THE COLOR PURPLE

AND BLACK
FEMINISM
A novel by Alice Walker
Alice Walker(1944—present)
◦ An African-American novelist, poet, short story writer , essayist and civil right activist
◦ An avowed feminist, coined the term ‘womanist’ to mean ‘ a black feminist or feminist of colour’
◦ Her poetry collections includes: Once ( 1968) ; Revolutionary Petunias
and Other Poems (1973) ; Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart (2018) etc.
◦ Novels and short story collections :The Third Life of Grange Copeland (1970) ;
Meridian ( 1976) ; The Color Purple (1982) ; The Temple of My Familiar (1989) ;
Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992) etc.
◦ Non-fiction books: In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens: Womanist Prose (1983) ;
Warrior Marks ( 1993) etc.
The Color Purple ( 1982)
◦ Epistolary novel
◦ The winner of 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and National Book Award for Fiction
◦ Adapted into the film of the same name in 1985 ; A musical adaptation was also made in 2005
Characters
Celie (14 year old girl)
Nettie ( sister of Celie)
Alphonso ( father)
Mr._______/ Albert( the one who marries Celie)
Shug Avery ( lover of Mr.________)
The Color
Purple-film
(1985)
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
Produced by
Steven Spielberg
Kathleen Kennedy
Frank Marshall
Quincy Jones
Screenplay by
Menno Meyjes
Based onThe Color Purple
by Alice Walker
Plot
◦ Celine- abused by her stepfather - gives
birth to a girl and a boy child
simultaneously.
◦ Mr____ wants to marry Nettie- but is
married off to Celine – she is often beaten
and treated badly
◦ Nettie escapes from Alphonso’s hands and
stays along with Celie- Mr._____ still keeps
an eye on her and she is forced to leave and
promises to write letters to Celie.
◦ Since Celie fails to receive the letters, she
assumes Nettie as dead.
◦ Harpo, the son of Mr._____ falls in love with
Sophia- Celie comes to know about Shug Avery –
fascinated by her picture.
◦ Sophie and Harpo gets married- Sophie talks back
at Harpo .
◦ Shug Avery feels ill –stays at Mr.____ house – both
Celie and Shug Avery becomes intimate and shares
their bed.
◦ They find Nettie’s letters hidden by Mr.____- learns
about her missionary travel along with Samuel and
Corrine – also about their adopted children Olivia
and Adam – which were Celie’s biological ones- and
that Alphonso was their stepfather
Celie Nettie Shug Avery

Separation of Celie and Nettie

Plot( contd.)
◦ Corrine dies- Nettie marries Samuel- visits Celie.
◦ Alphonso dies- Celie inherits his wealth- leaves Albert and supports herself
◦ Adam marries Tashi, African girl- ritual female circumcision is done- Adam too does
◦ After 30 years Nettie and Celie reunites.
What is Black Feminism?

◦ Emerged during the mid 1970’s , the second wave of feminism – predominantly white and
discriminatory towards the Blacks, the other Third World Women , working women.
◦ Racism within feminism- feminism was for “whites only” notion
◦ Feminism excluded the Blacks-white supremacy.
◦ On the contrary, Black Feminism incorporated individuals of different races and ethnicities.
◦ Black Feminism acknowledges “intersectionality”- a term coined by  Kimberlé Crenshaw
◦ Intersectionality- the different ways of oppression- sexism, racism, gender, class, religion etc.
◦ Proponets included: Alice Walker, Angela Davis, bell hooks(Gloria Jean Watkins), Kimberle
Crenshaw and Patricia Hill Collins.
 Womanism of Alice Walker
"Womanist is to Feminist as purple is to lavender"- Walker

◦ Womanist a term used to represent a colored feminist

◦ “Womanist is from womanish (opposite of girlish).
◦ The analogy purple is to lavender is metaphorical
◦ Womanist paradigm rests upon notions of inclusion and support among women
◦ Insisted on self sufficiency and self confidence
◦  A womanist is committed to the survival of both males and females and desires a world where men
and women can coexist, while maintaining their cultural distinctiveness.
◦ Walker found inspiration in the matrilineal culture of African American foremothers
◦ Buchi Ememcheta, Mariana Bâ, Miriam Tlali identified themselves as womanists rather than feminists
◦ The womanist concept of universality -underscores -survival and wholeness of entire people and love
for the Folk
Womanism in The Color Purple
◦ Womanism in The Color Purple is evident through characterization
◦ Celie, is an outrageous, audacious and courageous woman who freely engages in 'willful behavior'.
◦ Sofia and Shug Avery are also considered as womanist characters.
◦ Sofia bridges the gap between race and class.
◦ Issue of sexism- Celie being only viewed as an object by Alphonso
◦ Network of women- supports mental, spiritual, financial and material support
◦ Walker presents women characters with some skills (black artists)- Shug and Squeak as black blue
singers
◦ In relation to language and behavior- Celie uses Black English or African-American English to write
her letters
Contd.
◦ Celie and Shug Avery are women who love each other sexually as well as nonsexually.
◦ womanism through the African-American culture- The women celebrate their heritage
of arts, style of dressing and hair.
◦ Thus Walker has conveyed her ideology of Womanism throughout in the novel
THANK YOU!