Directions: If you would like to respond to this prompt as one of your blog posts, you need to give a detailed, text-oriented response to at least three of the questions below. Be sure to number them. Remember, you may also respond and build on others’ comments.
- Was the book what you expected it to be? What did you expect?
- Are there any parts of the book that moved or inspired you? Which ones stood out in your mind? Why?
- What is the significance of the title? Why do you think the author chose to use this title? What is so special about the color purple?
- What does it take for Celie to finally reach her boiling point and reject oppression?
- What is Celie’s opinion of Grady and his haze of addiction?
- Why is it difficult for Shug to commit to the people who love her? In what ways does Shug bring both pleasure and heartache to them?
- Nettie’s life with Corrine and Samuel gives her the first semblance of a healthy family life she has ever known, but Corrine’s jealousy taints this. Only the memory of that crucial early scene, when Celie lays eyes on her daughter at the store, absolves Nettie just before Corrine dies. Do you think Corrine truly forgave Nettie and believed her story? Why or why not?
- This novel brims with intricate turns of plot. List the seemingly minor scenes that turn out to be pivotal in the lives of the characters.
Mireya Rico
ReplyDelete1). The book the Color Purple was kind of what I expected it to be but not really because from what I heard about the book I was expecting the suffering of woman and how they were mistreated but I did not expect for Celie’s dad to rape her or force her to marry Mr. ______. I was also expecting the book not to be as depressing as it is, even though from what I heard it was going to be a sad book.
2). The part that moved me from this book was when Ms. Millie (the mayors wife) decided to let Sofia go visit her family after keeping her working for them like a slave for 5 years. That part moved me, because I think it was the right thing to do after Sofia has been a great help to them and after she thought her how to drive when the mayor bought her a car. It was nice of her to let her go see her family after 5 years because I know Sofia missed her children and I’m pretty sure they missed her too. This also shocked me because I didn’t expect Ms. Millie to actually be kind to Sofia after what Sofia did to her.
6). I believe it’s difficult for Shug to commit to the people she loves because she’s the type of women who’s busy most of the time and doesn’t always stay at one place. Shug brings both pleasure and heartache to them in the way that she goes and spends time with them and once they think she’ll stay with them she ends up leaving.
Kristi Etzel
ReplyDelete1.This book is definitely not what I expected. I think it has some very good women issues addressed and I liked the ending. I’m not sure I expected so much directness.
6.I think Shug has trouble committing herself to someone because nobody has done that for her. People love Shug so much which brings pleasure, but heartache comes from her leaving them.
8.In the beginning of the book it is said that Celie’s father rapes her and impregnated her. Later on it is discovered that it was not her father and it was a big relief.
Jeremy Davenport
ReplyDelete1. The book is not what I expected it to be. I thought that it would be a "chick-flick" novel. All fluffy and sugar coated but the book showed many issues and I appreciated the fact that it was so straight forward. I also liked the fact that it was realistically told and that some people might even be able to relate.
2. When Celie was able to come to terms with her sexuality I was actually proud of her. When she finally said what she did about relating men to frogs I was in shock that she was able to be that open and straightforward with such a controversial topic, especially in that time period.
3. I think that the color purple signified the color being associated with being of class, and of importance. This relates to the novel because even though at the beginning Celie was lonely and felt like she didn't matter, at the end she touched many people's lives and she made a difference.
4. I think the final point where Celie breaks free is when she hears why ALbert kept Nettie's letters secret. Granted that Celie already wanted to kill him FOR hiding them, she became even more fed up when she heard the reason was because he was trying to get with her sister when she was trying to leave.
5. Celie thinks that Grady isn't good for Shug and that all of his addictions are bad for her and she doesn't want Shug affected by all of it.
6. I think Shug has trouble committing to people that love her because she isn't used to that steady feeling of love. Her mother thought she was evil, her multiple "baby-daddies" left her, and her life was full of hook ups. She isn't used to one person devoting them self to her. She brings the people that love her pleasure by the way she treats them. Shug treated Celie like royalty. She would feed her, buy her any fabric/material for pants and she supported Celie in whatever she did. Shug brings these people heartache by leaving them at the drop of a hat. Like I said, she doesn't have the ability to stay anchored to one person so she can move on at any moment.
