themes Color Purple

Question 1

Abuse of African countries (colonisation)

Answer 1

• Because of the road that is build in the jungle where the Olinka people live, there village gets destroyed and they are forced to farm different products, this makes that they don’t have food.
• Nettie, Celie etc are descendants of slaves

Question 2

The circle of violence

Answer 2

• Celie gets raped and beaten by her (step)father, and later by her husband. She also suggests it to Harpo, so she gives the idea of violence to the next generation.
• Albert gets beaten by his father, he hits Celie, and Harpo copies this with Sofia

Question 3

White vs black

Answer 3

• The mayors wife doesn’t want to get in the same car as a black man.
• Squeak is half white and gets raped by a white man
• Sofia beat the mayors wife who is white

Question 4

Black vs black:

Answer 4

• Olinka people against Nettie, Samuel, Corrine and the kids.
• black people sold black people into slavery
• Albert who hit Celie, Harpo who hit Sofia
• Celie who gets raped by her father

Question 5

Pegan religion vs Christianity:

Answer 5

• The Olinka have a Pegan religion, the worship the mayor and roof leaves
• The missionaries who come to the Olinka people to convert them

Question 6

Homosexuality:

Answer 6

• The relation between Shug Avery and Celie.

Question 7

Gender roles:

Answer 7

• The men abuse the woman
• Celie has to do al the housekeeping and take care of al Mr,__’s children.
• Sofia and Harpo don’t fit in the gender roles; Sofia does al the hard work
• Samuel and Corrine don’t fit in the gender roles; they both work

Question 8

Sexism:

Answer 8

• the women have to do all the work, and when Celie tells Albert about her pants business he tells her that women cant wear pants. This is her standing up against the sexism by literally wearing the pants
• Women don’t have rights

Question 9

Social injustice:

Answer 9

• Throughout the book the main characters go trough discrimination, poverty and having limited opportunities.
• Sofia denies working for the mayor as a maid, but then ends up as a maid for them for a long time any way
• the Olinka have to move because the white have to have ‘they’re’ land

Question 10

Sisterhood / female relationships:

Answer 10

• Celie and Nettie
• Shug and Celie.
• Celie and Sofia
• Odessa and Sofia
• Squeak and Sofia

Question 11

Power of voice:

Answer 11

• When Celie stands up for herself to Albert and leaves him to go to Memphis with Shug, Grady and Mary Agnes.
• Celie throughout the book when she goes from a invisible, small women to a strong independent women
• Sofia when she hits Harpo and the mayors wife.
• Squeak when she tells everyone to call het by her real name