Common Essay Problems
Wrong word:
Woman= singular Women= plural
Rather than, more than, less than vs then she woke up, first, then second, then
third
The man who beats his wife rather than The man that beats his wife
Get names right- Sofia rather than Sophia, Mr._____ is not ‘Pa’ or Reverend Mr.___
Clichés and Slang
Love provides a ‘safe house’ for us and allows us to be ourselves.
…by no means is she afraid to show her true colors.
Shug is gobsmacked when she hears about…
…somewhere where she can be herself and show who she really is
…Celie just goes with it because she already has a bad image of men…
… a strong woman who doesn’t let men drag her down anymore..
…someone who can stand on her own two feet
Mr.___ is still on the fence about it
From the beginning of the book Celie is a nobody
In the last part, Celie is on fire
She is her own person
Harpo is stuck in a lose- lose situation
The role of Christianity in The Color Purple is life sized.
The bottom line is that she is the only female character….
Being who you truly are will help you stand up for yourself.
The men in The Color Purple walk all over Celie.
It is okay for men to go to the jukejoint…
Nettie’s will to escape rubs off on Celie.
Characters being painted negatively
Upon taking up the household and farm work, Albert continues to load up his plate.
Having strong women in her life makes Celie who she is.
When Harpo tries to make Mary Agnes less than what she is….
This helps Celie… she has to believe in who she really is.
…she was able to convert from nobody at the beginning to somebody at the end.
Hope keeps Celie alive to become who she is.
Celie grows dramatically from a human being into a complete all around person.
Clarify ‘This’
This teaches Celie that not everyone is cruel.
This is shown when Celie writes…
All of this changes when Celie encounters a number of lessons
Too wordy- simplify
Celie made the term manly in the book seem a bad thing because men such as Mr.____
were “manly” men but they were described as being mean and heartless.
Simplify: Walker equates masculinity with meanness.
The author uses characterization to produce an assumed portrayal of the male characters
in the novel.
Weak Thesis
Celie becomes a stronger, more fulfilled person because of the lessons she encounters.
Walker portrays the men as a roadblock to Celie’s independence.
The dynamic characters of this story continually experience change and maturity
throughout the novel.
Must argue a point- reader should be able to say ‘I disagree’
What is Walker teaching us about independence? Why does Walker portray men this
way? What is the purpose or meaning behind it?
Poor use of quotes
When Harpo is having trouble keeping Sofia in line, he seeks Celie’s advice. “Beat her I
say” (36). Celie does not understand why Sofia does not adhere….
After their mother dies, Celie takes responsibility for Nettie’s well being and protects her
from Pa. “She scared. But I say I’ll take care of you with God help” (3). When Nettie
leaves, Celie falls into a depression.
Despite Celie’s hard work she is not respected by Mr___. “Then he say, you better get
back in the field. Don’t wait for me” (26). Mr___ is capable of working and taking care
of himself.
She might not be able to ever overcome her fear of men. “He took it. He took it while I
was sleeping” (2). Celie knows what Albert does to her, but for a long time….
Throughout the novel, Celie gets closer to Shug. “Dear God us sleep together like
sisters” (146).
Shug is not afraid to share her religious and personal beliefs. “I believe God is
everything”(195).
Good use of quotes
Albert is truly a bully. Celie, in her letter to God, writes, “Harpo ast his daddy why
he beat me. Mr____ say because she my wife. Plus she stubborn” (22). This quote
also shows Albert’s view of women.
Harpo appears to have some of his father’s negative characteristics. When asked to
help bring some water his response is, “Women work. I’m a man” (21). When
Harpo brings pregnant Sofia home, Albert questions whether she is pregnant with
Harpo’s child: “Mr__ say, no need to think I’m gonna let my boy marry you just
cause you in the family way…Harpo don’t say nothing” (31). Instead of defending
Sofia Harpo shows his weakness by remaining silent.
Over generalizing
The majority of people think that change cannot happen over night, but miracles
can happen overnight.
Everything happens for a reason.
Men in this time had the authority to dictate the woman’s actions and if the woman
went against this she would be abused physically, emotionally and mentally.
In the 1900’s women were to only work around the house and in the fields.
In life we all need guidance.
The fact that Mr.____ justifies his actions of abuse shows his lack of respect for
women, thus Mr.___ resembles many black men in the earlier 1900’s.
Always have a works cited page!!!!!!!!