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In this course, after surveying the history of modern African-American literature of the Twentieth Century, we will read Alice Walker's renowned novel THE COLOR PURPLE. We will analyze characters, narrative structure, and thematic significance. This novel explores how an African-American woman struggles to achieve self-discovery, self-realization, and self-assessment while encountering some serious racist and sexist social pressure. She painfully and slowly but surely overcomes prejudices and helps others challenge bigotry. Serious readers confront the questions: How are racist and sexist injustices related to each other? How can they be overcome? We will also watch a video of the Hollywood film based on this novel to familiarize ourselves with African-American English, deepen our understanding of Black culture, and broaden our appreciation of its widespread influence.
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