Day 1

The Color Purple Lesson Plan

Discussion of Thought Questions

  1. 1

    Why do you think Walker tells the story through Celie's letters to God?

    Celie's letters reveal her innermost thoughts to the reader. They are not guarded or editorialized, like letters to another character might have been. They also tend to be brief accounts of the significant moments in her daily life, rather than descriptive passages or analysis of her experience. Students may also mention that the letters allow her to speak in her own dialect, and the dialect of her family and community.

  2. 2

    Why do you think Celie refrains from writing the names of her husband or other men, like the reverend?

    Students might mention Celie's statement "Most times mens look...

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