7. I don;t think Corrine fully forgave Nettie. Corrine accused her and stood to that no matter how many times Nettie and Samuel explained. I can see where there might be a mix up since the children are Celie's and Celie and Nettie are sisters but there is a point where Corrine was just plain wrong. n the condition she was in when she died, I don't think she was mentally able to apologize. She couldn't even think straight so how could she form a sincere apology?
8.I think in which Sofia hits Squeak is very crucial. Even though it was just a hit out of anger it led to way greater things. After that, Squeak began to stick up for herself and her being called by her actual name Mary Agnes showed that she demanded respect. Mary Agnes gained confidence and that led to her moving with Shug, Grady and Celie to pursue singing. Then Mary Agnes and Grady left leaving Shug and Celie to love one another.
I like Jeremy's answer to #1! Interesting opinion :)
ReplyDelete-Nessa
Nessa Lopez
ReplyDelete1. The book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting it to be like. I thought it’d be more of a woman’s life in the time period but not having it be all that intense. It was very surprising to me that women were being treated this way and that men were that superior to them.
2. I must say I was surprised about Celie when she came clear about her being in love with Shug. It stood out because it was unexpected and because in order for her to not deny it, she’s already letting her feelings come thru. It made me see a different Celie in a way because it makes me wonder how she will take the courage for accepting more things about herself.
3.
4. I think Celie reached her boiling point when she found out that Mr._____ had been hiding Nettie’s letters from her. She grew mad at him and hated him because the thought of him doing this could be because he liked Nettie. Since he liked Nettie, it still bothers Celie because she’s still his wife and she feels like there wasn’t a good enough reason anymore for him to keep something like this away from her.
6. I think it’s hard for Shug to commit to the people who love her because she’s used to being all around with people without sentimental feelings. She’s not used to being actually loved and it’s hard for her to see and realize that she would need to commit. Shug brings both pleasure and heartache to them because first, she hooks up with anyone who wants to be with her and is wanting to have pleasure with her. In all her hook ups, it would seem like she’s into it, but she really isn’t. Mr.____ fell for her because somehow she led him to fall for her. Celie is also a victim of hers because she makes her think she’s into being with her and treats her the way she wants to be treated and with care. While in reality, Shug’s not into anyone at all, and isn’t looking forward to.
1)At the end there was some things that happened in the book that I expected them to happen, since throughout the story when Celie was reading Nettie’s letters she kept saying that she would eventually see her sister and sure enough at the end of the book Celie’s family reunited after 30 long years. That is the only thing that I knew would happen, but other than that I did not think the story would be like that.
ReplyDelete2)A part in the book that stayed in my mind was when Shug announced she will be moving to the north and that she would be taking Celie with her, Celie stood up on her own and did not back down although Mr.___ did not want to let her go, also how Squeak decided to move on and fulfill her dreams. These parts stuck to my mind because this was the point where the women were sticking up for themselves after being told what to do for all their life. Another part was when Harpo scarred his skin because he proved that he really loved his wife.
7) I do think that Corrine forgave Nettie and believed her story because before she died she remembered when she saw Celie at the store, and she knew that Nettie was not making things up about Olivia being Celie’s daughter. Another reason I think she forgave her was because before Corrine died she woke up and said “I believe” which may mean that at the end she did believe everything that Samuel and Nettie had told her.
Carina Garibay
Dolores Flores;
ReplyDelete2. The part of the book that inspired me was when Pa died. At that point Celie had already left Mr.___ and had her pant business. But when Pa died Celie gets a call from Daisy to let her know that her real father was the owner of the land that they lived on. The second Pa died the land, house, and dry good store because Celie’s and Nettie’s. This inspired me because Celie’s life wasn’t easy. She didn’t have anything to call hers. And by the end she is an independent woman who has things that most woman don’t have without needing to have a man in their lives.
5. Celie’s doesn’t life Grady in the first place because he’s married to shug. And for him to have and addiction to reefer makes Celie think hes a fool.
6. I think it is difficult for Shug to commit to the people who love her is because back then woman were raped and force to do things. She didn’t want to be one of those people. She chose to do what she pleased with whom she pleased because that way she doesn’t get hurt. Shug shows and in once case helps Celie find love in her. But she leaves the relationship first before the other person hurts her. She has the ability to make people fall in love with her but she doesn’t stick around to enjoy it leaving then heartbroken waiting for her to come back.