Comparative Analysis Digital

Presentation

The Color Purple by Alice Walker &

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Katherine O’LaughlinProfessor Adam Colton

English 121 – 803 26 November 2013

• “I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I

take my stand.” – Susan B. Anthony

Prominent American civil rights leader and feminist who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women’s rights movement and introduced women’s suffrage into the United States once said…

About the Author of The Color Purple:Alice Walker

• Born on February 9th 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia

• Youngest of eight children• Alice’s mother’s name was Minnie Lou

Tallulah Grant and her father’s name was Willie Lee Walker. Alice grew up in such a large family with a very limited income,

• Her father only making $300 per year as a dairy farmer• Her mother supplemented the rest of the family’s income by

working as a maid. • Education for young African American girls in the United States was

something that was uncommon at the time but Minnie Lou believed that Alice should be educated, so, at the age of four she enrolled Alice into the first grade. As a child Alice was around her grandparents and parents a lot therefore stories of their lives were passed down onto the children.

About the Author of Beloved:Toni Morrison

• Born on February 18th 1931 in Lorain, Ohio.

• Second of four children born to her mother, Ramah and her father George Wofford.

• When Toni was young she was constantly reading novels by Jane Austen and Leo Tolstoy, which were her favorite novels.

• Toni claims that the inspiration for her novels was based on the imagination those two authors gave her as a child.

Thesis Comparative Analysis Paper

• In essence, the paper describes how various elements of feminism contribute to the understanding of African-American literature.

• Such as the different values associated with womanhoodand femininity as a reason why men and woman experience the social aspects of the world differently.

Context and background information for Beloved and

The Color Purple

Alice Walker's The Color Purple tells the story of women joined by their love for each other, the men who abuse them, and the children

they care for.

• Beloved is not narrated chronologically; but rather composed of flashbacks, memories, and nightmares.

• Toni Morrison chronicles the hardships Sethe and her family endure before, during, and after the American Civil War.

• The novel’s complex interweaving of past and present produce a compelling portrait of a black family’s struggle with the devastating and inescapable effects of slavery.

Role Reversals in The Color Purple

• There are several role reversals that take place between men and women in The Color Purple.

• For example, Harpo, Albert’s son, tries to surpass his father in attempt to dominate his willful wife, Sofia.

Commonalities between:

• The Color Purple By: Alice Walker

• Beloved By: Toni Morrison

• The struggle for women to identify themselves was a prevalent issue present in both novels

Compare and ContrastThe Color Purple

• 1930s: The relationship between men and women is clearly defined. • Today (2013): Men and women share the economic burden of the household. Many married

women with children are in the workplace. Preschool children are cared for in daycare centers or at home with paid baby-sitters.

• 1930s: Racism is condoned throughout the country, and laws in the South enforce segregation. • Today (2013): Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, or disability in the

workplace is illegal.

• 1930s: Violence against women is widespread and ignored by the police. • Today (2013): Violence against women is illegal, and perpetrators are being vigorously

prosecuted in both civilian and military life.

• 1930s: Most religious African Americans belong to either a Baptist or Methodist congregation.• Today (2013): Many African Americans have turned away from Christianity to the Muslim

religion.

• 1930s: Colonialism dominates the African continent. It is carved up among the major nations of Europe who exploit it for its rich resources. • Today (2013): All nations in Africa are self-governed, but the remnants of colonial

mismanagement has led to unrest in a number of African countries.Works Cited:"Novel Summaries Analysis." Novel Summaries Analysis RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

Compare and ContrastBeloved

• 1963: President Kennedy is assassinated, plunging all Americans into mourning.

• 1970s: President Nixon resigns after being implicated in the Watergate scandal. • Today (2013): President Clinton is impeached, becoming the butt of jokes because

of his affair with Monica Lewinsky.

• 1963: Civil rights leader Medgar Evers is assassinated and his assailant brags about the murder before being acquitted by an all-white jury.

• 1970s: Americans of all colors are inspired by the television miniseries Roots. • Today (2013): Byron de la Beckwith, the murderer of Medgar Evers, is sentenced

to life in prison by a mixed-race jury.

• 1963: Many schools are still racially segregated by law.

• 1970s: Because of “white flight” to the suburbs, many schools become resegregated.• Today (2013): Some blacks begin to question the value of integration and instead

work to strengthen all-black institutions

Works Cited: "Novel Summaries Analysis." Novel Summaries Analysis RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

Historical Perspective

• The Color Purple• Black-White Relations in the Rural South• African-American Religion

• Beloved • Post-World War I America• Civil Rights Movement

Themes

• Feminism (Beloved and The Color Purple)• Both novels relate to feminism and the belief that

men and women should be treated equally

• Slavery (Beloved)• The time period of Morrison’s novel describes the period of

slavery just after the Civil War. • One of the most striking elements in Beloved was the story of

Sethe, a black female slave, who kills her own daughter to protect her from the horror of slavery.

