Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, written in 1982, exemplifies the severe oppression faced by black women in society, demonstrating the negative impact on both their mental state and grasp of reality, as well as the importance of amplifying black female voices today. If you’re looking for a good read this Black History Month, I highly encourage you to read this moving piece of art!
I feel like it’s very important to first provide some information on the powerful black woman who wrote this novel — Alice Walker. When writing her stories, she combined African American spirituality and black women’s history to construct the plots. As a feminist herself, she was sure to include a lot of detail in her work that dealt with gender issues and racial issues, as she felt it was vital to inform her readers on those topics. A quote in the preface of The Color Purple that I found to be especially moving was, “I was finally able to express a new spiritual awareness, a rebirth into strong feelings of Oneness I realized I had experienced and taken for granted as a child; a chance for me to find Great Mystery.” That quote reflected her true sense of passion, which intrigued me to read the book in the first place. Here’s a fun fact: she was so passionate about what she was writing that she actually donated a large portion of the proceeds to organizations that implement education on the topics mentioned in her books!
Now, why do I think YOU should read this book? When I was looking into what to read last February for Black History Month, I knew that I wanted to read a story that was related to racism, as I was eager to expand my knowledge on the topic in order to become more educated on this prevalent issue in U.S. society. The entire book is composed of intense letters that the black female protagonist, Celie, writes to God. She writes about the obstacles in her life, the relationships she has with others, and her mental state. I loved reading a novel that was in the perspective of a young, strong, female protagonist. While I could not relate to her so much, I could absolutely empathize with her. Alice Walker demonstrated through the character development of Celie that the amplification of black female voices is necessary, and can create positive change. It was not until they used their voices against those who oppressed them that they felt worthy of who they truly were.
If you need more convincing, The Color Purple by Alice Walker also made me think about how important it should be to focus on topics more similar to the ones this book features in schools. This novel features deep, emotional story-telling that will allow students to feel connected to the literature, while also giving them the opportunity to become educated on world-issues. Racism and gender issues are still prevalent in America, and by educating readers on how these oppressed groups feel, it will inspire them to do what they can to make change. If anything, this should be the mission of Black History Month. While others can be educated through social media and news channels about real-world issues, I think it would be so beneficial to spread this type of awareness through literature.
This novel has truly changed the way I approach everyday life and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their global and cultural horizons.