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? Why or why not? What did you expect?
- In Celie’s first letter to God, she asks for a sign to let her know what is happening to her. Discuss the way confusion and deception become powerful tools for those characters who want to take advantage of Celie.
- Unravel the layer of lies that are told throughout the novel so far. Compare the lies that Celie is expected to believe with the actual truth about her world. These lies can be concrete (her impression that Pa is poor) or abstract (the assertion that she is unintelligent).
- What is the effect of not knowing Albert’s last name? In early novels, it was not uncommon for authors to use a blank in place of a character’s name, to create the illusion that the character was someone the reader might know—someone whose identity had to be kept secret. What does it mean that Celie must call her husband Mr. _____? Do you think she will ever call him by his real first or last name?
- Describe your first impressions of two of the following characters:
Celie ,Pa - In your opinion, with examples from the text, which character treats Celie the worst? Why do you think they treat her in that manner?
- How does Shug Avery’s life differ from Celie’s? Are these different paths in life due to their own actions, the situations they were born into, or their own personalities? Explain.
- What does the way the community reacts to Shug Avery’s illness say about the status of women?
- Choose one main character, and explain why you like/dislike them, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and make a prediction about what you think will happen to them.
Brittany Blobaum-Aldan, Blog Post #1
ReplyDelete1. The Color Purple is not what I expected it to be. I wasn't expecting the graphic imagery that the author used, on the first page. I didn't really expect anything in particular since I didn't go into reading the book with any prior knowledge about the characters or the storyline whatsoever. But, I find it really interesting and different from books I've read in the past, mainly because of the way it was written.
2. It would make sense that Celie writes to God asking for guidance to find out what's happening to her, since those around her are often abusing and misusing her. Celie's own father sexually violates her and even says at one point that Celie would do what her mammy wouldn't. This could be a sign of deception since her father is leading her to believe what isn't the truth.
3. A lie that's been told in the novel so far is that Celie isn't capable of doing anything besides housework. Cooking, cleaning, watching the kids, doing what her husband, Mr. _______ says.... Celie is often compared, and sometimes compares herself, to her sister, Nettie and is viewed as lower or less than her. Less intelligent, less capable, less skilled. I believe this to be a lie because Celie carries herself in a polite, intelligent matter and does as she is told. She knows better than to be rebellious and go against what she's supposed to do. I think she's afraid of going against what's "right" in her time, that society, but if she weren't, she'd prove everyone wrong and show that she truly is a smart person.
1) The Color Purple was kind of what I expected it to be, but not so much in the way that I did think it was going to be about the life of an African-American woman and the struggles she had to go through in her life. I did not expect the context to be the way it is, she describes with too many details about what is happening, but I do think it is a good way for the reader to be able to understand their situation.
ReplyDelete3) Lies that Celie is expected to believe are that she is not intelligent by her dad telling her that she is not allowed to go to school, because she does not deserve to and she will not learn anything. I do think that Celie is smart, she may not have proper grammar but she is smart in every other way. Celie believes that her sister is dead ever since she left her house, when she finds out that her sister had been writing to her and is alive ever since Shug shows her the letters. Now that she knows that, she says she will be waiting for her sister to return and run away with her. Celie also lives with the thought that she will never be able to see her daughter Olivia, but when she sees her in town she realizes how similar they look and that she has a good life and is with a family that cares for her.
4) I think Celie always writes Mr.____ in her letters just in case someone ever finds her diary. If they ever do find her diary they may inform her husband that she has been writing about him and she may be beaten. I think that at the end of the book if and when Celie leaves him she will call him by his name.
7) The way in which Shug’s life differs from Celie’s is that Shug is a very successful woman that is like a celebrity among the towns and all the men think she is attractive. Growing up Shug was a girl who was able to do whatever she wanted without people ever telling her anything and if they did she did not care. Celie’s life is the way it is mainly because she was raised to do what other men and people told her to do and she was not able to say “NO”. She does not say anything because she is scared of what they may do to her, such as beat her.
Carina Garibay,
Blog Post #1
Kristi Etzel
ReplyDelete1. This book is definitely not what I expected it to be. I actually didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t realize how many women-being-treated-right issues there were involved in such a book. Celie got right to the point and told us how things bad things were.
2. At first Celie doesn’t really understand what is happening and why. Celie often has to go along with what happens to her and does what she’s told without question, which others take advantage of and make her do things.
4. The effect for me not knowing Albert’s last name is curiosity. I constantly wonder what the reason is behind not using his last name. Is it a secretive issue or a scared issue? I don’t think Celie would start writing his real name because it’s what she’s always written and it would be silly to change now
Kristi Etzel
ReplyDelete5. My first impression of Celie was that she was an innocent teenager having to go through a lot of grown-up issues by herself and is scared. My first impression of Mr. _______ was that he was a mean older man that didn’t care what happened to other people and didn’t think about the future.
7. Shug Avery’s life seems glamorus and adventurous, but I think she started kind of where Celie is at. Shug had babies and didn’t take care of them, but then she got out of her town and wanted to make something of herself. The different paths of life were due in part to who they were, everything leading them to that point. Shug had problems but she wanted to sing, that was her personality, so she did it. Celie however has always been a quiet girl, not speaking up for herself and just taking what comes.
9. I like Sophia because she stands up for herself and doesn’t take beating from anyone. She could make it on her own I think because she is strong. I think her weakness is that she doesn’t always know when to stop. I’ve already finished the book so I know what happens to her. (I don’t want to spoil it for others)
Carlos Cornejo
ReplyDelete1) Before I started to read The Color Purple I thought that it was going to be a good book about some little kid having a good life. The reason I thought that was be cause purple represents royalty and if you are royal the you must have money their fore be happy. This was not at all what I expected even after only reading the first couple of pages, because it was crude and really sexual. I also did not expect it to be written by a black woman because at first I did not understand her dialect of the way she wrote.
2) In the story Celie’s dad uses deception or tricks her to take advantage of her because he makes her think that she is worthless and will never become anything in life, he takes her out of school because of this reason. He also takes advantage of her while she was young and confused, and he rapes her.
3) My first impression of Celie was that she was a poor defenseless woman living with her father that is bad; I think that she gets taken advantage of a lot. Also she is lied to and abused. My first impression of Pa is that he is a horrible person. Pa takes advantage of his daughter and rapes her repeatedly. He is also emotionally abusive to Celie.
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.
5). My first impression of Pa (Alphonso) is that he is a disgusting man with no morals and no respect towards women especially his daughter Celie. My first impression of Shug Avery is that she is a rude woman because when Mr. ______ took her in into his home when she was ill the first thing she did when she saw Celie was insult her by calling her ugly. When Shug first came into the house most of the time she treated Celie bad and was rude to her.
9). One character I like from this book is Celie. I like Celie because she is a strong woman, after everything she has gone through she still keeps going and tries to stay strong regardless of the things going on around her. Celie is also a great sister because she does everything she can to try and help her little sister Nettie since she doesn’t want her to go through everything she went through. Celie’s weaknesses are the fact that she believes she has to do whatever she’s told to she feels like she that’s what women are suppose to do. My prediction for Celie is that one day she’s going to leave Mr. _____ and leave happily with her sister Nettie.
Carlos Cornejo
ReplyDeletePost #3
9) I chose Celie because she is probably the most important person in this book. The reason I like celie is because I feel sorry for her because of all on the tings that she had to go through. I dislike celie because she is stupid for running away from home and doing something about what was happening to her. Her strength is that she loves god, so he will help her. And a weakness is that she is gullible. I predict that in the future she is going to have a good life because good thing happen to good people. Also there are always happily ever after endings in good books.
6) I think that the character that treats Celie the worst is her dad. The reason why is because celie constantly writing about how her dad is always beating her and abusing her not only physically, but also emotionally by telling her that she is worthless.
3) Lies that are being tolled to Celie are that she is not smart and that she can’t do anything around the house. The person that is telling her this is her pa. Celie is actually smart because she said that when she went to school her teacher said that she was one of the brightest. Also when her dad took her out of school her teacher came to her house and was trying to convince her dad to let her come back.
i couldn't post a comment on the other comments so...
ReplyDeletei agree with Brittany's answer to question #1
-Kristi Etzel
Jeremy Davenport
ReplyDelete4. I think the effect of not knowing Albert last name was huge. It showed Celie's lack of respect and fear of him. If she had respect and not so much fear, I think that she would at least address him by last name.
6. I think Alphonso treats Celie the worst. I mean, he assumed the role of a parenting figure, beat her, insulted her, talked down to her and raped her. That is the worst thing a parent figure can do in my opinion. If you're going to step in and fill a role, do what you "signed up" for.
1. The book is not what I thought it would be. I thought it would be more calm and weepy and sad. Instead the book is full of anticipation and things you wouldn't expect hearing the title. It touches on plenty of controversial topics.
2. Celie asks God for a sign because her life is going downhill, fast. She tries to only trust God and when he doesn't answer she has to look for trust somewhere else. It makes her open up to new people, and let things out that she normally wouldn't. Being this vulnerable it is easy for her to be taken advantage of and hurt in the many ways that she has already been harmed.
5. My first impression of Shug was that she was just a rude and only there to get nursed back to health. The things she said to Celie were heartless and downright bitchy.
My first impression of Pa (Alphonso) was that he was a horrible person. I couldn't believe that he had done all of those things to someone that close in his family. I just couldn't fathom the idea that he would just take advantage of his daughter and treat her the way he did. It made me feel for Celie.
Nessa Lopez
ReplyDelete1. The book was not what I expected it to be at all. As I read Celie’s diaries, I wasn’t expecting a black woman’s life to be this way in the time period. I was actually expecting for it to be a book about just women not being accepted to doing anything and just staying home. When I was reading, I couldn’t believe women were being treated worse than I would have imagined. I never thought they didn’t have a word for anything at all, not even in their own households or with their families.
2. I think that Celie isn’t used to anything out in the world and she doesn’t see much to know what’s happening to her. Her writing to God is because she wants some kind of guidance to understand if what’s happening to her is “normal” and is supposed to be happening to her. (Since it doesn’t feel right.) Since she doesn’t know and is unsure of what’s happening to her, men take advantage of her by mistreating her. Her dad raped her with her not knowing what was about to happen. She couldn’t say no though, since she knows she has to remain silent.
3. Lies that Celie is expected to believe are that she is basically worthless because she’s not smart enough to educate herself in any way. She’s treated as if she doesn’t have a word for anything and that she’s only supposed to be home doing housework.
Celie is compared to Nettie in ways like Nettie is prettier than her and that she’s not as bright as her. She compares herself to her as not having the potential her sister has. She also compares herself to women like Shug and Sofia. Shug happens to be beautiful and she is confident just like Sofia. Which is something that surprises Celie because she wouldn’t be able to be like them.
4. My first impression on Celie was that I couldn’t believe how she brought herself down and how she never spoke up for herself even though she was hurting. Something that doesn’t feel right like what happened to Celie (being raped, abused, and mistreated) is something to not be able to take that easy. And the fact that she could remained silent was very surprising.
My first impression on Shug was how confident she was and how much she was wanted to have around. I thought her popularity was surprising because women weren’t usually a lead in anything and they usually didn’t speak for themselves the way she did.
I agree with you Brittany! Right on!
ReplyDelete-Nessa
Dolores Flores;
ReplyDelete4. Not knowing Albert’s last name mad me wonder why she even bothers to call him Mr._____ instead of just writing Albert.
Celie having to call her husband Mr.___ shows that she might not be close to him as a husband and wife should be or that she is just showing her respect.
I don’t think Celie would ever call Albert by his first or last name because if she doesn’t do it by now why would she later?
5. My first impression of Pa is that he is a pig/monster. Honestly who would do that to their own children? And the fact that he took Celie’s babies away making her think they are dead is horrible especially since he was the father of them.
My first impression of Celie was that she was one strong girl. For her to be that young and to go threw the things she did is incredible. Physical, emotion abuse and rape are not easy things to over come and for her to still not runaway from it all.
6. I think that Mr.___ treats Celie the worst, because he beats her and has no respect for her. The only reason he married her is because Pa would not let him have Nettie. Pa told Mr.___ to take Celie because she was good with children and could cook and clean. She is someone that he has not feelings for, therefore he treats her how he wants.
9. A main character that I like is Sophia, because she is the first woman to not let a man step all over her. When Harpo wanted to start hitting her she fought back and beat him up. Women back then would not have the guts to do what she did. I think that she is going to keep standing up for herself threw out the book.
Carlos I agree with you, I feel sorry for Celie for the same reasons.
ReplyDelete-Dolores