1. How does the death of Celie's mother change Celie's relationship with her family, with herself, and with God?
2. In what ways are Nettie and Celie different? In what ways are they similar? Does Shug replace Nettie in Celie's life?
3. What justification, if any, do Fonso and Mr. ________ have for treating Celie the way that they do?
4. In Letter 10, Celie says, "I seen my baby girl. I knowed it was her." Why is she so sure? How does she go about finding her baby?
5. In Letter 14, when it is announced that Shug is coming to town, why are both Mr. _______ and Celie so happy?
6. Keeping in mind that Celie's husband, Mr. _______, has a classic villainous character, how can you explain his hiding Nettie's letters to Celie instead of destroying
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The Development and Struggle for identity seen in the female characters of The Colour Purple
15. The relationship between Mr. ______ and his father, and the relationship between Harpo and Mr. ______?
16. What does the way the community reacts to Shug’s illness say about the status of women?
17. Why do the Olinka not identify with Samuel, Corrine, and Nettie on the basis of race?
18. Describe Celie’s relationship with Shug. How does it change? What is significant about Shug’s last fling, with the young man named Germaine?
19. Consider the seemingly ideal world of family and friends that surrounds Celie at the end of the novel. What are the gender roles in this world like? Do you see any benefits or problems with Walker’s vision?
20. What role do you think Sofia plays in the novel? Describe her character and how she contributes to the themes in the book.
21. How are Celie’s letters to God similar to the African-American slave narratives collected in the 1930s? How are they different?
22. Why does Sofia tell Miss Millie “Hell no” when she offers Sofia a job as her maid? What is offensive about Miss Millie’s behavior prior to Sofia’s response?
23. Can you find Alice Walker as a character in the
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Evolution of the Characters in Alice Walker's Color Purple
40. Metamorphosis of Celie in Alice Walker's Color Purple
41. Oranges are Not the Only Fruit and the two letters in The Color Purple
42. Celie's Quest for Self-discovery
43. The Depiction of Black Men in Alice Walker's Color Purple
44. Language and Male Supremacy in Alice Walker's "The Color Purple"
45. Trace the development of Albert's character. How does he change and why?
46. Fully explain what has caused Celie's low self-esteem in the first half of the novel?
47. How does Celie succeed in overcoming her low self-esteem?
48. Fully describe the relationship between Nettie and Celie, making sure to explain how the relationship ends in happiness.
49. What are some instances of racism in the novel?
50. Why does the plot end as a comedy?
51. Explain the character of Shug Avery. What does Celie learn from her?
52. What roles do women occupy in the novel, both black and white? What measure of freedom do women enjoy in these roles?
53. Consider the epistolary (letter) form of the novel. What benefits derive from this form for the telling of the story? What drawbacks does it have?
54. List, analyze, and evaluate the various gender crossings in the