Blog #5 Personal Review
The Color Purple is a great book for those who have free time in short sporadic segments. The set up of the book is conducive to reading in short portions, and can fit into anyone’s busy life. At first the diction and language is a little bit hard to comprehend, since she uses phonetic spelling and a specifically ethnic jargon, but once one gets used to it, it is a joy to read. There is a range of lifestyles that are openly discussed and portrayed. From homosexual desires to rape and polyamory, The Color Purple deals with many subjects that were socially taboo when the book was published. Alice Walker gives life and normalcy to the uncommon and keeps an appropriate and respectful tone throughout the book. As is expected, with these subjects comes a wide range of emotions, which are real (albeit hyperbolized) things that people feel everyday of their lives. Even with its odd situational content, the book remains relatable, and invites its reader to feel for the characters the way one would feel for people in one’s life. The pure rawness of the words and honesty with which the book divulges its plot creates an authentic story that feels as well as sounds real to the reader. Throughout the novel the sensitive reader will laugh cry and feel desire, even the emotionally closed reader would have to recognize the extraordinary content.
Although the set up of the book is good for those who have small amounts of time to read, it can also be hard to track. Ideas and situations switch from letter to letter, even time periods switch between Nettie and Cecile’s letters. The added difficulty of understanding the unusual diction and jargon can be daunting at first, but after one gets used to it, it becomes barely noticeable, only those with a severe need to correct grammar will be the least bit bothered. It is not the most intellectual read out there, but it has more emotional and moral content than most books that are out there. As long as one does not have an aversion to sad and painful situations, this book comes with a strong recommendation from me.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Blog # 2 Diction
Use of unique diction sets The Color Purple apart from all other novels. Walker utilizes uneducated language and grammar, phonetical spelling, letter format, and incomplete sentences to give the reader a feel for the culture and life of the novel. Characters in the book constantly use poor grammar, for example “Harpo eat, watch her” (pg 62) and “I got children, I say” (pg 202). A lack of grammatical correctness shows the low level of education that the characters have. This gives insight to the lifestyle that they live and the circumstances that they must deal with. Phonetical spelling like “ast” (pg 65), “git” (pg 65) and “prob-limbszzzz…” (pg 206) also show the low level of education that the characters possess. By speaking in an uneducated way and with slang, Walker gives the reader insight into the culture and times that the characters live in.
The entire novel is written in letter format; all the information that the reader receives is given to them by the contents of Cecile and Nettie’s respective letters. This style of writing is unique and provides the book with a more honest and down to earth feel. Since the letters are supposedly meant for Cecile’s, God’s and Nettie’s eyes only, it creates a fictional environment for candor and confidence. The reader should feel as if they are getting un-falsified and complete information, which provides a reliability that helps the reader to relate to the novel.
Incomplete sentences such as “He don’t say nothing. Eat” (pg 62), help replicate the way people think and speak in real life, which contributes to the overall rawness and reality that is so apparent in the novel.
Use of unique diction sets The Color Purple apart from all other novels. Walker utilizes uneducated language and grammar, phonetical spelling, letter format, and incomplete sentences to give the reader a feel for the culture and life of the novel. Characters in the book constantly use poor grammar, for example “Harpo eat, watch her” (pg 62) and “I got children, I say” (pg 202). A lack of grammatical correctness shows the low level of education that the characters have. This gives insight to the lifestyle that they live and the circumstances that they must deal with. Phonetical spelling like “ast” (pg 65), “git” (pg 65) and “prob-limbszzzz…” (pg 206) also show the low level of education that the characters possess. By speaking in an uneducated way and with slang, Walker gives the reader insight into the culture and times that the characters live in.
The entire novel is written in letter format; all the information that the reader receives is given to them by the contents of Cecile and Nettie’s respective letters. This style of writing is unique and provides the book with a more honest and down to earth feel. Since the letters are supposedly meant for Cecile’s, God’s and Nettie’s eyes only, it creates a fictional environment for candor and confidence. The reader should feel as if they are getting un-falsified and complete information, which provides a reliability that helps the reader to relate to the novel.
Incomplete sentences such as “He don’t say nothing. Eat” (pg 62), help replicate the way people think and speak in real life, which contributes to the overall rawness and reality that is so apparent in the novel.
