Our Shared Shelf discussion

Historically, the color purple symbolizes royalty and magic. For thousands of years the color purple has been hard to make and was expensive. So, only the rich and powerful could afford to wear it.
However, the color purple can also be seen in a different light. It is the color that we generally think of and see when abuse has taken place. In this book, abuse occurs frequently.
What are your personal thoughts on the color purple? How can a color that is historically known to be for the rich and powerful also symbolize abuse? What are your thoughts?

To the logical half of my being, a colour is just that--a colour. The only meaning a colour has is that which you can see in nature. Pink and yellow flowers, green leaves, blue sky. Blue flowers, yellow sky. It does not matter what my examples are, as all around the world, different things are different colours to different parts of the world. But that is also exactly what my point is. All around the world, different things mean different things, therefore, different colours have different meanings.

The dreamer half of me, the writer and the creator, of course believes in certain colours representing certain things in my culture. I believe in Feng Shui, even without the psychological testing and proof conducted by scientists. Red can make people angry, blue is calming. The problem with having any set-in-stone feelings about something so common as a colour is that it can be changed and manipulated at any time without any warning, and different people have, again, different opinions.

Blue used to be worn by girls, and pink used to be worn by boys. Now look at modern society--you see a male wearing pink, he is likely to be called gay. You see a girl dressed in blue at a young age, you are likely to be called a tomboy (I know I was!). I don't really have a point to this post anymore, I just thought I'd share my thoughts. <3

Under the term purple, I understand purple as a color of freedom. I also read somewhere that it stands for feminity (maybe explains why we're reading it in this book club besides all other reasons).

I guess everybody has his own opinion about this and love the now some more opinions about this.

-Simon <3

Blue used to be worn by girls and pink by boys? When and where? I'm not contradicting you, I'm just curious haha.

19th century mostly.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.p...

Found it out here :)

Thanks ;)

i've also heard for many years that purple is the color of royalty.

rich and powerful being linked to the color purple, which is also the color of a bruise (when new) seems, to me, to have an immediate connection. those who have the power are often those who abuse the most (absolute power corrupts absolutely - i remember that from somewhere). often, it was the one who brought home the most money who was looked on as the one in power, and the one in power often treated his/her underlings abusively. whether the power was real or perceived was irrelevant - and, sometimes the actual feeling of the individual was of powerlessness, so abuse was used to give an illusion of power to self and others.

Historically, I link the color purple to both the feminist and the homosexual movements, because I have seen it used for/by both of them on many instances.

In my daily life, purple is just an OK colour for me and my best friend' and auntie's first choice when it comes to clothes.

Sandra, I loved your insight! :D

Purple is associated spirituality, the sacred, higher self, passion, third eye, fulfillment, and vitality. Purple helps align oneself with the whole of the universe. Different shades, tints, and hues of purple have different meanings. Light purple hues represent feminine energy and delicacy, as well as romantic and nostalgic feelings. Dark purple hues evoke feelings of gloom, sadness, and frustration. Bright purple hues suggest riches and royalty. Purple has a variety of effects on the mind and body, including uplifting spirits, calming the mind and nerves, enhancing the sacred, creating feelings of spirituality, increasing nurturing tendencies and sensitivity, and encouraging ima

Ana wrote: "Historically, I link the color purple to both the feminist and the homosexual movements, because I have seen it used for/by both of them on many instances.

In my daily life, purple is just an OK c..."

thanks, ana. and i veer toward the muted or heather purples in my own wardrobe (i'm no royalty! lol! ) , but it has always been an uplifting color for me.

Why is Purple in the Main Title?

In today’s culture, people associate purple with the same sex demographic. Sometimes a few of them wear this color while traveling outside which might prove risky to a non-homosexual person. I remember in my senior year at high school I donned a purple long-sleeve buttoned up shirt, and a teenager next to me in the restroom labeled me a word consisting of six letters that alludes to a homophobic slur. Let me get this out of the way and state I have no interest in being intimate with a man in real life. Thankfully, my cousin informed my mother about this fashion statement so we could clear up a forthcoming egregious threat from strangers confusing somebody based on personal taste.

