Escola Secundária c/3º Ciclo Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves Disciplina: Inglês
The Color Purple – Film Review Written by Alice Walker, this story takes place in the beginning of 20th century, in the south of the US, and it reflects the unsuccessful fight for Human Rights. It is a story of a black woman called Celie Johnson whose human rights are constantly violated. As a teenager, Celie was raped at least twice by her father, having two children that were taken away. Right after, she got engaged with Albert, who had been chosen by her father, oppressing Celie’s wills. During her marriage she is held in slavery, being forced to cook, to clean and have sex. What’s more, she is victim of domestic violence when she disagrees with Albert and sometimes with no reason at all. Her sister Nettie was a regular visitor of their house, teaching Celie how to read, being the unique way she had of learning something. Once, when Nettie was leaving Celie’s house, Albert had a failed attempt of raping Nettie, which resulted in the prohibition of both seeing each other. Afterwards, Nettie is brought to Africa with the help of a missionary family which had adopted Celie’s children. Nettie starts a new life in Africa raising her nephews. Meanwhile, a cabaret singer called Shug Avery has an affair with Albert. He brings her to his house and due to her problems with the alcohol; Celie is forced to take care of her. They become friends and Shug makes her realize that she can live beyond her husband. That friendship resulted in sexual atraction between them. Albert’s son marries Sophia and has several failed attempts on submitting her to his willness and soon she runs out with their kids, which represented the initial fight of women in order to be respected and valorized. Sophia is sent to jail for 8 years, after beating up the mayor when he slapped her trying to subordinate her. After those 8 years, Shug is back in town with her new husband. Despite her marriage, Shug instigates a sexual relationship with Celie. Shug finds that Albert is hiding several letters from Nettie to Celie, and she helps her searching for those letters, and they realize that Nettie isn’t dead, as Celie thought, but she’s in Africa with Celie’s children.
Pedro Cardoso Ricardo Rodrigues 12ºA Data: 12/01/2012
Escola Secundária c/3º Ciclo Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves Disciplina: Inglês
Nettie’s adventure in Africa disappointed her because she found Africans are obstinate and she couldn’t manage to change their mentalities. Sophia is released and she lost her memory which is known when she doesn’t recognize some people that are receiving her at her home. One day everyone was having launch at Celie’s house, and owing to all the years she was abused and slavered by Albert, she releases her rage, threatening and almost killing him. In addition, she ran away with Shug starting a whole new life. In Tenessee, Celie builds her own business of designing and selling pants. Returning to Georgia, she starts living in the house where she lived before marrying. Albert is still living in the house where he lived with Celie, however being now an alcohol addicted and having a messed up life. One day, he took all the money he had and brought Nettie and her family from Africa to America, providing the meeting between them.
Main Symbols The Color Purple: The color purple represents all the good things created by God on Earth. At the beginning, Celie has no sense of the color purple. She has such an awful life, she’s just surviving. She only exists physically and her soul is gone. Shug makes Celie understand what color purple is, saying that God does little things for people to make them feel happy and give pleasure to their lives. God wants people to notice the beauty of his creation. For Shug, enjoying life is what God wanted us to do, being the way we have to express our love for God.
Pants: After leaving Albert, Celie becomes an unrepressed woman and the symbol that represents it is the pants. For most of her life, Celie never wore pants as they were measured to be men’s clothing. Wearing pants and start a successful business in making Pedro Cardoso Ricardo Rodrigues 12ºA Data: 12/01/2012
Escola Secundária c/3º Ciclo Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves Disciplina: Inglês
pants for both men and women, she is the highest expression of no stereotypes. Pants, therefore, are a symbol of freedom from patriarchy and chauvinism as well as economic liberation.
God: God is Celie’s salvation - she can maintain certain rationality by communicating with God through letters. Through the story and with the help of Shug, Celie comes to realize that God has no gender and no race. The last letter she writes is also addressed to God. However, it is written in a different perspective. Celie’s final entry is addressed to "Dear God. Dear stars, dear trees, dear sky, dear peoples. Dear Everything. Dear God." Now God is not only in Nature but also among people.
Pedro Cardoso Ricardo Rodrigues 12ºA Data: 12/01/2012