Blog # 1 Rhetorical Strategies
• Allusion (Biblical and Historical): Nettie has “Pictures of Christ, the Apostles, Mary, and the Crucifixion. Speke, Livingston, Stanley, Schweitzer” (pg 160) on her wall, but what she really wants is a picture of her sister. The allusion to all the important figures, both biblical and historical drive the idea that Cecile is much more important to Nettie than all of the people that are generally held as very important, or even venerated, and yet they pale in comparison to Cecile in Netties mind. Cecile has an admiration for Shug and when she first is getting to know her she mentions that she “knows everybody.. Sophie Tucker, know Duke Ellington” (pg 111). By alluding to these famous jazz singers, Cecile is giving the reader an idea of the social circles in which Shug runs, proving her importance and popularity, which justifies her obvious admiration of (bordering on an obsession with) Shug.
• Strong language/Imagery: When talking about the anger and pain the Olinka tribe felt when they were wiped out monetarily because they were forced by white men to pay for tin to cover their roofs, Nettie says “And as they struggles to put up roofs of this cold, hard, glittery, ugly metal the women raised a deafening ululation of sorrow that echoed off the cavern walls for miles around” (pg 230). The description of the metal as cold, hard and ugly provides a sense of the hatred that the Olinkas felt towards their circumstances. The “deafening ululation of sorrow that echoed off the cavern walls” shows the depth of the sorrow by creating an image in the readers mind of the loud cries that the women put forth in response to their sadness.
• Simile: When Harpo’s wife, Sophia, is fixing up her roof, Cecile describes the scene saying “ Sound echo across the yard like shots” (pg 62). The hammering sounds like shots because Sophia is doing mans work, making her husband seem too weak to do it himself; each hammer stroke is like a shot to his pride.
• Rhetorical/unanswered questions: Throughout the entire book, questions are asked that are not answered, nor are they expected to be answered.When Nettie is describing a man in her life to Cecile she asks “Did I Tell you he writes verses? And loves to sing?” (pg 244). This draws attention to the fact that both sisters are writing letters to each other without the security of an answer in return.
• Allusion (Biblical and Historical): Nettie has “Pictures of Christ, the Apostles, Mary, and the Crucifixion. Speke, Livingston, Stanley, Schweitzer” (pg 160) on her wall, but what she really wants is a picture of her sister. The allusion to all the important figures, both biblical and historical drive the idea that Cecile is much more important to Nettie than all of the people that are generally held as very important, or even venerated, and yet they pale in comparison to Cecile in Netties mind. Cecile has an admiration for Shug and when she first is getting to know her she mentions that she “knows everybody.. Sophie Tucker, know Duke Ellington” (pg 111). By alluding to these famous jazz singers, Cecile is giving the reader an idea of the social circles in which Shug runs, proving her importance and popularity, which justifies her obvious admiration of (bordering on an obsession with) Shug.
• Strong language/Imagery: When talking about the anger and pain the Olinka tribe felt when they were wiped out monetarily because they were forced by white men to pay for tin to cover their roofs, Nettie says “And as they struggles to put up roofs of this cold, hard, glittery, ugly metal the women raised a deafening ululation of sorrow that echoed off the cavern walls for miles around” (pg 230). The description of the metal as cold, hard and ugly provides a sense of the hatred that the Olinkas felt towards their circumstances. The “deafening ululation of sorrow that echoed off the cavern walls” shows the depth of the sorrow by creating an image in the readers mind of the loud cries that the women put forth in response to their sadness.
• Simile: When Harpo’s wife, Sophia, is fixing up her roof, Cecile describes the scene saying “ Sound echo across the yard like shots” (pg 62). The hammering sounds like shots because Sophia is doing mans work, making her husband seem too weak to do it himself; each hammer stroke is like a shot to his pride.
• Rhetorical/unanswered questions: Throughout the entire book, questions are asked that are not answered, nor are they expected to be answered.When Nettie is describing a man in her life to Cecile she asks “Did I Tell you he writes verses? And loves to sing?” (pg 244). This draws attention to the fact that both sisters are writing letters to each other without the security of an answer in return.
Blog # 4 Text Connections
As Cecile goes through the events of her life, she is struggling to find herself and something or someone to love. Most people are looking for love, whether it is romantic or platonic, from all different sources, family, friends, or spouses. Cecile’s open and honest portrayal of her feelings and desires helps readers feel comfortable with her, and helps them to relate to her more easily. When Shug asks Cecile if she is okay with her sleeping with Mr. ______ Cecile gives her consent, however, when she overhears them making love she can only “pull the quilt over [her] head…and cry” (pg 80). The heart wrenching feeling of hearing someone she loves be with someone else is something that almost everyone can relate to, which not only provides believability but an emotional connection with the protagonist.
As Cecile goes through the events of her life, she is struggling to find herself and something or someone to love. Most people are looking for love, whether it is romantic or platonic, from all different sources, family, friends, or spouses. Cecile’s open and honest portrayal of her feelings and desires helps readers feel comfortable with her, and helps them to relate to her more easily. When Shug asks Cecile if she is okay with her sleeping with Mr. ______ Cecile gives her consent, however, when she overhears them making love she can only “pull the quilt over [her] head…and cry” (pg 80). The heart wrenching feeling of hearing someone she loves be with someone else is something that almost everyone can relate to, which not only provides believability but an emotional connection with the protagonist.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Blog #3 Syntax
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker is more of a fictional compilation than a true novel. Although it possesses the essential components of a novel, such as a plot line, static and dynamic characters, and a roughly chronological flow, it expresses them in an odd and untraditional way. Using a narrative style of writing and an honest rendering of her characters, Walker portrays the lifestyle and thought process of her main characters. The following are major stylistic and syntactical elements that are characteristic of Walker’s The Color Purple.
• Lack of quotation marks in dialogue
• The blending of thoughts and real life actions
• Varying sentence length and complexity
• The Use of the title “Mr. _____”
The lack of quotation marks or signs that signify dialogue help to blend characters thoughts and actions. An excerpt that reads, “Let’s make quilt pieces out of these messed up curtains, she say. And I run and git my pattern book.” (pg 42) shows the seamless transfer from thought to action that happens in normal life, when one thinks, it is not separated entirely from preceding actions, and Walker’s syntax reflects this. Varying sentence length and complexity ranges from a simple “Naw” (pg 60) to “And that we and the Africans will be working for a common goal: the uplift of black people everywhere” (pg 137). Large differences in sentence structure and length provides a feeling of reality in the novel by reflecting the way that people talk in real life, sometimes in complex and lengthy sentences, sometimes in curt ones. When Cecile and Nettie refer to Cecile’s husband as Mr. ______, it gives him an anonymity which shows the unimportance of his personality to the reader, showing that his only addition to the plot is his apparent affect on the main characters.
The Color Purple, by Alice Walker is more of a fictional compilation than a true novel. Although it possesses the essential components of a novel, such as a plot line, static and dynamic characters, and a roughly chronological flow, it expresses them in an odd and untraditional way. Using a narrative style of writing and an honest rendering of her characters, Walker portrays the lifestyle and thought process of her main characters. The following are major stylistic and syntactical elements that are characteristic of Walker’s The Color Purple.
• Lack of quotation marks in dialogue
• The blending of thoughts and real life actions
• Varying sentence length and complexity
• The Use of the title “Mr. _____”
The lack of quotation marks or signs that signify dialogue help to blend characters thoughts and actions. An excerpt that reads, “Let’s make quilt pieces out of these messed up curtains, she say. And I run and git my pattern book.” (pg 42) shows the seamless transfer from thought to action that happens in normal life, when one thinks, it is not separated entirely from preceding actions, and Walker’s syntax reflects this. Varying sentence length and complexity ranges from a simple “Naw” (pg 60) to “And that we and the Africans will be working for a common goal: the uplift of black people everywhere” (pg 137). Large differences in sentence structure and length provides a feeling of reality in the novel by reflecting the way that people talk in real life, sometimes in complex and lengthy sentences, sometimes in curt ones. When Cecile and Nettie refer to Cecile’s husband as Mr. ______, it gives him an anonymity which shows the unimportance of his personality to the reader, showing that his only addition to the plot is his apparent affect on the main characters.
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