Alternative Perspectives
In considering relationships in The Color Purple and alternative perspectives, I arranged two different pieces of Found Poetry. One of them show's the perspective of Pa/Alfonso and the other shows a more complex perspective of Mr._______ interspersed with a second man standing up to Mr.______. The poem "Alfonso's Words" attempts to show another perspective on the influence of relationships on identity formation for the character of Alfonso/Pa. These are his words and this poem attempts to consider his perspective on the relationship to white people, the family and his perspective on women. The poem "Givin' Mr. a Bad Name" considers how a good man might confront
Mr. _______ for his behavior. |
Still frame from The Color Purple (1986)
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Found Poetry
Alfonso’s Words by Alice Walker arranged by Becky DePalma Any man would have done what I done You got to give ‘em something. Either your money one seed out of three was planted for him Your land before I planted, before I ground a grain that one know the same thing. You got to give ‘em something. Your woman she tells lies, she ugly She too old, too dumb to go to school She fixed, she ain’t gonna make you feed it she can work like a man she a bad influence Or your ass Whitefolks’ lynched him; lynched people don’t git no marker. Well, So now you know You better shut up & git used to it You got to give ‘em something. You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t You’d better not never tell nobody but God. It’d kill your mammy. She tells lies. Any man would have done what I done You got to give ‘em something. Still frame from The Color Purple (1986)
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Givin’ Mr. a Bad Name
By Alice Walker and Ben Harper arranged by Becky DePalma A poem for two readers. One person reads the regular font and the other the italicized portion in the roles of Mr._______ and a man standing up to him. You ever hit her? Well how you spect to make her mind? Wives is like children. You have to let them know who got the upper hand. Nothing can do that better than a good sound beating. Excuse me Mr. Do you have the time Or are you so important That it stands still for you Celie, git the belt. Wash this. Iron that. Look for this. Look for that. Find this. Find that. Excuse me Mr. won't you Lend me your ear Or are you not only blind But do you not hear Wives don’t go to places like that. My wife can’t do this. My wife can’t do that. No wife of mines… So excuse me Mr. But I'm a mister too And you're givin' Mr. a bad name Mr. like you You bitch. You not gitting a penny of my money. Not one thin dime. You ugly. You skinny. You shape funny. You too scared to open your mouth to people. So I'm taking the Mr. From out in front of your name 'Cause it's a Mr. like you That puts the rest of us to shame It's a Mr. like you That puts the rest of us to shame Who you think you is? You can’t curse nobody. Look at you. You black, you pore, you ugly, you a woman. Goddam, you nothing at all. So excuse me Mr. But I'm a mister too And you're givin' Mr. a bad name Mr. like you Whoever heard of such a thing. I probably didn’t whup your ass enough. Shit, I should have lock you up. Just let you out to work. So I'm taking the Mr. From out in front of your name 'Cause it's a Mr. like you That puts the rest of us to shame It's a Mr. like you That puts the rest of us to shame |
References
Harper, B. (1995). Excuse me mister [song]. Fight for Your Mind. Virgin Records.
Walker, Alice (1982). The color purple. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.