Carlo Brix Bronold 1/3 2022

1) Discuss the pros and cons of the author Alice Walker’s decision to write this novel in an
epistolary format. What does this form entail for the narration of the story?

In this essay, I will be discussing the pros and cons of the epistolary format in which Alice Walker’s
The Color Purple is written. I will dive into the effect this has on the reader, and the limitations it
brings when it comes to the contents of the letters. I will also discuss how the epistolary format
effects the narration of the story.

Page 60, 1st line “Dear god,”; Page 62, 1st line “Dear god,” etc… The Color Purple is
written in what is called an epistolary format, which entails that the novel is comprised of a
collection of letters. One very clear effect that the epistolary format has on the novel is that it
changes the form of narration. No longer is the reader intended to be reading the text (unless you
are god). Instead, the reader finds themselves reading letters addressed to someone else, and as
such feels more distant to what may be happening.

Page 176 “I believe god in everything, say Shug. Everything that is or ever was or will
be.” This quote is from a scene where Shug explains to Celie her pantheistic views on god. The
epistolary format of the novel is relevant to the events surrounding this scene, as it helps illustrate
the relevance of god to the novel and protagonist, Celie. This is because every single one of Celie’s
letters prior to this scene are addressed to god, making it obvious that god is of significance to
Celie and making any change is this repeated pattern very apparent. After this scene, which also
happens to feature the only mention of the color purple (hinting to its significance), Celie
addresses the next letter, for the first time in 176 pages, to her sister, Nettie. This has a great
effect on how the reader interprets Celie’s interaction with Shug, as it becomes apparent that
Shug’s words have drastically effected Celie’s seemingly strong views. This nuanced and intricate
use of the epistolary format to bring significance to the scene cements religion as one of the key
topics of The Color Purple.

Page 63 “I think bout my sister Nettie. Thought so sharp it go through me like a pain.”
A feature of the epistolary format is that the letters are still written in the first person. This is
substantial when it comes to the general interpretation of the novel, as language plays a major
role in it. The language used stays true to the character we know as Celie, and sets a tone, an
atmosphere, and encourages us to associate certain things with her we otherwise would not, had
the story been narrated in the third person. This direct link to the protagonist also helps
counteract the distance created by the fact that the novel is written mostly to god, and not the
reader, still giving a sense of personal connection.

This point is difficult to reference back to a page, nonetheless I believe it be relevant.

As the story is written in the form of letters, and as the letters are addressed to god, it is likely that
Celie is censoring certain parts of her life, and failing to convey certain things she may be dealing
with, but doesn’t find appropriate to write in a letter addressed to god. It could very well be that
this is limiting the reader’s chances to get an all-encompassing idea of Celie’s true feelings and
Carlo Brix Bronold 1/3 2022

understand exactly who she is. This is less likely to occur after Celie’s discussion with Shug about
pantheism and after Celie starts writing to Nettie, but the issue may still remain, as you would, by
nature, exclude certain things when writing a letter.

Page 232 “Nearly thirty years have passed without a word between us.” The
epistolary form leads to confusion when it comes to the time frame. When reading, it is in no way
apparent how much time passes between each letter, and it is left to the reader’s imagination to
associate the letters with a date and time. This doesn’t really bother the reader, as they are likely
to assume that the letters are written in frequent succession, maybe one letter every week to
month. However, around the very end of the book, it all of a sudden becomes apparent that the
letters had been written over a time span greater than 30 years. This has an effect on the reader
that causes them to sympathize greatly with Celie, as they were unaware of the duration of her
struggle, however, it also adds a feeling of confusion, as the reader most likely pictured all the
previous events in a completely different time frame. If the story were narrated in a standard
form, there would most likely be an indicator of the time jumps, and possibly a summary of the
events that took place during the jumps, giving the reader an accurate representation of the actual
timeline, rather than surprising them later on.

In conclusion, there are a varied set of pros and cons associated with the author’s
decision to write the novel in epistolary form. The epistolary form benefits the novel in the sense
that its written in the first person, giving the reader a clearer and perhaps more manageable
interpretation of the characters and their feelings. On the other hand, the epistolary form may
effect to what extent the content of the letters gives one a clear representation of what is truly
happening, as the protagonists may be inclined to exclude information from a letter. The problem
with the timeline being very unclear also stems from the epistolary form, as there is no reason for
the letters to clarify when they were written (they are addressed to god and Nettie/Celie), giving
the reader a skewed impression of the time passing between each letter. Overall, however, the
novel is shaped beautifully by the effect that the epistolary form has on the reader and contents of
the text, and the main topics of the book are very well complimented by some aspects of it, like
the topic of religion. In turn, the pros of using the epistolary form outweigh the cons, as it
ultimately is what gives the book character, and as the cons don’t take from it.