Since Alice Walker’s novel revolves around African American women in the 1930’s, there is a different interpretation of this color. First of all, I have to discover the symbolic elements of purple and offer some insight on the emotions it represents. I read that this month February, which is Black History Month, relates to this color, but it is just a coincidence. What is important is how different cultures judge by its appearance. In Egypt, purple signifies faith which is the thing Celie was seeking from God. Instead of praying, she wrote to the Almighty about her gloomy disturbed moments.

When she was a teenager, Celie experienced a tormenting ordeal with her unapologetic incorrigible father Alphonso. He treated her like dirt and had a reversed version of an oedipal relationship with her. Because of that, she gave birth to two children at a very tender age. As far as the context of purple is concerned, that is the equivalent of what Celie’s traumatic parts were back then. Her bruises both mental and physical match this color centering on tragedy in her family combined with blending into the white community.

Change has been the biggest issue all over the world, and the difficult thing to deal with it is to accept it. Based on the themes of racism and sexism in the novel, white people kept denying the other group because they were a stigma to their economy and their humanity. Since it continued on previously, black people started contesting with their own kind increasing the size of the bruises which did happen to Celie. I will admit I was afraid of working with a black female student at high school in my freshman science class, but I eventually got over that fear. During the first semester and the fifth semester at my second college, I never became frightened of a black female teacher. Even though I am a white person, I have an optical condition which made me an aberration to ordinary humans. In fact, there are albinos living in parts of Africa such as Tanzania. Furthermore, this race of people and I are one and the same. If that is the case to the normal ones, mainly the men, then we are the color purple.

This is James Carroll, and this is just the beginning.

Jasmine, you mention purple's connection with magic, and I think this applies here as well. At least in the sense that magic can be seen as a type of spirituality, or another way of explaining miracles. I think for Celie and Shug, purple is a miracle. Some kind of sign from God, or a way that it shows its love. Shug says, "I think God gets pissed off when you walk by the colour purple in a field and don't notice."

I like the connotations that everyone else made, as well. Associations between color and concept are indeed cultural, though there are natural connotations as well, of course (as mentioned: leaves, flowers, etc.).

I agree in this one with Katelyn!
I feel like I'm reading about this 'connection' with God too :)

When I was in college in LA my mom and I took a tour of the Getty museum. While outside, the tour guide pointed out a purple trim along the edge of the building. "If you are wondering why purple was chosen, follow the line of the trim out to those hills'" the guide had us direct our gaze across to a nearby hill that was covered with vegetation. Though the most obvious color visible was green (and some brown, it was California after all) I was delighted and surprised to see purple in the vegetation too.

When I read this passage in the book I remembered the hidden purple in my hills in California:

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it."

While I don't know for sure what the author's intent was in titling the book, I can't help but think that at least this passage was meant as a reminder to see the hidden beauty amongst the most obvious things.

Erika wrote: "When I was in college in LA my mom and I took a tour of the Getty museum. While outside, the tour guide pointed out a purple trim along the edge of the building. "If you are wondering why purple wa..."

i love your insight and experience, erika. and, perhaps that we must always look beyond our immediate walls to see the full picture.

Purple is my favorite color, so I was curious about the symbolism it had in the book. I was trying to keep track of when the color was first mentioned, then all the quotes that included it. I got wrapped up in the story and did not catch everything, but I only first saw purple become more prominent when Shug was talking about God: “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.” It was mentioned once before that when Celie went shopping with Mr.'s sister.

After Shug commenting on the color, Celie mentioned purple in relation to flowers, clothing, and her frogs. It seems like it is a positive color for her. She starts seeing purple when she starts "fighting", fighting to have a life and not just survive. When she starts making a life she wants, not just what is forced on her.

"Well, us talk and talk bout God, but I'm still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head. I been so busy thinking bout him I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?). Not the little wildflowers. Nothing." (pg 197)

In catholicism purple is the colour for lent and Advent. It is a time of preparation, and maybe the colour appears in the time when Celie is waiting and fighting to emancipate from Mr..., her husband.

