The color purple hit me, a native georgian like walker, but on the other side of the proverbial fence as someone who grew up indoctrinated in the ideology of whiteness, with a palpable fear that the book inspires in my kind. Monty pythons the big red book is prohibited for nudity and the 2005. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the color purple, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Though the book will remain, the board is considering revising its policies to tighten access to books like the color purple. The color purple alice walker s epistolary tale of sexism, racism and poverty in rural georgia was challenged dozens of times since 1984 and removed or banned from at least five school libraries across the united states between 1984 and 2010. Reading the color purple by jacqueline bobo the color purple, the novel and the film, have both been the subject of intense opposition since the arrival of alice walkers book in 1982 and the release of steven spielbergs film in december 1985.
Get an answer for why was the book the color purple banned. Today, we will be discussing the color purple by alice walker. I was looking at a list of the most challenged and banned books, when i saw this. A reference guide to book censorship in schools and public libraries by herbert n. No ban on the color purple in brunswick county schools. The color purple has been challenged multiple times since it published, including most recently in 2017. Take the ban of alice walkers pulitzer prizewinning the color purple. Pruden said the decision to do that was made after a minister came to him explaining that parents should know in advance if a book is controversial, because many parents may not know the color purple. Why was the book the color purple by alice walker banned in. The color purple and the toppling of american gods pen america. I am analyzing these three books because there is a theme of brokenness. The list of american high schools that banned this book is impressive. The author of the book, the colour purple, was alice walker, but she was not an actor in the movie version. In the first few letters, celie tells god that she has been raped by her father and that she is pregnant for the second time with his child.
Dec 04, 2017 the color purple is banned in texas prisons. List of books and articles about banned books online. People tried to ban it, but it wasnt banned in the us. A study in cultural change by evelyn geller greenwood press, 1984. The color purple isnt actually about the color purple. The pulitzer prize winning 1983 novel is told in the form of diary entries and correspondence letters over a 30year period, following celie johnson as she struggles through. She believes that god places beauty in the world to make human happy. In celebration of banned books week, politics and prose bookstore tips its cap to the books that offended, outraged, and. This is our 9th grade english project on the banned book titled the color purple, written by alice walker. Today the color purple is such a beloved film in the black community that its hard to fathom that it wasnt loved by everybody when it was released 25 years ago on december 18, 1985. Both works present a negative portrait, proclaim some.
Book summary alice walkers the color purple weaves an intricate mosaic of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children they care for. The book vividly portrays the harsh life of rural, poor african americans especially women in the precivil rights south, and has been criticized for its. There are many different reasons for questioning the appropriateness of this book. Help support the podcast on patreon dances and dames kevin macleod.
Criticism and reflection of the color purple by alice walker criticized as a novel containing graphic violence, sexuality, sexism, and racism, the color purple was banned in several schools across the united states. October 2, 2012 katie words for worms banned books, classics, historical fiction, womens studies 20. This book was probably banned the most for its graphic sexuality. The color purple is a story following the struggle of several black women living in the rural south. Shortly after alice walker wrote her award winning third novel, the criticisms and challenges began. Granted its been awhile, but ive both read the book and watched the movie.
This fear is charged by the realities the story brings to light, ones that expose the underbellies of histories long. Aug 31, 2012 leading up to banned books week 2012, ala will highlight one book from its new timeline of banned and challenged books each day. The book has also been banned in many different places. The color purple, the novel and the film, have both been the subject of intense opposition since the arrival of alice walkers book in 1982 and the release of steven spielbergs film in december 1985. October 2, 2012 katie words for worms banned books, classics, historical fiction, womens studies 20 howdy, worms. Some are crystal clear a book cant come into a prison if it contains contraband or information about. About the color purple cliffsnotes study guides book. Sep 29, 2016 texas prisons ban the color purple and book about jackie robinson but not mein kampf. The color purple has been challenged and banned often for its violence. The book has been banned from school libraries in the united states between 1984 to 20. While the color purple contains a lot of controversial content, its necessary to the story and is what makes the book so real and unique. The report says there are six criteria for determining whether a book should be banned.
The books that texas banned world news the guardian. Sure, it gets mentioned here and there, but if youre hoping this will be a book about all things purple in the world, youre probably better off checking out the classic childrens book, purple this novel features a bit more than pictures of grapes, eggplants, and that weird mcdonalds. The color purple is one of the most banned books in americaa book that challenges what we the white we believe is good, moral, godly. All of these themes have also been the reasons why the color purple has been banned from schools around the country. The color purple by alice walker has been banned in schools all over the country since 1984, due to its graphic sexual content and situations of violence and abuse. So we are doing a project on babes books where u get to read a book an write and essay i choose the color purple by alice walker it says paragraph 4. It has also been challenged in oakland, california. To add to pohnpei397s answer, the link i provided is a list of classic books that were banned challenged. There are books that i personally find disagreeable i. According to the ala, this book was the 17th most challenged book in both the 1990s and 2000s. The color purple is a powerful book with an amazing cast of strong female characters, but in my opinion, it was 100 pages too short. Despite the numerous attempts to ban the color purple, it continues to find its way onto the shelves of interested readers. Asked about books by duke and hitler, a prison system spokesperson. The color purple has been banned for a variety of reasons.
The color purple is the story of two sistersone a missionary to africa and the other a child wife living in the southwho remain loyal to one another across time, distance, and silence. Why was the book the color purple by alice walker banned. Todays selection to celebrate banned books week is the color purple by alice walker. The color purple flliee walker r tl pulitzer prize winner ik f tl authors. Mein kampf, by adolph hitler, anything by glenn beck, the holy bible but i would never suggest they be banned.
