原典英语小说学习笔记The Color Purple

www.cliffs.com Cliffs Notes on The Color Purple © 1986 1 THE COLOR PURPLE Notes including • Life and Background of the Author • Introduction to the Novel • List of Characters • Critical Commentaries • Character Analyses • Essay Topics and Review Questions • Selected Bibliography by Gloria Rose Georgetown University LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 68501 1-800-228-4078 www.CLIFFS.com ISBN 0-8220-7039-1 © Copyright 1986 by Cliffs Notes, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.cliffs.com Cliffs Notes on The Color Purple © 1986 2 LIFE AND BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR Alice Walker was born in 1944 in rural Georgia, the youngest child of a sharecropper. When she was eight years old, while playing with two of her older brothers, a copper B.B. pellet hit her in the eye. The accident was traumatic, and Alice changed from being a brassy, self-confident child, interested in doing grown-up things, into a shy, solemn, and solitary girl. Walker immersed herself in her studies, was consistently excellent in them, and after graduation won a scholarship to Spelman College, a small prestigious black women's school in Atlanta, Georgia. After two years, Walker left to attend Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. There she majored in literature and studied extensively in Latin poetry and history. Walker graduated from Sarah Lawrence in 1965, and three years later she published a collection of poetry, Once: Poems. Also in 1968, Walker married Mel Leventhal, a human rights lawyer, and they had a daughter, Rebecca, before they were divorced in the early 1970s. Her first novel, published in 1970, was The Third Life of Grange Copeland. During this time, Walker also held an editorial position at Ms. magazine; Gloria Steinem, editor-in-chief at Ms., was extremely encouraging and supportive of Walker's efforts, ideas, and writing. In 1976, Meridian, Walker's second novel, the story of a woman fighting for civil rights in the American South, was published. In 1982, Walker received the Pulitzer Prize for Literature for her third novel, The Color Purple. Following this great achievement, she published a collection of essays, In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens, in 1983, and in 1984 released a collection of poems, Horses Make a Landscape Look More Beautiful. She has also published the Temple of My Familiar (1989) and Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992), along with children’s books and non-fiction work. INTRODUCTION TO THE NOVEL The Color Purple is not an easy book to read because it is not written in the style of most novels. Walker does not tell us everything about the characters and the setting and why the characters behave as they do. This novel consists of a series of letters, none of which are dated, and in order to have a time frame for the novel, we will have to read through it carefully, watching for clues about social attitudes, clothes, and other telling details. Only after finishing the book do we realize that the letters begin in a time when people ride around in wagons, and when the letters end, people are driving cars. Thus, the time span of the novel is about forty years. In addition, we soon realize that there are large gaps between letters, sometimes five years, but this information is not revealed by Walker herself. We gather this information from clues within the letters and by comparing letters. Walker does not write as an all-knowing, omniscient narrator, filling in the gaps and giving us background. We must rely on our own close reading and on the details that the women who write the letters--Celie and her sister Nettie--give us. There is yet another difficulty in reading this novel. We begin with Celie's letters and we encounter a language problem. Celie's letters are not written in standard English. Celie writes her letters in non- standard dialect, what Walker has called black folk language. Thus, at first, Celie's language might seem awkward to some of us, but most readers respond to this novel more immediately if they read the letters www.cliffs.com Cliffs Notes on The Color Purple © 1986 3 aloud, especially Celie's letters, listening to Celie's voice. Celie is uneducated, and she is writing exactly as she speaks and thinks. There is nothing artificial about her writing "style." In fact, the most distinctive characteristic about Celie's letters is their naturalness. There is a continuous emphasis on the oral sound and sense of what Celie writes, rather than on the "written" style of the letters. There is also a keen and enduring quality of honesty throughout Celie's letters. She is writing to God, trusting him as she would trust a best friend for guidance and strength to carry on, despite the terrible, painful unhappiness that she feels within her and all those around her. You should also note that Celie doesn't sign her letters for a long time, which