Does Alice Walkerss The Color Purple work successfully as a epistolary novel?
The Color Purple was constructed in the epistolary form, which was more common in the 18th and 19th centuries particularly with the Gothic novelists, and Walker has been credited for the resurrection of this type of novel. In using this approach, Walker is free to establish various relationships with the reader, as the characters appear to be able to communicate freely, without the author getting in the way, and has autonomy to change the style and application in presenting the various agendas, motivations, locations and actions of the characters thus adding dimension to the novel. Walker is further able to formulate direct communication and multiple perspectives. Her use of anonymity is a traditional technique used in the epistolary novel and it demonstrates Walker’s literary background and education, thus while appearing very simple, it is in actuality, a complex and effective writing technique.
