Madison+F.

3rd block





**SUMMARY**: Alice Walker's //The Color Purple//, published in 1982, tells the story of Celie, a Black woman in the South. Celie writes letters to God in which she tells about her life--her roles as daughter, wife, sister, and mother. In the course of her story, Celie meets a series of other Black women who shape her life: Nettie, Celie's sister, who becomes a missionary teacher in Africa; Shug Avery, the Blues singer her husband Mr. _____ is in love with, and who becomes Celie's salvation; Sofia, the strong-willed daughter-in-law whose strength and courage inspire Celie; and Squeak, who goes through awakenings of her own. Throughout the story, though, Celie is the center of this community of women, the one who knows how to survive.

**RATIONALE**: In my poster I chose the title to be placed at the top because it draws your eyes away from the purple wildflowers in the background. The title text is meant to look like someone’s actual handwriting to symbolize the letters written throughout the book. The quote underneath the title says, “You better not never tell nobody but God.” This is the first sentence of the book, and the meaning behind it resonates throughout the whole book. This book is full of secrets and none of them are to ever be brought up in conversation. Many of these secrets include the incest Celie was forced to endure as a fourteen year old girl and the brutal treatment of Celie by her not-so-loving husband Mr._____. The wildflowers in the background symbolize the simplistic life of Celie as she works in the fields and takes care of Mr. _____ children. The reason the background color is blurred and dull is because that’s what Celie’s life was, dull and blurred. Her sense of love and happiness was blurred by the depravity she tolerated as she grew up. The men in her life never treated her with respect, so she lost hope in ever becoming something more than just another wildflower in the field. I rated this book PG-13 because of the sexual content, the language, and the maturity level needed to grasp the themes portrayed in this book that go beyond just basic life struggles.