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Name: Bailey Campanella

Objective:
● Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
● Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

Directions:

1. Watch the clips of The Color Purple movie linked in each box below. Then, locate the identified portions of text (or similar
portions) within the novel.
2. In the boxes below, reflect on what is seen in the novel and film and provide a poignant quote from that section of text, cited
accurately in MLA format, in the novel boxes.
3. Then, provide analysis to identify what the text reveals about the educational, social and/or healthcare needs of the
character/s within the scene. Your analysis must be at least two complete sentences of analytical thought showing your
understanding of how the text connects to the case study.
4. Lastly, Read “Why Whoopi Goldberg Had No Problem With Spielberg Directing ‘The Color Purple’ and complete the reflection
after the chart to consider how the film and its director impact your thinking.

The Color
Purple Novel Film Analysis
by Alice
Walker
The Juke Joint “ Prizefighter push back his chair a During this scene in the film you can Both the scene from the movie and the
https://youtu.be/
TBKY_UvQ-Qs little, pick up his drink. I don’t fight see that Sofia is really happy with book are very similar but I liked that it
Sofia battle, he say. My job to love her life and has a man who cares for showed that not all men are bad and
her and take her where she want to her instead of one who beats her. abusive. For example, Buster (or
go”(Walker 81). Prizefighter) wants to make Sofia
happy instead of putting her down and
making her feel worthless. Prizefighter
makes Sofia feel good about herself
and gives her the support she needs
in order to be strong. If she doesn’t fit
in anywhere in society, she knows that
he’ll have her back.
Sofia and Mrs. “ Mayor look at Sofia, push his wife During this scene in the film you can Both the scene from the movie and the
Millie
https://youtu.be/ out the way. Stick out his chest. Girl, see that Mrs Millie asked Sofia if she book are very similar. They both show
Iy2GKyD2IoQ what you say to Miss Millie? Sofia would like to be her maid since her that there is a hierarchy when it comes
say, I say, Hell no. He slap her” children are so clean. In response to race and social class. The white
(Walker 85). Sofia replies with hell no. Mrs Millie’s people are considered to be superior
husband (the mayor) doesn't like due to their skin color and therefore
this response and punches Sofia in they can say whatever they want to a
the face when she replies with the black person. That’s why it was
response of hell no once again. acceptable for Mrs Millie to ask Sofia if
Sofia gets angry and punches the she would like to be her maid, but
mayor in the face out of anger. unacceptable for Sofia to say hell no.
If a white person were to give the
same response as Sofia had said,
then there most likely wouldn’t have
been an issue.
Shug and Celie “ First she hum it a little, like she do During this scene in the film you can Both the scene from the movie and the
https://youtu.be/
eK3URAH760w at home. Then she sing the words. see that Celie is so excited and book are very similar in a sense that
It all about some no count man happy that Shug is singing a song they show the excitement Celie feels
doing her wrong, again. But I don’t for her. You can tell by the smile and when Shug dedicates a song to her.
listen to that part. I look at her and I look on Celie’s face that she can’t This moment helps Celie realize that
hum along a little with the tune. First believe Shug actually dedicated a she is important and that Shug does
time somebody made something song to her. care for her. Celie always thinks that
and name it after me” (Walker 72). she isn’t good enough, but Shug
always finds a way to change that.
American and “ After two days it became clear that During this scene in the film you can Both the scene from the movie and the
Olinka Customs
Tashi was deliberately hiding. Her see that Tashi doesn’t want to take book are pretty similar, except for the
*Trigger friends said while we were away part in the facial scarification fact that you can actually see the
warning--
she’s undergone both the facial ceremony and the rite of female distress on Tashi’s face during the
violent content scarification ceremony and the rite initiation. It’s sad that she has to live ceremony. The book does a really
is seen in this
clip of female initiation” (Walker 239). with these scars in which she never good job at describing the way Tushi
asked for or wanted. is feeling once she returns home. She
https://youtu.be/
JHmBr6rlCRo
looked much more hollow and lifeless
when she returned home giving the
impression that she was in shock
about what had just happened to her.
The scars are something that she has
to deal with and hopefully learn to
accept over time. Facial scarification is
a societal norm in the Olinka village,
therefore Tashi wasn’t given much of a
choice if she wanted to be accepted
into the village or not.

Reflection
Read “Why Whoopi Goldberg Had No Problem With Spielberg Directing ‘The Color Purple’”
(https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/why-whoopi-goldberg-had-no-problem-with-spielberg-directing-the-color-purple.html/).
Then, respond below in paragraph format and answer the following questions:

Do you think that Steven Spielberg (film director) left out, combined or distorted portions of the novel? How do the changes made in
the film impact your thinking, if at all? Do you think if Spielberg were an African-American director his understanding and thus
direction would have changed? Why or why not? Lastly, what makes him qualified to direct this movie?

I don’t think that Steven Spielberg left out, combined, or distorted portions of the novel that would have made a bad
impression on the book, The Color Purple, because he wasn’t trying to change the story, but rather create a movie that would make
the book come to life. He might have added a few new details throughout the film, but he made sure to keep the characters and main
themes to stay the same as the book. When it comes to making a movie based off of a book of course there are going to be
differences because it's impossible to add as much detail as there is in a book, into a movie. That’s the only reason why Spielberg
made some scenes longer compared to the book; he was trying to include as much detail as possible without mimicking the book
entirely. The changes made in the film don’t impact my thinking at all because he was still able to represent all of the characters and
their personalities in the film without changing how they were written. The details that were the most significant in the book, he made
sure to include in the film as well.
If Spielberg were an African-American director I believe that his understanding of the book may have been stronger or at least
more relatable, but I don’t think that it would have changed the direction of the film. This is because although Spielberg may have
never gone through the experience himself, he could still emphasize with those who have, and he had a strong enough
understanding of the situation. His lack of experience didn’t cause the film to change direction in any way because he got inspiration
from the book; which is strong enough of a connection in order to direct the film. He is qualified to direct this movie because of the
previous work he has done. Films such as the first two Indiana Jones movies, E.T., and Jaws were all previously directed by
Spielberg. I don’t think that race was a factor when choosing who would be the best to make a film adaptation of the book The Color
Purple, because he was really well known and has directed amazing pieces of film.

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