world.
There are also many minor reunions in the novel: Celie is re-united with Albert in friendship at the end of the novel. During the story, Sofia leaves her husband, Harpo, only to be reunited with him again. She is also taken from her family and put in prison, but is later released and re-united with them. Samuel and Nettie are separated by Corrine's jealousy; after her death, they are re-united and marry. Even the blacks in Africa and America seem to be re-united by the experiences of Olivia, Adam, Nettie; and also that of Tashi's marriage to Adam and subsequent move to America.
LITERARY DEVICES:- collection of universal artistic structures that are so typical of all works of literature frequently employed by the writers to give meanings and a logical framework to their works through language.
Some of the literary elements used in the novel include:-
Tone: of the novel appears starkly serious and depressing as- for eg: Celie suffers from many hardships and abuse. The only laughter expressed in the novel is when Shug Avery is present. Celie feels purposeless and useless because she is constantly reminded that she is no good and worthless; there exists and underlying tone of sadness that figures predominantly in the novel.
Mood: The Color Purple is written in a mood of endurance with an underlying sense of wonder and hope. Despite the existence of oppression in poverty, racism and sexism- the main character Celie, maintains a sense of her own dignity and when given the opportunity- opens her heart fully to love
Alice Walker uses dialect and literary devices to help further portray her message of the story. The southern language of the novel helps to portray the description of characters more clearly. For example, instead of using the word "ask," Celie consistently uses "ast". The effect of this dialogue is to put us right in the middle of Celie’s world – a black, rural, largely uneducated world.
It’s clear from Nettie’s diction that she has received more education and is working as a teacher. It’s closer to Standard Written English.
Walker-by describing the characters, dialogue, setting, and action taking place, the reader is able to analyze the geography of each location presented.
Genre: The novel describes the psychological challenges and depths of Celie- and touches on her sister’s experiences as well. The author writes the novel as a story of friendship and sisterly love that lasts a period of a lifetime.
Alice Walker uses dialect and literary devices to help further portray her message of the story. The southern language of the novel helps to portray the description of characters more clearly. For example, instead of using the word "ask," Celie consistently uses "ast". The effect of this dialogue is to put us right in the middle of Celie’s world – a black, rural, largely uneducated world.
It’s clear from Nettie’s diction that she has received more education and is working as a teacher. It’s closer to Standard Written English.
Walker-by describing the characters, dialogue, setting, and action taking place, the reader is able to analyze the geography of each location presented.
The novel’s structure relies on Walker’s development of Celie’s growing spiritual awareness.
REFERENCES:-
thecolorpurpl.wikispaces.com/Literary+Elements+and+Criticism
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