History Literature / TheColorPurple

''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 novel by Creator/AliceWalker that depicts the lives of African-American women in early 20th-century rural Georgia, and the problems they faced (racism, sexism, domestic violence, poverty, etc.), through the eyes of a young girl named Celie Harris. The novel won the 1983 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction, and was later made into [[Film/TheColorPurple1985 a 1985 film]], [[Theatre/TheColorPurpleMusical a stage musical]], and a [[Film/TheColorPurple2023 a 2023 film adaptation of the musical]].

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_color_purple_poster.jpg]]

''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 novel by Creator/AliceWalker that depicts the lives of African-American women in early 20th-century rural Georgia, and the problems they faced (racism, sexism, domestic violence, poverty, etc.), through the eyes of a young girl named Celie Harris. The novel won the 1983 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction, and was later made into [[Film/TheColorPurple1985 a 1985 film]] and a 2005 musical. A film remake, based on the musical, starring Music/FantasiaBarrino, Creator/DanielleBrooks, Creator/TarajiPHenson, Creator/ColmanDomingo, Creator/CoreyHawkins, Music/{{HER|Musician}}, Creator/HalleBailey, [[Creator/AunjanueEllis Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor]], and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi was announced set for a December 2023 release.

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!!TheMusical contains examples of:

* BeautifulAllAlong: the song "Too Beautiful For Words" is Shug assured Celie of this.
* {{Bookends}}: [[spoiler:The little clapping game that Celie and Nettie play.]]
* ButtMonkey: ''Celie.''
* GossipyHens: Doris, Darlene, and Jarene, a trio of church ladies who double as a GreekChorus.
* GospelRevivalNumber: Several, especially the opening, "InMysteriousWays."
%%* GreekChorus
* InMysteriousWays: The title of the opening number, where the congregation praises God's ability to bring good out of evil. There's some [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Alternative Song Interpretation going on]]... the congregation gossips about some of the abuse going on in Celie and Nettie's house, but do little to help.
* LighterAndSofter: The musical takes on a more comedic and empowering tone, and while not dismissive of its darker subject matter, the comedic moments are more common. Several characters are also kinder and more encouraging to Celie.

''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 novel by Creator/AliceWalker that depicts the lives of African-American women in early 20th-century rural Georgia, and the problems they faced (racism, sexism, domestic violence, poverty, etc.), through the eyes of a young girl named Celie Harris. The novel won the 1983 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction, and was later made into a 1985 film and a 2005 musical. A film remake, based on the musical, starring Music/FantasiaBarrino, Creator/DanielleBrooks, Creator/TarajiPHenson, Creator/ColmanDomingo, Creator/CoreyHawkins, Music/{{HER|Musician}}, Creator/HalleBailey, [[Creator/AunjanueEllis Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor]], and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi was announced set for a December 2023 release.

The film was directed by Creator/StevenSpielberg, and marked a turning point in his career for being his first pure drama film, a departure from the {{Summer Blockbuster}}s he had grown synonymous with, and one of few films of his not scored by Music/JohnWilliams. It also contained the film debuts of Creator/WhoopiGoldberg and Creator/OprahWinfrey, and matched the record set by ''[[Film/TheTurningPoint1977 The Turning Point]]'' in 1977 for receiving the most UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations[[note]]11, even with Spielberg not being nominated for Best Director[[/note]] without a single win.

!!This novel and film contain examples of:

* AbusiveParents: Pa Harris beats, orders around, and sexually abuses Celie.

* AdaptedOut: The mayor's daughter Eleanor Jane. She is the sole white character who gets an inkling of the injustices Sofia and other blacks have suffered. [[TheAtoner She attempts to atone]] for her part in the unjust treatment of Sofia by caring for Sofia's daughter Henrietta, and is the one who reunites Sofia with her family, eventually leading to the ShesBack moment described below.
* AndIntroducing: This marks the first film for Creator/WhoopiGoldberg.

* BaitAndSwitchLesbians: Despite an explicit queer romance in the book, in the film Shug and Celie only kiss once but nothing more comes from it and they're still left paired with male lovers (Celie with her abusive spouse, Shug returning with a new male spouse).

* BookEnds: The film begins with Celie and Nettie among [[ColorMotif violets]], playing a clapping game. [[spoiler:It ends with the two sisters playing the same clapping game when they reunite decades later.]]

* CallingTheOldManOut:
** [[spoiler:Towards the end, Eleanor Jane discovers just ''[[TraumaCongaLine how]]'' her parents "convinced" Sophia to be their maid. She responds by willingly helping Sophia help Celie run her shop, and when her parents protest this, Eleanor Jane simply tells them that a woman like Sophia didn't deserve to have to work for trash like them.]]
** In the film, Albert has his own EurekaMoment when Old Mr. insists what he ''really'' needs is a new woman. Albert just shoves him out the door.
* ColorMotif: Per the title, purple, which reoccurs throughout the film to symbolize transformation. This even extends to the film's soundtrack album, the double-LP release of which featured purple disc labels and was pressed on purple vinyl in the US.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: As Shug paints her red nails, she is told by one of the children that Celie is shaving Mister. She continues on at first as the camera zooms on her abruptly stopping, hiding [[OhCrap her facial expression of seeing the bigger picture.]]
* HenpeckedHusband: Harpo seems to be one, as Sophia seems to bully him around. Mr. telling him to hit her causes their separation, but it's repaired by the end of the film, when Mr. toasts, "It sure is nice... to see... you two together again."
* HideYourLesbians: The lesbian themes of the book gets scrapped in the movie, aside from Celie still finding Shug pretty and one kissing scene.

* PopStarComposer: The film's soundtrack was handled by jazz/R&B musician and producer Music/QuincyJones.

* SingleIssuePsychology: Sofia is reduced to a broken shell after spending prison time for assaulting a racist mayor. An opportunity to crack a good joke later brings her back to her old self again. In the film version, [[spoiler:this moment comes when Celie finally stands up to Mister.]] The film goes on to subvert this trope shortly afterward, when [[spoiler:Celie tells Mister straight out that she's prepared to kill him if he tries to stop her from leaving.]] Sofia visibly shrinks, showing the audience that her old self is still in there, but truly overcoming her time in prison won't be that easy.

* TamerAndChaster: The book has quite a bit of sexuality in it, especially concerning Celie's sexual exploration, which the film removed.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Grady, Shug's husband, just up and disappears before the end of the film. The book says he and Shug eventually break up, and he starts a marijuana plantation in Central America.

* TheAtoner: Emphasized in the film when Mr. arranges for Celie's children to visit America.