The Color Purple and the Equilibrium Model of Hegemony.
This essay argues that the novel's almost exclusive focus on the culture of African American society represents an attempt to demonstrate how an oppositional culture can be created and maintained amidst a general context of oppression. From this perspective, the refusal of the novel's primary characters to accept the conditions of their lives reflects the real-world resistance of African Americans - as illustrated in historical documents - against the racist oppression of slavery and prejudice. 8 pgs. 4 sources.
