The Color Purple Background Analysis
Background History and Context of ‘The Color Purple’
“The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, -- this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost... He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American...” (W.E.B. Du Bois)
The African-Americans or the ‘Black Americans’ are members of those ethnic groups in the United States that have, throughout history, been looked down on by the white community. Most members of the African American race are descendants of the Africans who were taken captive in Africa and brought to the United States between 1619 and 1865. Blacks, descended …show more content…
Even though they had been “seared in the flames of withering injustice” (I Have A Dream, Martin Luther King Jr.) Throughout their lives, the black Americans kept fighting for a time when justice would “roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” (I Have A Dream, Martin Luther King Jr.) They truly believed that freedom would never be given to them on a silver platter; it is to be won through hard work, courage, strength of mind, and determination.
In the 20th century, a lot of Black American literature came about as people began to voice their opinions against slavery and discrimination much more than before. The literature began to serve as accounts of their struggle while also being a tool of propaganda to motivate the African-Americans to rise and speak up and act against the injustice being done to them. The Black American community had finally had enough and were no longer going to remain silent. They had been pushed too far, and refused to be humiliated further.
One of the many writers of this century is a woman who may be one of the most influential writers of her age and her most famous work, ‘The Color Purple’ is one of the most significant novels of Black American literature. This woman, Alice Walker, is an African-American novelist, short-story writer, poet, and activist.
“I love the natural world – it comes from my culture, which grew out of a people …show more content…
The novel follows the story of a young black girl named Celie, who was born into a world of poverty and segregation. It is an account of her life and the lives of those who surround her. As the tale comes to an end, Celie finds in her life the power of happiness and develops a spirit of joy and individuality which frees her from the past that had been haunting her for so long and reunites her with her loved ones. Thus, we see the power of redemption that becomes central to the novel and was something Walker herself strongly believed
“The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, -- this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost... He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American...” (W.E.B. Du Bois)
The African-Americans or the ‘Black Americans’ are members of those ethnic groups in the United States that have, throughout history, been looked down on by the white community. Most members of the African American race are descendants of the Africans who were taken captive in Africa and brought to the United States between 1619 and 1865. Blacks, descended …show more content…
Even though they had been “seared in the flames of withering injustice” (I Have A Dream, Martin Luther King Jr.) Throughout their lives, the black Americans kept fighting for a time when justice would “roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream” (I Have A Dream, Martin Luther King Jr.) They truly believed that freedom would never be given to them on a silver platter; it is to be won through hard work, courage, strength of mind, and determination.
In the 20th century, a lot of Black American literature came about as people began to voice their opinions against slavery and discrimination much more than before. The literature began to serve as accounts of their struggle while also being a tool of propaganda to motivate the African-Americans to rise and speak up and act against the injustice being done to them. The Black American community had finally had enough and were no longer going to remain silent. They had been pushed too far, and refused to be humiliated further.
One of the many writers of this century is a woman who may be one of the most influential writers of her age and her most famous work, ‘The Color Purple’ is one of the most significant novels of Black American literature. This woman, Alice Walker, is an African-American novelist, short-story writer, poet, and activist.
“I love the natural world – it comes from my culture, which grew out of a people …show more content…
The novel follows the story of a young black girl named Celie, who was born into a world of poverty and segregation. It is an account of her life and the lives of those who surround her. As the tale comes to an end, Celie finds in her life the power of happiness and develops a spirit of joy and individuality which frees her from the past that had been haunting her for so long and reunites her with her loved ones. Thus, we see the power of redemption that becomes central to the novel and was something Walker herself strongly believed