The Color Purple- Alice Walker

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I wanted to share my thoughts on The Color Purple this International’s Women’s Day.

I finally read this last month and I completely understand why this it is such a pivotal piece of American literature and why it is a part of so many curriculums. I’m only sorry I hadn’t picked it up sooner. The content of this book perfectly encapsulates the humanity behind the many injustices of this world- misogyny, abuse, racism, classism. The Color Purple reflects these injustices in America in the early 1900s. There’s an important duality to this work. We have come so far as a society, thanks to those who have come before us, but the ground we still need to cover is still enormous. Much more progress must be made before we can consider ourselves a gender and racially inclusive world. I believe in the powerful impact of literature; that one of the best ways to cultivate a more caring world is by reading about the experiences of others. And so I am thankful to authors like Alice Walker to giving voices to the voiceless and believe they should be celebrated beyond International Women’s Day.

Vivid. Bold. Courageous. Heartfelt. Important.

“I think us here to wonder, myself. To wonder. To ask. And that in wondering bout the big things and asking bout the big things, you learn about the little ones, almost by accident. But you never know nothing more about the big things than you start out with. The more I wonder, the more I love.”

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