• History of African-American Women (Beloved and The Color Purple)• Beginning in the 1970s, African-American literature reached the

mainstream

Common Theme

• Woman Suffrage

• The portrait of black woman in both novels can be described through woman suffrage.

• The women in The Color Purple and Beloved face great struggle in their lives.

• Beloved• Explores the experience and roles of black women in a racist and male

dominated society.

• The Color Purple• Centered around the mistreatment, inequality and total disregard for

women.

Woman Suffrage

• “The first examples of literature written by African-American women appeared around 1859, as part of a general renaissance of black literature in the 1850s” (Black Women in Art and Literature).

• “One can say that being colored women, both Walker and Morrison have the advantage of portraying what it is to be a woman of color in the society. It is obvious that their slave ancestors and the years of struggle of woman rights give them the opportunity to create life-like characters in their novels” (Kohzadi & Azizmohammadi & Afrougheh).

Discussion of Morrison and Walker’s Pulitzer Works

• Beloved - A story about the continuous attempt for

psychic wholeness stemming from the aftermath of

slavery, given the horrific events that took place

during that time.

• The Color Purple - A beautiful yet disturbing story

about love, hate, yearning and loss.

• A story about a young woman and the mental and

physical mistreatment of her by the black men in her

life

Lesson learned from both novels

• People can over come the most difficult of circumstances

• Psychological healing within the main characters in each novel• The Color Purple – • Celie finds solace in her life

in writing to God.

• Beloved – • Sethe's mind splits in order to survive.

Focus of Comparative Analysis

• Analyzes feminist elements in literature• Compares and contrasts the feminist elements of The Color

Purple by Alice Walker and Beloved by Toni Morrison. • Describes how various elements of feminism contribute to

the understanding of African-American literature• Such as the different values associated with womanhood

and femininity as a reason why men and woman experience the social aspects of the world differently

• The focus of this paper recalls

the issues of female victimization, gender roles and feminist liberation.

In abstractToni Morrison and Alice Walker

• “Both Tony Morrison and Alice Walker as well-known pioneers of

Black Feminism in their writings frequently stimulate black women

to love themselves, their race, and their culture and not to trap in

white superiority or white beauty standards” (Kohzadi &

Azizmohammadi & Afrougheh).

• “Alice Walker in her theory called Womanism just like Toni Morrison

believes that survival of black women in a white racist society

greatly depends upon their emphasis on loving their own race, their

own culture, and loving themselves and not on engrossing

themselves in white culture or white beauty standards” (Kohzadi &

Azizmohammadi & Afrougheh).

Conclusion: Relationship to ENGL 121

• Focus: key aspects of history and feminism, as did the texts we

read throughout the semester.

• Such as, “The Women Hanging from the 13th Floor Window” and

“Barbie” which displayed efforts of both past historical events

and feminism.

• In particular, “The Women

Hanging from the 13th Floor

Window” was a Native

American women wanting

happiness like other women

in many ways similar to

The Color Purple and Beloved.

Works Cited• "A Web Case Book on BELOVED by Toni Morrison." Web Case Book on BELOVED by Toni Morrison. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.

• "Alice Walker Essay - Walker, Alice - ENotes.com." Enotes.com. Enotes.com, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

• "Beloved Group6 Period1.”: Biblical Allusions, Archetypes Symbols, Christian Symbolism. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.

• "Black Women in Art and Literature." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

• "Colorpurpbeloved." Colorpurpbeloved. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

• "Example English Literature Essay." Black Culture in Beloved by Toni Morrison. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.

• "Historical Context of Beloved, Morrison." Yahoo Contributor Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

• Kohzadi, Hamedreza, Fatemeh Azizmohammadi, and Shahram Afrougheh. "A Study Of Black Feminism And Womanism In Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye From The Viewpoint Of Alice Walker."

International Journal Of Academic Research 3.2 (2011): 1307-1312. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

• "Novel Summaries Analysis." Novel Summaries Analysis RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

• "Professor Wanda's Posse." Professor Wanda's Posse. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.

• "The Color Purple by Alice Walker Teacher Guide - Harcourt." The Color Purple by Alice Walker – Teacher Guide - Harcourt. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2013.