can be explained by realizing that Celie doesn't think of herself as a person of sufficient worth to sign her name. When we meet Celie, she has very little self-confidence. She feels unloved. No one has made her feel valuable. Thus, she turns to God. But even in God's company, Celie feels of little worth. It will be a long time before Celie gains enough self-esteem to sign her name with pride, but by then, we will have realized that in reading this long series of letters, we have witnessed a wondrous growth of a black woman who was born with all the odds against her. She began life as a virtual slave, the victim of men, of traditional sexual roles, of racism, and of innumerable social injustices. When the novel is finished, we will have seen Celie grow into a whole human being--as well as into a mature, twentieth- century woman. There are many fine women in this novel, and each of them has a distinctive, fighting sense of courage. They refuse to be beaten into submission. The fiery-tempered women, of course, are easily recognized, but it is the quiet, growing strength of Celie that finally impresses us most. For over half the novel, Celie's method of resistance to violence of all kinds is stoically to endure--to pretend that she is wood, a tree bending but not breaking. This psychology works for Celie. For a long time, it is enough. But later, she luckily has friends who convince her that it is not enough to simply endure and "be alive." One must fight. By nature, Celie is not a fighter. In fact, she refuses to fight until she realizes how thoroughly cruel her husband has been. For years, Celie "absorbs" Albert's brutal violence, but when she sees proof that he has hidden all of her sister's letters from her, trying to make her think that Nettie was either dead or that she never wrote to her, Celie can take no more. She revolts. She erupts, cursing her husband, and she leaves him to go to Memphis and find happiness with a woman who loves her. Celie has struggled for many years, keeping alive the memory of Nettie, believing in Nettie, despite the fact that there was no proof that Nettie was alive. It is Celie's courageous spirit that we admire, her fierce, unflagging love for Nettie. And it is Celie's love for Nettie and for Shug that finally allows her to forgive her husband, Albert, for all of his intentional cruelty. Love heals heartaches, and love leads Celie to forgiveness and reconciliation. When the novel ends, we feel that Celie is "solid" (an adjective that she once used admiringly to describe Sofia). Love has sustained Celie; she has learned to love herself and to share love despite continually cruel pressures. Celie has endured and learned to fight, and she has won her battles. In fact, not only has Celie won, but she has also claimed a sense of joy that she never realized was possible, as well as the knowledge that her strong, constant faith--and her ability to hold on--reunited her with Nettie and with her own children. The family is whole again. Celie has survived--physically and spiritually. www.cliffs.com Cliffs Notes on The Color Purple © 1986 4 Now, you are ready for the letters. Walker didn't number them, of course. That would have destroyed the verisimilitude of the novel. But for the sake of referring to a particular letter, or for cross-referencing, it is convenient to number the letters in the book itself, numbering each complete letter. Do not number letters within letters. To double-check your numbering, note that Celie writes Letters 1-51. Nettie's letters begin with Number 52. The letters should end with Number 90. Above all, don't neglect the opportunity to read aloud as many of Celie's letters as possible. The humor, the love, the pain, and, finally, the faith that sustains Celie are found in her simple, unaffected phrases. By reading Celie's letters aloud, you re-create her voice, and a connection is established between you and this woman who offers you a chance to understand suffering and the need for compassion. LIST OF CHARACTERS Celie A young black Georgia girl who faces adulthood believing that she has been raped by her father and that he killed both of their babies. The novel examines her struggle to find love, self-esteem, and continuing courage despite harsh setbacks. Nettie Celie's sister. Celie loves Nettie more than anyone else in the world. Fonso Celie and Nettie's stepfather; shortly after their father is killed, he marries their widowed mother. Mr. ________ / Albert The moody, vicious man whom Fonso chooses as Celie's husband. Celie's Mother She loses her mind after her husband is lynched, mutilated, and burned. After she marries Fonso, she is constantly pregnant and ill. Annie Julia Albert's wife who is killed by her boyfriend while coming home from church. Shug (Lilly) Avery A blues singing, no-nonsense woman who teaches Celie about love and self-esteem. Harpo Albert's misguided, immature son; Sofia's husband. Kate and Carrie Albert's sisters who come