The Color Purple Contents
- The Color Purple: Social and political context
- The Color Purple: Religious and philosophical context
- The Color Purple: Literary context
- Textual help
- Letter 1
- Letter 2
- Letter 3
- Letter 4
- Letter 5
- Letter 6
- Letter 7
- Letter 8
- Letter 9
- Letter 10
- Letter 11
- Letter 12
- Letter 13
- Letter 14
- Letter 15
- Letter 16
- Letter 17
- Letter 18
- Letter 19
- Letter 20
- Letter 21
- Letter 22
- Letter 23
- Letter 24
- Letter 25
- Letter 26
- Letter 27
- Letter 28
- Letter 29
- Letter 30
- Letter 31
- Letter 32
- Letter 33
- Letter 34
- Letter 35
- Letter 36
- Letter 37
- Letter 38
- Letter 39
- Letter 40
- Letter 41
- Letter 42
- Letter 43
- Letter 44
- Letter 45
- Letter 46
- Letter 47
- Letter 48
- Letter 49
- Letter 50
- Letter 51
- Letter 52
- Letter 53
- Letter 54
- Letter 55
- Letter 56
- Letter 57
- Letter 58
- Letter 59
- Letter 60
- Letter 61
- Letter 62
- Letter 63
- Letter 64
- Letter 65
- Letter 66
- Letter 67
- Letter 68
- Letter 69
- Letter 70
- Letter 71
- Letter 72
- Letter 73
- Letter 74
- Letter 75
- Letter 76
- Letter 77
- Letter 78
- Letter 79
- Letter 80
- Letter 81
- Letter 82
- Letter 83
- Letter 84
- Letter 85
- Letter 86
- Letter 87
- Letter 88
- Letter 89
- Letter 90
Letter 41
Synopsis of Letter 41
Squeak visits the warden but holds back from directly claiming he is her uncle. He emphasises that he rejects any such association by committing what he calls ‘a little fornication’ with her (i.e. Squeak is raped by her white uncle). She comes home dishevelled and upset. Although Harpo’s first instinct is to retaliate with aggression, Squeak feels that she has suffered in a good cause.
Commentary on Letter 41
Although Squeak has now been abused like many of the women in the novel, it is the beginning of a transformation similar to Celie’s. After being raped, she begins to stand up to the people in her life who fail to recognise her as a person. Her transformation into an independent person is symbolised by her name change when she insists that in future people call her Mary Agnes instead of using the dismissive nickname, Squeak.
Investigating Letter 41
- What is the significance of Squeak’s name change?
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