Shug invites Celie to imagine God as something radically different, as an “it” that delights in creation and just wants human beings to love what it has created. She knows deep down that her image of God as a white patriarch “don't seem quite right,” but she says it's all she has. In the early parts of the novel, Celie sees God as her listener and helping hand, yet Celie does not have a clear understanding of who God is. Sethe's memory is awash with the red of her daughter's blood and the pink mineral of her gravestone, both of which have been bought at a dear price. The story of Amy's search for carmine velvet seems especially poignant because we sense the futility of her dream. The red rooster signifies manhood to Paul D, but it is a manhood that Paul D himself has been denied.

For example, the red roses that line the road to the carnival serve to herald the carnival's arrival in town and announce the beginning of Sethe, Denver, and Paul D's new life together yet they also stink of death. Yet, in Beloved, vitality often goes hand in hand with mortality, and red images simultaneously refer to life and death, to presence and absence. Overall, red seems to connote vitality and the visceral nature of human existence.

Amy Denver's red velvet, for example, is an image of hope and a brighter future, while Paul D's “red heart” represents feeling and emotion. _'s transformation, he paints the entire interior of his house “fresh and white,” signaling his new beginning.Ĭolors from the red part of the spectrum (including orange and pink) recur throughout Beloved, although the meaning of these red objects varies. When Celie describes her religious awakening, she marvels how she never noticed the wonders that God has made, such as “the color purple.” Upon Mr. Later, Celie and Sofia use bright yellow fabric from Shug's dress to make a quilt. When Kate takes Celie shopping for a new dress, the only color options are drab ones-brown, maroon, and dark blue. Walker uses color to signal renewals and rebirths at several points in the novel. Throughout the novel, the appearance of brighter colors indicates the liberation various characters experience. If you already have the book The Colour Purple maybe looking it up on Sparknotes might help?Ī brief glance at the Themes page of both books give a few similarities

The color purple book sparknotes