Learning goals

During Experiences of The Color Purple, you will learn about postcolonial theory, advanced linking words and to write an article based on Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple (1982). The main skills that you will improve are reading, adapting to theory, writing and discussing. 

You will learn by reading the novel The Color Purple, watching the movie The Color Purple and participate in written discussions. Finally, you will be assessed by writing a 400-800 word article for a fictional online magazine.

Successful students will be able to:

Article instructions

Your task is to write an article for publication in the online magazine Experiences of The Color Purple. The purpose of the magazine is to invite writers to expand upon and discuss the themes from the novel and the movie The Color Purple, which illustrate how colonial history, oppression, racism and sexuality contribute to its complex narrative.

In your article, briefly introduce your readers to the story and your theme since they might not be familiar with either. For example, how can violence, gender roles, colonialism, sex, racism influence and shape who the characters become and understand their surroundings? Secondly, choose one of two purposes for your article - retell and expand, or compare and discuss:

·         Retell the narrative of The Color Purple and expand upon one theme with your own thoughts or experiences

·         Compare the novel and the movie by using quotes and concrete examples from both the novel and the movie

Your article should be written in a formal style suitable for publication in a magazine and contain a title, preamble, body and conclusion. Your text will be assessed on your language and how you make use of the content from the source material.

You have 120 minutes to write your article and your article should be at least 400 but no more than 800 words. You may bring your improved writing exercises to the test as a draft of 200 words. Make sure you have time to check what you have written with regard to appropriateness of language, content and structure.

Purpose, content, and assessment for learning

Purpose:

Colonialism, and post-colonialism which is the study of colonial effects, attempts to understand the past historical events that shaped the politics and cultures of colonilzed countries. Many of these changes are now visible in literature authored in post-colonial times. Not only were borders reshaped, but the way people see themselves existentially and socially.

Colonial theory illustrates the dynamics of how native groups are seen as other, exotic and uncivilised by the colonisers while the colonisers both enforced and birthed European and language supremacy. The literature written in post-colonial cultures create a mix of otherness seen through the English language. 

As an English language student, it is this important to understand how global history can be understood through literature and how language has played a part in shaping our world. This level is concerned with the real impact of colonialism in Africa and how these events shaped African-American fiction, history and dialects.

As a group, you discuss your reading experience. Individually you will write an essay with the theme #reacttoTheColorPurple using Digiexam.

Core contents:

Knowledge requirements