to "inspect" Celie and her housekeeping. Sofia The outspoken and independent wife of Harpo. www.cliffs.com Cliffs Notes on The Color Purple © 1986 5 Bub Albert's son; he is in and out of jail frequently. Albert's Daddy A carping, prejudiced man; he dislikes Albert's relationship with Shug Avery. Tobias Albert's toadying brother; he is fascinated by Shug. Odessa Sofia's sister; she, Shug, and Squeak are able to get Sofia out of prison. Jack Odessa's husband. Swain Harpo's musician friend who helps Harpo build the jukejoint. Henry ("Buster") Broadax Sofia's boyfriend; he is tall and stocky, built like a prizefighter. Squeak (Mary Agnes) Harpo's girlfriend; she is a scatterbrained woman who begins to make a name for herself as a blues singer after she leaves Harpo. The Mayor An arrogant, power-wielding white man; he is responsible for putting Sofia in prison. Miss Millie The mayor's wife; a dithery white woman who fancies herself a champion of black people. Bubber Hodges The prison warden; Squeak's uncle who rapes her. Miss Beasley Nettie and Celie's teacher. Corrine Reverend Samuel's wife. She and her husband buy Celie's babies from Fonso. Samuel A missionary who takes Nettie with him and his family to Africa; after his wife, Corrine, dies, he marries Nettie. Olivia Celie's daughter; she is reared in Africa by Samuel and Corrine. www.cliffs.com Cliffs Notes on The Color Purple © 1986 6 Adam Celie's son; he is also reared in Africa by the missionaries. He marries Tashi. Joseph The short, fat spokesman for the Olinka village; he meets Nettie's ship. Billy Miss Millie's little boy; he steps on a rusty nail. Eleanor Jane Miss Millie's daughter; after she is grown, she does baking and odd jobs for Sofia. Grady Shug marries him; he is a "skinny big toof man wearing suspenders," according to Celie. May Ellen The woman Fonso marries after Celie's mother dies. Daisy The woman Fonso marries after May Ellen leaves him. Tashi An Olinka woman whom Adam falls in love with. Jimmy Hodges Bubber's brother; Squeak's father. Suzie Q (Jolentha) Squeak and Harpo's little girl. Henrietta Sofia's youngest child, probably fathered by Henry Broadnax; ironically, Harpo's favorite. Jerene and Darlene Two women who sew for Celie's Folkspants, Unlimited. Doris Baines ("Jared Hunt") An elderly white missionary, whom Nettie and Samuel meet on their sojourn to England. She is accompanied by her "grandchild," Harold, a small black child. Germaine Shug's nineteen-year-old, blues flute playing, last-fling lover. Stanley Earl Eleanor Jane's husband. www.cliffs.com Cliffs Notes on The Color Purple © 1986 7 James Shug's son; a schoolteacher who lives on an Indian reservation; he is married to Cora Mae, and they have two children, Davis and Cantrell. CRITICAL COMMENTARIES Letter 1 Celie, a nearly illiterate black Georgia girl, writes a short note to God, confiding to him that she's only fourteen, but already she is burdened with cooking, cleaning, and caring for a multitude of brothers and sisters because of her mother’s failing health. In addition, her father has raped her. We are stunned. Seldom has a novel begun so melodramatically--and yet so briefly and in such a matter- of-fact style. We are caught off-guard. Clearly, this letter to God is not a prayer, as one might expect a letter to God to be. But, on the other hand, despite the sexual violence described in the letter, there is nothing excessively melodramatic about the letter in terms of its style. In fact, what we notice, first of all, and perhaps most important, is the fact that Celie is writing to God in much the way that she would write to, or speak to, a good, close, loving friend. This letter, written in what Walker has called black folk language, contains a strong and sustained sense of naturalness throughout. Talking to her friend God, Celie uses the words "titties," "pussy," and "his thing" without any sense of embarrassment. These words are the only words that Celie knows for these terms. Celie is an innocent young girl who has been sexually abused by her father, and now she is confused as to why it happened to her. So she asks all-knowing God: why? And in telling God what has happened, there is nothing shocking about her language because it is the natural language of this black girl. What is shocking is the fact that her father has raped her and has threatened more violence if she tells anyone about it. The violence itself is shocking--not Celie's language. The reason why Celie writes to God is that she would like to tell her mother what happened, but Celie's father has warned her not to--to tell "nobody but God," especially not Celie's mother because, according to him, "It'd kill your mammy." Again, we are caught off-guard. We know that this novel is written by a contemporary black woman, and therefore, the word "mammy" is jarring. Usually we encounter "mammy" only in so-called softcore racist songs and literature. For example, we think of the song "Mammy's Li’l