The Color Purple is a famous epistolary novel that was written by Alice Walker. The novel garnered critical acclaim and Walker received the National Book Award for Fiction and Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 for the novel. Despite receiving such honors, the novel was also the subject of controversies.
The book was criticized for how it depicted sex and race and how it portrayed the agony and abuse as well as for its style and spelling. The novel appeared on the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000–2010 for its explicit content in a list released by the American Library Association.
What was the reason behind banning The Color Purple?
The Color Purple was released in 1982 and after the release, it got a lot of attention. While some people praised it, some criticized it for its bold depiction of sensitive topics. Some parents were unhappy with the novel’s inclusion in school libraries and curriculums.
In 1984, a parent filed a petition against the use of books in Oakland School, California. Although, the school did not remove the novel from its curriculum. The novel was consistently challenged all over the world. Parents wanted to ban the novel for its explicit content. In the novel, there is an encounter between two same-sex characters, who also happened to be the novel's main characters. The writer of the book, Walker, depicted sexual violence in the book’s first pages.
Some were not comfortable with these topics but, at the same time, some praised the book for these same topics. The American TV personality and producer Oprah Winfrey praised the book and said she related to the novel since she suffered sexual abuse as a kid. Winfrey further explained that before reading the book, she thought that she was the only one who suffered from sexual abuse, but after reading the book, she realized she was not alone.
What is The Color Purple about?
The novel The Color Purple follows the story of a 14-year-old girl named Celie who is a poor African-American girl. She lives in rural Georgia and the story depicts the time of the early 1900s. Celie’s father, Alphonso, sexually abuses her and beats her about which she writes letters to God. She also has two kids from his father; Adam and Olivia but they’re taken away.
A farmer recognized as Mister asks to marry Celie’s little sister, named Nettie. But, instead of Nattie, Alphonso gives Celie to Mister and he sexually, physically, and verbally abuses her. Mister’s prior kids also mistreat her.
FAQs
A. The Color Purple was banned from the libraries of schools in the USA between 1984 to 2013. The novel continues to be challenged all over the world. It was most recently criticized in 2017.
A. 1984 by George Orwell is the most banned book of all time.
A. The novel The Colour Purple is not based on a true story. But, the book is set in a real era and time, depicting themes of that time.
