Comparison of The Color Purple and The Catcher in the Rye

Both novels are written in first person narrative, in order to create a bond of realism between the protagonist and the reader, providing a direct insight into the identity of both Celie and Holden. Walker employs use of the epistle form to demonstrate a key facet of Celie’s identity; it allows an earnest insight into the girl who is in desperate need of communication and to this end finds letters her only form of relief.

“Celie, in her letters, writes herself into being”

This idea conveys the strength of male oppressors who formed the dominant figures in Afro-American history and in order to gain recognition women had to write their existence through personal letters or diaries, as their lives were not documented by the male driven society. This is reflective of Celie’s life, as she cannot find comfort in talking and possibly cannot bring herself to verbally convey the severity of her abuse, therefore finding solace only in her

Each novel is carefully structured and could be broken down into three movements. Each movement conveys different aspects of the character's identity, foreshadowing the conclusion. Salinger’s novel could be dissected into the different areas of Holden’s experiences, starting with his life at Pencey Prep, leading to his experiences in New York and finally his inevitable demise.

This relaxed attitude suggests that Holden is complacent in failing to achieve an education, suggesting that education produces the “phoney” people that he despises so much. Conversely to Holden’s situation, male oppressors, who did not believe women needed an education and therefore retracted them from school, enforce Celie’s isolation. It was believed in such slave orientated societies that the woman’s place was serving their husband, and consequently Celie was forced into a pre-arranged marriage.

The use of language in each novel provides key insights into the identity of each character. Celie’s use of language is basic and often crude, conveying her lack of education. Words such as “titties” and “pussy” are often used in a context that would usually require more dignity. The use of such language also echoes the colloquial nature of her language. Due to her lack in education Celie’s use of language and grammar when writing her letters, is limited, conveying a sense of ignorance and naivety. Sentences are often short with no grammatical structure, and written phonetically, for example she spells “get” as “git”. The use of phonetic spelling emphasises her language barriers and mirrors the society and culture in which she lives. However, through the perseverance of her writing, her grammar and spelling later becomes more coherent with correct use of hyphens and exclamation marks, showing her educational progress.

Conversely to Salinger’s degenerative story line, Walker’s novel has a positive finale in which the protagonist achieves a sense of liberation and fulfilment. She has progressed in her search for identity throughout the novel, leading her to a state of equality in which she is able to confront her male oppressors; shown through her use of the name “Albert” throwing aside the term “Mr____” in a triumphant realisation of her individual identity.

“Phoebe”, when traced back to it’s roots means “Shining” and therefore, indicates her importance in Holden’s life as she personifies his guiding light, rooting him in reality and creating a sense of comforting knowledge.

Some topics in this essay:
Color Purple”, Catcher Rye”, Holden Walker, Thomsen Hill, Shug Avery, Salinger Walker, Conversely Salinger’s, Similarly Celie’s, Catcher Rye, Central Park, celie’s life, “the catcher, “the catcher rye”, catcher rye”, “the color purple”, color purple”, lack education, “the color, individual identity, throughout novel, male oppressors, structure language, celie finally able, life pencey prep, holden’s idiosyncratic nature,