Baby Loves Shortnin' Bread," and we also think of all of the turbaned, sassy, protective "mammies" who (according to the movies) ruled Southern plantation kitchens, as well as most of the rest of the plantation house affairs, and, of course, we recall Al Jolson's "black face," sung-on-bended-knee version of "Mammy," and scores of other instances where the word "mammy" is used in a condescending, put-down, racist context. "Mammy" does not have a positive connotation to today's progressive black and white ears. Yet here, Celie's father uses the term, and obviously, it is as natural to him as his untamed need for sex is. So, not only are prudish readers caught off-guard by Walker's language concerning Celie's rape, but so are black and white liberals when Walker, very naturally, within the context of this novel, introduces a word that has evolved into a racist term. Walker begins this novel, as one critic has noted, with exactly the same ingredients that a Greek playwright would have used for the climax of his tragedy. We realize, then, that Celie is too scared to tell her mother, or her mammy, what her father has done, so she has told no one. She wants to be a "good girl," and she knows that if she lets her father rape her, he will leave her sick mother alone. Celie abhors her father’s rough, sexual brutality, but by submitting to it, www.cliffs.com Cliffs Notes on The Color Purple © 1986 8 she spares her mother. Note that Celie tells God, "She happy"--that is, to Celie's mother, sickness seems far preferable to Fonso's (Celie's father's) brutality. In addition, Celie is telling God that sexual violence should not be her reward for having been (and she emphasizes that she has been) a "good girl." She asks God for a "sign" to let her know "what is happen- ing." She feels that she's being punished, that somehow she's to blame, and she doesn't understand why. She hopes that a sign from God will explain why she is suffering--from rape, incest, and so much sudden responsibility. Celie, of course, doesn't know these words--rape, incest, and responsibility--yet. She knows only that she is struggling to endure--to hold on--during this crisis. She is troubled, and in terrible pain, and is deeply confused. And in addition, she feels utterly alone. Therefore, she writes to someone whom she trusts--God, asking for understanding and explanation. Letter 2 In Celie's first letter to God, she referred to herself as a girl, in the sense that she was chronologically a girl, and, moreover, she emphasized that she was a "good girl." Other children who are Celie's age may still be literally and chronologically "girls," but we realize here that Celie is a woman. At fifteen, she is pregnant and she is carrying her father’s child. Moreover, Celie's current pregnancy is not even Celie's first pregnancy. Celie has already had another baby--a year ago, when she was fourteen. What happened to it? Celie's mother asks this question on her deathbed, and Celie answers that "God took it." She loves her mother so much that she wants her to think that the baby was stillborn. This explanation to her mother is not what Celie believes in her heart, however. She believes that her father--the baby's father, Fonso--killed the baby, but because Celie's mother dies such a painful, loud death, with Fonso moaning and sitting beside the bed, and with Celie nursing and caring for the other children, what else can Celie do but lie? She doesn't want to hurt her mother, and, in addition, we see that Celie fears that Fonso will kill this second baby, just as he did the first one. She doesn't want to burden her mother, as she is dying, with this terrible knowledge. Celie's compassion for her mother is clearly not that of a "girl"; she has the understanding and compassion of a woman. Celie's childbearing and her witnessing the agonizing death of her mother have forced her to become a woman long before her time. Celie's mother dies, screaming at Celie and cursing her, and yet Celie never tells her that Fonso is the father of both babies. Unfortunately, with her mother gone, Celie has no protection from her father's sexual attacks. And since we, the readers, realize this, Fonso's pleas to his wife of "don't leave me, don't go" seem fraudulent. How could a man "cherish" his wife and sexually abuse their daughter--and then slay his own child? Perhaps he wants to conceal his incestuous relationship with his daughter. Perhaps he wants to decrease the number of mouths he has to feed. At present, his motivations are unclear. But at this point, we are not deeply concerned with Fonso's motivations. We are far more concerned with Celie's plight: living with a father who rapes her, expecting another baby, and living with the almost certainty that her father killed their first child. These first two letters to God are some of the most powerful letters in American literature, and certainly no other major American novel has begun with such unexpected narrative d