The Colour Purple
Written by Alice Walker in 1982, the novel talks about the realities of life for black women who were living in America’s Deep South in the 1930s. Since its publication, people have found faults with the book due to its depictions of violence, particularly rape, vulgar language and sexual content. Various school boards in America banned the book from being taught in classrooms due to the above reasons. In 1986, the book was removed from the shelves of a Virginia school library for its “profanity and sexual references”. It was placed in a special section accessible only to students over the age of 18, or who had written permission from a parent. Despite criticisms, the novel became the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.