I've noticed quite a few comments regarding the quote, "I think God gets pissed off when you walk by the colour purple in a field and don't notice." After reading that passage, and subsequently finishing the novel, I did find significance. I believe that passage becomes a metaphor for the downtrodden, beaten, or so-called "outcasts" of the world. Just as the characters suggest "God gets pissed off when you walk by the colour purple...and don't notice", I believe Walker is ultimately suggesting it is perhaps sinful - or wrong - to walk by a shameful situation and not stop to help.

In direct relation to the novel this could be choosing to ignore racism, spousal abuse, or discrimination due to sexual preference. In a more modern context this could apply to other issues as well (such as gender inequality, immigration/refugee conflict, or cyber bullying, etc. etc.). If you are witness to such atrocities/wrongful situations, and remain silent, you are choosing not to become part of a positive solution.

I believe Walker was advocating for us - as nurturing and kind human beings - to stand up and take notice of the "purple" in our lives, which on a basic level just meant we should recognize everyone as equals. We might all find ourselves in a "purple" situation at some point in our lives, a situation where we are pushed aside or discriminated against in some way. Everyone, however, deserves to be noticed. Everyone is a universal "purple" flower that deserves to bloom and grow and be recognized.

I first noticed purple when Celie went shopping with Katie. It was then that she asked for purple cloth because it made her think of Shug. But the store was out of purple cloth. This was established early on in the book, and I believe that purple then represented the unattainable. For Celie she saw purple as being like Shug, proud and like a queen, but could not purchase it for herself. It wasn't even available. This could also be the same day when she sees Olivia with Catherine? I can't remember, and I had to give my copy back to the library. If anyone wants to check that'd be awesome.

There's also an interesting idea there in that she sees purple as something to buy, an item she can purchase that reminds her of Shug, could maybe give her those attributes that attract her to Shug. It commodifies the idea of purple which cheapens it.

But then we have that wonderful quote from Shug. Purple can be found in nature, and it's free. Seeing this purple comes at no monetary cost, just as Celie's growth as a character comes from her experience, rather than a purchase from a white man's store or a white man's god. In the beginning of my copy of the book, there was a passage by Walker about how the letters written to God were based in the idea of God being found in nature rather than the white Jesus popularized in Christianity. Shug's description of God is an entity that loves all feelings, all enjoyment of life. I think these are the purple in the field, and how it's up to people to take notice of joy.

If purple can be bought, then it's only available to those who can afford it, who have the means to access it. This presents a false idea of purple belonging only to the few rather than it being about God's desire for people to see the purple in the field and enjoy it. To share a good thing.

I really wish I had my own copy so I could mark it up. I'd like to look at it again to check if the store with the fabric was connected at all to Celie's parent's store because that could have more awesome insight.

Lauren wrote: "I first noticed purple when Celie went shopping with Katie. It was then that she asked for purple cloth because it made her think of Shug. But the store was out of purple cloth. This was establishe..."

Wow, your analysis actually brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for that. I had completely forgotten about that moment earlier in the book when the cloth was not available. Your observations are very astute, and I think you've grasped something I'd be willing to bet was very deliberately place in the story bvut most people probably don't notice (myself included!).

Purple is my favourite colour, and I support the team Fiorentina which plays in purple.

Lauren wrote: "I first noticed purple when Celie went shopping with Katie. It was then that she asked for purple cloth because it made her think of Shug. But the store was out of purple cloth. This was establishe..."

Loved your insight! Didn't think of purple as representing something unattainable, like you said. Before reading this book I also never thought of purple being tied to abuse.

Simon wrote: "19th century mostly.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.p...

Found it out here :)"

Oh gosh, I love to quibble. I just finished reading Little Women, which was published in 1868, and in that book Alcott refers to pink for girls and blue for boys as a French fashion that was being imported around the time of the American Civil War. So there is one direct citation that contradicts the article posted.

Strike one more example of stronger truths thru fiction!

You know, it just occurred to me, that purple is also an interesting blend of colors, especially when you consider pink and blue (pink being a light red). We're discussing a book that also has a lot to say about gender, and we stereotype the colors of pink and blue into female and male roles, but when you blend them, become unified as people..... purple. I have no idea if that was Walker's intention or not, but it just now struck me that this might be an element of the thinking as well. After all, what is true feminism but the belief that we are all equal and that only the blending off all of our unique abilities and thoughts is what makes us the very best of humanity possible?