The Color Purple And When You Thought Me Poor Essay

Have you ever felt isolated or alone because of who you are? Have you ever had people think lowly of you because of where you came from? Many people of different races have experienced some form of criticism for their color and come from places of low socioeconomic status. Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple her poems “When You Thought Me Poor” and “Expect Nothing” show what it is like to be poor, isolated, and of low socioeconomic status. The poem “When You Thought Me Poor” is about a girl who came from nothing and became something all the while being told she couldn’t be anything because of the color of her skin. The poem is like the book because Shug came from nothing and became a star who had everything money could buy even though she was colored. The tone of the poem is fulfillment. The main character’s dreams have been fulfilled by the sun and the moonlight that have blessed her. The protagonist in “When You Thought Me Poor” has been fulfilled by nature and is alike to Shug in fulfillment because Shug believes anything and everything is God including nature and she thanks everything for her success. “When You Thought Me Poor”
“When You Thought Me Poor” relates to The Color Purple because both writings show how the protagonists deal with being poor and black in the south during a time of discrimination. Both writings also show how strong women can persevere to become great. Walker’s poem “Endless Nights” relates to The Color Purple because both writings show how you have to be emotionally solid in order to survive in a time where cruelty is plenty because of race discrimination. The Color Purple, “Endless Nights”, and “When You Thought Me Poor” all show how racism and discrimination of colored people, combined with poverty create a harsh environment for colored women living in the south in the 1930’s and