BF141449

The Color Purple is a fiction drama film by Steven Spielberg. This film was based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. The Color Purple was an exciting and heart stopping movie. This is a movie that I can watch over and over again year after year. This movie opens up with a young girl named Celie. Celie was a 14 year old uneducated african american teenager. As the movie open, Celie was the subject of rape and sexual abuse by her father. From this abuse Celie became pregnant and birthed two children that were taken from her at birth by her father. The children were given away, but to Celie's knowldge they were dead. Along eith the sexual abus, Celie experienced verbal abuse. Celie was a passive child that told no one of her abuse but God. She expressed her disscomfort and confusion to God through letters.

Celie was later sold to Mr, as she would call him. Once in the home of Mr, she again became the subject of sexual abuse, emotional abuse and physical abuse. She was told that she was ugly and could do anything right. She was used as a bouncing bag for sex. As Celie would put it, she let Mr. do his business! She was beat when things were not done right or to Mr's liking.

Celie really saw herself through the eyes of the men that demoralized her. She lacked confidence and it showed through her always holding her head down. She would not talk unless she was spoken to. Celie also would cover mouth when she would smile. She had no vision of who she was as an individual. She only responded to what the men told her she was.

Celie's attitude began to make a change after she meets Shug Avery who was mr's mistress that he bought home ill. Celie began to watch how Shug carried herself, how she dressed and flaunted herself with men. She even liked how Shug handled Mr. Celie admired Shug. Shug was able to speak life into Celie. She made Celie feel like she was special. Shug told Celie that she loved her and kissed her. No one had done this for Celie. These turning events with Shug became the key points sto Celie's breakthrough that she needed.

Celie began to see herself as sombody and not just an object. She began to recognize God as God. She turns and stands up to Mr for the first time at the dinner table, shocking everyone that was around. It was time for Celie to live. She had been dead all this time walking around shut off from society in her mind. Celie began dressing better. She got out of the house and began going out to the singings with Shug to the juke joint. These outings and other things raised Celie's confidence and her self-esteem.

As the movie comes to the conclusion, Celie makes her final decision to get out while she had a chance and leave with Shug. She packed her bags and said her goodbyes to Mr and oppression. Celie endured her trials and was able to find peace in her new home that was left to her by her father. She became an independant business woman making pants. Celie also was reunited with her sister and her lost children that she never met.

The movie, The Color Purple, depicted developmentgal and psychological issues such as: Child Abuse (pg 181) in her parents home from father; Domestic or intimate partner abuse pg (382) after entering Mr's home; Low self-esteem (pg385)

In comparing the issues depicted in The Color Purple with scientific evidence and our textbook, pg 385 of our Lifespan Development book stated that women who are abused may develop feelings of anxiety, depression, shame and low self-esteem. Where was also a study performed that proves that sexual abuse causes learned helplessness, low self-esteem, anxiety and dissociation.

The author's intent in showing these issues was to show that Celie's trials and struggles with domestic violence represent realistic issues. This movie's main focus was not on the destruction of a woman under these kinds of pressures, but on a woman's ability to fight and overcome her abusive past. Another intent was to show how bonding with other strong and confident women affect the health of an individual. As individuals, we need socialism.

Issues in The Color purple are most relevant to the cognitive and social domain fields. Celie could not think for herself and had on intellectual skills. Her social skills were ruined from the abuse also. She did not know how to relate to anyone around her.

Symbols that were contained in the Color Purple weres: sewing, quilts, God, and Pants. The sewing was associalted with the power that a woman gains through productivity and also can stand for economic independence. The quilts represented sisterhood and or unity of black women. God was the person that was there to listen when no one else was there for Celie. The pants that Celie went into business making, symbolized her liberation and freedom from Mr. No more being controlled by a man.

The Color Purple received praise and criticism. Praise received for this work was 11 awards, 1 being best picture. In contrast, it recieved criticism aslo. The movie was criticized by reviewers for unjustly and negatively portraying black men. The Coalition against black exploitation exposed their concern believing that the story promoted the gay relationship of Celie and Shug Avery as a compromise for problems between clack men and women.

__**Bibliography**__ __Book__ Lifespan Development, 5th Edith by Denise Boyd and Helen Bee Copyright by Pearson Education, INC 2009

__Internet__ The New Georgia Encyclopedia, [|www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nga/article.sp]? True Color shinning through: __The Color Purple,__ an 'Adequate Portrayal of Domestic Violence' by Brett England and Emily Williams'; [|www.unc.edu/~bengland/color] purple.htm

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__Subject Matter—20 points out of 20__

__Higher-Order Thinking—18 points out of 20__ : You leave a lot unsaid/uncited about parenting styles, poverty, resilience, and other key issues from the film that are covered in the book. You don't have to cover all of them, but there is definitely room for more.

__Organization--30 points out of 30__

__Format--8 points out of 10__ References are great, but you need more in-text citations.

__Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling--10 points out of 10__

__Readability/Style--10 points out of 10__

Grade: 96/100