The color purple is a story following the struggle of several black women living in the. The american library association list many occasions when this novel has been banned with the most recent being in morgantown, north carolina in 2008. In 1984, the color purple was challenged as appropriate reading for. The ban on this book reminds me of the ban on judy blumes are you. The color purple, the hate u give and american sign language textbooks have all been censored in u. A recent report describes the restrictions as arbitrary and opaque. The book the color purple has been banned for many different reasons.
In the 1990s it was challenged as optional reading in ten sleep, wyoming schools. She say, my first step from the old white man was trees. The book was also removed from the shelves of the newport news, virginia school library in 1986 because of its profanity and sexual references. Celie, the protagonist and narrator of the color purple, is a poor, uneducated, fourteenyearold black girl living in rural georgia. The color purple is truly an amazing book and one i wish i could give double the 5 stars to. Walker does not tell us everything about the characters and the setting and why the characters behave as they do. Oct 30, 20 the color purple is a wonderful book, on of my favorites, that deals with some tough issues. The color purple banned books week pictures cbs news. The pulitzer prize winning 1983 novel is told in the form of diary entries and correspondence letters over a 30year period, following celie johnson as she struggles through life. Sure, it gets mentioned here and there, but if youre hoping this will be a book about all things purple in the world, youre probably better off checking out the classic childrens book, purple. Several books were removed from school libraries here because of sexually explicit language, homosexual content or violent imagery, including alice walkers the color purple. Wolf baldassarro banned books, banned books awareness and reading for knowledge, censorship, social change 25 written in 1982 by alice walker, the color purple tells the story of black life during the 1930s in the southern united states from a females. The color purple won the pulitzer prize for fiction in 1983, making walker the first black woman to win the prize. Oct 01, 2004 the color purple by alice walker, one of the withdrawn titles.
Full text of the color purple alicewalker see other formats. Some of the many themes walker explored throughout the color purple were sexuality, abuse, incest, and racism. Where has the book the color purple been banned answers. The novel deals with heavy topics such as racism, sexism, abuse, murder and violence. What was done to allow the book the color purple not to be banned. This book is a favorite book to have censored because of the content of the book. The color purple is challenged for sexual and social explicitness, along with. The book the color purple has been banned at northwest high school in high point, n.
The very form of the color purple produces an analogue to the female bodywithin the text, as both are continually fragmented and remembered. General fiction alice walkers masterpiece, a powerful. The color purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by american author alice walker which won the 1983 pulitzer prize for fiction and the national book award for fiction. Parents need to know that the color purple is a moving, inspirational novel told in letters that includes an abundance of mature content explicit sex, rape, incest, sexism and violence toward women, and a lesbian relationship. I read it as a teen and have no problem with my children reading it when they are in high school. Indeed, one literary criticism, lettered bodies and corporeal texts in the color purple says. The american library associations annual banned books week sept. Leading up to banned books week 2012, ala will highlight one book. Banned andor challenged books from the radcliffe publishing course top 100 novels of the 20th century doyle, robert p. Celie is raped by her stepfather and beaten for many years by her husband, only to have shug avery intervene on her behalf.
It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name taking place mostly in rural georgia, the story focuses on the life of africanamerican women in the southern united states in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues. Books including the color purple, freakonomics and monty pythons big red book are banned in texas state prisons but adolf hitlers mein kampf and two books. Texas prisons ban the color purple and book about jackie. Sofia is nearly beaten to death by white police officers after pushing a white family. On the surface, the dissension has centered on the image of black people in media.
While the the color purple by alice walker does contain the objectionable content mentioned prior, it should not be banned because objectionable content found in the book is accessible through the. Alice walker, the color purple the banned books project. Olivia utters one of the most political statements of the book, recognizing that sexism and racism are similar forms of oppression. Even prior to the year 2000, censorship and banned books had become an issue for schools in particular all across the country for these very reasons. It is a shame that such a worldly, eyeopening book has been slandered to be nothing. Celie starts writing letters to god because her father, alphonso, beats and rapes her. Criticism and reflection of the color purple by alice walker 1151 words 5 pages. The color purple was banned because author alice walker leads the reader to believe the main character is raped by her father. This book is filled with racism, inappropriate language, violence and physical abuse all causes for banning this book. To most, the color purple holds insignificant meaning. Here as with most books banned in texas last year the reason cited was inappropriate sexual content.
Racism and sexism in the color purple by alice walker bartleby. We talk about the origin of the librarys ebooks and an important book everyone should read. Violence and suffering in the color purple are typically depicted as part of a greater cycle of tragedy taking place both on the family level and on a broader social scale. To forbid a book is to forbid thoughts and all thoughts, no matter how unpopular deserve to be expressed. Why was the book the color purple by alice walker banned in the us. Beautifully imagined and deeply compassionate, this classic of american literature is rich with passion, pain, inspiration, and an indomitable love of life. The color purple is not an easy book to read because it is not written in the style of most novels.
Mar 20, 2011 written in 1982 by alice walker, the color purple tells the story of black life during the 1930s in the southern united states from a females perspective. Dec 02, 2017 books including the color purple, freakonomics and monty pythons big red book are banned in texas state prisons but adolf hitlers mein kampf and two books by former ku klux klan grand. Having first seen the film on a flight to vancouver, i knew this would be a good story but i was unnerved by the epistolary approach, the dialect and the first person pov. I can certainly see how this book made such an impact by its discussion of painful topics and its feminist messages, but it was mainly the second half that brought this book down to its 3 starrating. Today we feature 1984 challenges to the color purple, by alice walker. In each book, their brokenness is apart of the characters rising above the stereotypes they were set to be. In this essay, i will be comparing the color purple purple, the absolutely true diary of a parttime indian indian, and just mercy mercy. Texas prisons ban the color purple and monty python but. Though our selections make great kindling, we assure you theyre much more enjoyable when read.