Comic created by Bailey Allman
Dear Editor,
I am writing because my child is reading The Color Purple in her 12th grade English class, and I have some concerns I would like to vocalize. The teacher says that the unit is titled "Prejudice; Exploring Humanity Through Suffering", and focuses on how pain and oppression bring a group of people closer together. This teacher however is not focusing at all on the oppressors at fault! She only wants to talk about the alliances formed in the novel and the way in which people bond together to combat the prejudice that is being done to them. I also do not understand how this book could possibly be empowering to women when there are brutal and graphic descriptions of rape and domestic violence? Is this really appropriate to be used in a high school classroom?
Sincerely,
Enraged Parent
Dear Enraged Parent,
I have to disagree with you on this issue unfortunately. The way The Color Purple is written is naturally empowering to women because of the ways in which the women eventually learn to stand up for themselves and gain independence. At the end of the novel Celie gains property rights and starts her own business, Folkspants Unlimited. As far as the graphic nature of specific scenes, if prepped carefully by the teacher, seventeen year olds should be able to handle the language and themes. These themes help prepare them for real world situations in which peers, relatives or even the students themselves deal with sexual assault and domestic violence.
However, to address your main concern about the theme your daughter's teacher is emphasizing- it is at the heart of the novel. The reader is given numerous vivid examples of the injustices being done to the protagonist and those around her, and they know how horrible the oppressors are. But- Celie's maturity and growth by the end of the novel is much attributed to the relationships she forms with others. Finding community helps Celie find her voice and her own inner strength.
My advice to you is to talk to the teacher and talk to your child about what THEY find troubling, not you as a parent.
Hope this helps,
Editor
I am writing because my child is reading The Color Purple in her 12th grade English class, and I have some concerns I would like to vocalize. The teacher says that the unit is titled "Prejudice; Exploring Humanity Through Suffering", and focuses on how pain and oppression bring a group of people closer together. This teacher however is not focusing at all on the oppressors at fault! She only wants to talk about the alliances formed in the novel and the way in which people bond together to combat the prejudice that is being done to them. I also do not understand how this book could possibly be empowering to women when there are brutal and graphic descriptions of rape and domestic violence? Is this really appropriate to be used in a high school classroom?
Sincerely,
Enraged Parent
Dear Enraged Parent,
I have to disagree with you on this issue unfortunately. The way The Color Purple is written is naturally empowering to women because of the ways in which the women eventually learn to stand up for themselves and gain independence. At the end of the novel Celie gains property rights and starts her own business, Folkspants Unlimited. As far as the graphic nature of specific scenes, if prepped carefully by the teacher, seventeen year olds should be able to handle the language and themes. These themes help prepare them for real world situations in which peers, relatives or even the students themselves deal with sexual assault and domestic violence.
However, to address your main concern about the theme your daughter's teacher is emphasizing- it is at the heart of the novel. The reader is given numerous vivid examples of the injustices being done to the protagonist and those around her, and they know how horrible the oppressors are. But- Celie's maturity and growth by the end of the novel is much attributed to the relationships she forms with others. Finding community helps Celie find her voice and her own inner strength.
My advice to you is to talk to the teacher and talk to your child about what THEY find troubling, not you as a parent.
Hope this helps,
Editor