Beloved & The Color Purple By: Erin Henry English 121

A Few of the Mutual Themes…  Racism  Sexism  Colors  Religion

Racism Beloved Constant hauntings and flashbacks from of the days of slavery occur regularly to the main character Sethe. The Color Purple Whites are dominant. White skin is valued more so than black due to the belief that dark skin causes issues.

Sexism Beloved Men are observed as the stronger individuals. The Color Purple Women are viewed solely as homemakers, sexual partners, and inferior to men.

Colors Beloved Red is the color which is seen reoccurring through the text used to symbolize both life and death. The Color Purple Bright colors are symbolic of new beginnings as well as liberations.

Religion Beloved Christianity is represented in different areas throughout the text as well as references to the bible. The Color Purple God is viewed as a listener, helper and friend. Especially by the character Celie.

Putting it All Together  The two novels share many of the same themes, messages, and values.  Both novels were written in the 1980’s  The overall theme shared between both novels is the concept of struggle and overcoming challenges brought on by race, gender, background, etc.

Hacking into the Past  Literature can be adapted or hacked in many ways. After reading these two novels I could relate them to stories which had come before they were written as well as after they were written.  The thoughts and ideas of struggle have been adapted and modernized.  The struggle for the colored race to overcome unfair judgment continues on but is conveyed and adapted by authors in different ways.

 Walker, Alice. The Color Purple: A Novel. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Print.  Morrison, Toni. Beloved: A Novel. New York: Knopf, Print.  "1980s Timeline." About.com 20th Century History. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec