(Revised) The Cotton Field of Pain

The Color Purple

By: Alice Walker


Young women trapped by her family and the only she can escape is by her father dying. The Color Purple is a novel that is heartbreaking and heartwarming. Each day writing a letter to God, asking for help, or blessing him with thank yous. 

Now let’s start from the beginning… “Dear God, - Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me.” (Walker 1) The life of Celie, a poor girl who has two kids (well one kid during the story is on the way), hasn’t been the greatest. The family lives with no mother and an abusive father who raped his daughters and impregnated Celie twice. “My mama dead. She dies screaming and cussing. She screams at me. She cusses at me.” (Walker 2) The amount of pain that is with this family couldn’t be imagined… As the story goes Celie, who is the protagonist and the narrator, has a younger sister named Nettie who runs away to her Mr. ___. (Which eventually turns into Mr. Albert.) Once she runs away, the abuse level increases… as the story goes, she gets married but they’re a father does not approve of him, or anyone. It is heartbreaking knowing that her father is the one who impregnated her, imagine how disgusting that is. "I'll take the children with me. I say." (Walker 37) Shes only in her teenage, oh so young.

In my opinion, I think the book is phenomenal with the amount of pain and in fear the narrator gets yet always has hope. It is truly an inspiration. I highly recommend this book to young adults, over the age of freshman, because it has some fowl language that some kids would not appreciate or act appropriately around it... 

Thank you!