The Color Purple spans about 40 years of Celie's life in rural Hartwell County, GA. The isolated setting of the novel contributes to the theme of how limited opportunities cause the cycle of racism and sexism to continue. In the South during this time, African Americans were treated as inferiors and presented with very few opportunities to better themselves economically. Since that time, our country has undergone major civil rights reform, but unfortunately these racist and unfair patterns still exist in parts of the United Sates.
To modern readers, Celie's conditions seem almost dismal. But, in fact, her situation was pretty typical of working class people at the time. Alice Walker does a great job of exemplifying the cultural and economic life of the early 1900's and even how it evolved during Celie's short lifespan. Obviously, many of these factors have changed today. Here are some statistics and facts to compare life in Celie's time to life in 2015:
To modern readers, Celie's conditions seem almost dismal. But, in fact, her situation was pretty typical of working class people at the time. Alice Walker does a great job of exemplifying the cultural and economic life of the early 1900's and even how it evolved during Celie's short lifespan. Obviously, many of these factors have changed today. Here are some statistics and facts to compare life in Celie's time to life in 2015: