The Color Purple

The book I choose to read was The Color Purple by Alive Walker. Alice Walker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning, African-American novelist and poet most famous for authoring The Color Purple. Walker also published three collections of short stories, essays, six volumes of poetry, and several children’s book.  All of Walkers books contribute to African Americans, and the way they were treated and how they should be treated equally not like slaves. The story The Color Purple is one of the best books I have read my high school career. The theme of the story is that the race of the African American women were tortured and never respected. The story was taken place in the early 1980’s, when African American women were used as housewife slaves for white men.

The Color Purple is a story about an African American woman named Celie, who was sexually and physically abused as a teenager by her father. Celie was forced to have two children by her father, and both were sold to a white family for money.  Then later Celie is forced to “marry” a white male so her sister, Nettie does not get taken by him, due to the fact that the man wanted Nettie and Celie would do anything to protect her sister. As Celie is married to this man, she is forced to cook, clean and take care of his six children. Through the time she arrives she is also sexually and physically abused by this man. Throughout the story Celie discovers letters that her sister Nettie has been writing to her in Mr.____ car. In those letters is the happy story of Nettie’s life because; she got taken in by the caring of a white family. Whose children just had to be Celie’s children that she had given birth to as a teenager. Towards the end of the story Celie moves to Memphis, Tennessee with a woman she has met throughout her living with Mr.____, and gains enough spirit and power to stand up to Mr._____ and tell him off and leave him. The story is such an inspiration on how our society has evolved into a better place. Women, especially African American women have gained the right to not be slaves, and be someone and something in life.

                

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, such a great book.  Throughout the reading of the book, it just shows you another world of how African American women suffered and were tortured not just as women, but as human beings as well. Just evolution of times was fascinating. That is was okay back in the 1980’s to treat women and African Americans that way, but now god forbid any women or African American was treated that way straight to jail they go. I am now looking into more stories written by Alice Walker, I do not thing I will ever be disappointed by her writing. It is just so inspirational. 

Book Review by Emina D.