The Color Purple...The Middle

Well, I've already given you some of my ideas about the first 30 letters. Now for 31-60. . .


In this section we learn more about the relationship between Shug and Albert (Mr. ___).   In letter 50 Shug tells Celie about how much fun she and Albert used to have, and how that all changed when he married Annie Julia (now deceased) instead of her.  Shug explains that he didn't marry her because "his daddy told him I'm trash, my mama trash before me.  His brother say the same" (122).  Albert tried to defend her, but he just wasn't strong enough.  However, Shug claims that she "never really wanted Albert for a husband;" she just wanted to be the only woman he desired.  

Additionally, Albert's family advised him not to marry her because she already had children and they questioned if they were even Albert's.  Hmmm...sound familiar?  This is similar to how Albert treats Sofia when Harpo first brings her over to meet him.  Albert refers to her pregnancy as her getting herself into "trouble" and asks how Harpo knows undoubtedly that he is the father.  How rude.  Also, neither of them—father nor son—really stood up for his woman or himself.  Well, you know what they say:  like father, like son.  I believe this can also be an archetype because sons who follow in the steps of their fathers is found often in literature and in life.  For instance, in abusive households where the father abuses the mother, it is common for the son to treat women the same way because the example set before him causes him to think that's what he's supposed to do.  Or I'm sure you've heard the comment, "You're just like your father," directed towards someone.  Even when Harpo was a teenager he asked Celie why his father beats her (letter 13), and then later in letter 19 he decides to hit his wife Sofia (which was a big mistake).

On another note, Celie really begins to open up even more to Shug in this section.  In letter 34 Celie tells her that Mr. ___ beats her, which is isn't something that Celie would be quick to tell anyone.  She also tells Shug about how she doesn't enjoy having sex with Mr. ___ because it really just feels like he's "doing his business" on top of her. (Aww, that's sad.)  Her growing trust for her new friend is emphasized even more when Shug encourages Celie to explore her own body and Celie listens to her.  Then, suddenly Celie's trust and dishonesty concerning Shug are juxtaposed in the same letter!  She has just told Shug an intimate secret and really looked at her own body, but then she lies and tells Shug that she doesn't care that Shug sleeps with Mr. ___ even though when she hears them together that night she says that "all [she] can do is pull the quilt over [her] head" and be alone with herself (79).  Celie's discontentment, I believe, is due to her desire to be with Shug instead of Mr. ___.

One of my favorite letters so far is the 56th one because in this letter Nettie writes to Celie about the lives of the Black people she sees on her journey to Africa.  In New York, she is fascinated by all of the Blacks owning fancy cars and living in houses "finer than any white person's house down home" (135).  She also tells Celie about how she learns that "All the Ethiopians in the bible were colored" (134).  This is evidence that Black people were not taught about the history of their own people, which is just saddening to me.

In letter 57 Nettie expresses how the English are so swift to say that Africa has fallen on "hard times," yet they are so ignorant (or at least act like they're ignorant) to the fact that they helped make the times "harder" via slavery.  Prior to that, African civilizations were considered to be more magnificent and superior to the English civilizations.  Does the word "Egypt" ring a bell???

The Color Purple...The Beginning

Well, here is my first post about my awesome group's independent novel.  "Which novel?," you ask?  Why, it's The Color Purple written by Alice Walker, of course!  Here's a portion of my analysis/observations from the first 30 letters.  (There are 90 in total.)

One of the main aspects of the book is that it's written entirely  in letters.  The main character and narrator, Celie, writes each letter to God, which indicates that He is the only person that she feels comfortable enough with to vent to.

     Also, there is a lot of foreshadowing of Celie's sexuality in the first few letters and it is emphasized even more in letters 14-30.  In letter 5 she says that she doesn't look at men because she's scared of them, but she looks at women because they're not scary.  So of course this can just show that her negative experiences with men cause her to fear them, but it can also foreshadow that she will find women more attractive.  Then in letter 10, when another lady tells Celie that her husband (Mr. ___) is handsome, Celie thinks, "Most times mens look pretty much alike to me" exemplifying that she doesn't really find men attractive (Walker 15).  Her lesbian tendencies begin to emerge even more in the second half of the first 30 letters.  When Celie finds out that Shug Avery (Mr. ___'s mistress who sings in clubs and has a reputation for gettin' around, if you know what I mean...) is going to be performing in town, she says, "I just be thankful to lay eyes on her" (25).  Now usually most women don't feel so desperate to see another woman.  Another moment that reveals Celie's sexuality is in letter 24 when she is giving Shug a bath while she's ill and Celie gets aroused when she sees Shug's "long black body" and thinks, "I thought I had turned into a man" (49).  The pinnacle moment (in this section) that shows Celie's attraction toward women is in letter 30 when Celie is talking to her daughter-in-law Sofia (who I always visualize as Oprah...ha ha).  The women are talking about how they don't enjoy being intimate with their husbands anymore and Celie says, "Only time I feel something stirring down there is when I think bout Shug" (65).  Nuff said.

      While I believe that all of these moments are evidence of Celie's lesbianism, I know that part of the reason why I think this is because I saw the movie already; however, books and movies are never really identical in every element so I am excited to see how everything turns out.

Introducing Me

Tamar [tuh-mar] - daughter of Derick Sr. and Tomika, and ONLY sister of Derick Jr. and Derell.  Possessor of strong faith in the one and only true God.  A young lady who has many dreams to accomplish before she gets too old.  A lover of traveling who desires to visit every continent (I'm still on the fence about Antarctica) and every single state.  A diligent student who gets her work done so that she can do what she wants in the future, not just what she has to do.  An optimist who definitely prefers to see the glass as half-full.  A pink enthusiast.

Fun Fact:  My name means "palm tree," so that means that I am strong.  I may bend and sway during a storm, but I never break.

I know that a lot of people say this, and it may be considered a cliche, but I truly am a lover of life.  I'm just so excited about everything that life has to offer, especially all of the different cultures and places to experience! I'm anticipating so many fabulous things in my future!!!

So, that is a basic definition of who Tamar is. . . not Tamar-uh, not Tay-mar, and absolutely not Tomorrow.  I still don't understand how people add an "a" to the end of my name.  I guess my parents got it wrong when they named me. . .nah, that's not it.  :-)


Oh, and another thing. .  .this self-definition blog reminds me of Nick Jonas' song, "Introducing Me."  Doo doo, doo do doo do doo...
#CampRock2  #NickJonasIsCute