Introduction:

· Briefly paraphrase the maxims you’ve chosen and explain why they are important values.

· Identify the film and give a brief description of the characters you are analyzing.

· Remember to avoid the first-person point of view (I, me, my, our, ours) and the second-person point of view (you, your, yours) in formal writing.

In the United States, there is a widely held expectation that if one works extremely hard, financial success would eventually be theirs. Hard labor is the only path to financial success. The film “The Color Purple” offers a window into the soul of the American ideal, representing such virtues as knowledge and fortitude. Celie, is one of the main characters in “The Color Purple.” She is an oppressed woman who is held captive by a man she was forced to marry and who is not fond of her or her appearance. Celie is also a woman who never wears pants because in her society pants were considered manly. Once Celie becomes free from her husband, she finally becomes the person she never thought she would be, unrepressed.

Thesis Statement (fill in the blanks on the right). This will be the last sentence of your introduction

Three maxims from Franklin's "The Way to Wealth" that the characters embody in The Color Purple are” There are no gains”, “He that lives upon hope will die fasting”, and “If you will not hear reason, she’ll surely rap your knuckles”.

Body Paragraph 1: Elaborate on the first point in your thesis statement

Topic Sentence: Celie embodies Franklin’s maxim of “There are no gains” when Celie, despite her best efforts, remains poor for the majority of her life, despite the fact that she works hard.

Detail 1: Celie puts in long hours at her job, but she never gets ahead financially.

Detail 2: Celie is effectively married off to some random guy. She is powerless to change anything.

Detail 3: She finally gives up after being battered senseless.

Concluding Sentence: She has been told so many times that she is unattractive that she has begun to believe it.

Quote(s) from the film you will use to support this point: “All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my brothers. A girl child ain’t safe in a family of men. But I ain’t never thought I’d have to fight in my own house!”

“Fact is, I got to get rid of her. She too old to be living here at home. And she a bad influence on my other girls…She ain’t smart either, and I’ll just be fair, you have to watch her or she’ll give away everything you own. But she can work like a man.”

Body Paragraph 2: Elaborate on the second point in your thesis statement

Topic Sentence: “He that lives upon hope will die fasting” In addition to being a woman and an African American, Celie is also a member of the former group. Women and people of color did not have a specific place in the American ideal.

Detail 1: Celie depends heavily on her partner.

Detail 2: She is his helper and does things like housework and taking care of his kids. For her own sake, obviously.

Detail 3: Her spouse maintains her submissiveness by not allowing her even to check the mail to see whether she received any personal correspondence.

Concluding Sentence: She doesn't even have her own clothes.

Quote(s) from the film you will use to support this point: "Don't let them run over you…you got to fight."

Body Paragraph 3: Elaborate on the third point in your thesis statement

Topic Sentence: “If you will not hear reason, she’ll surely rap your knuckles.” When Celie finally decides to go it alone, and not let anyone else tell her what to do, that's when she starts to succeed

Detail 1: After finding her sister's letters with the aid of Shug Avery, she decides to divorce her husband and go off on her own. She and Shug moved to Tennessee.

Detail 2: When her father passes away, Celie is left with the house and shop she grew up in.

Detail 3: A one-size-fits-all pants boutique is the first business she opens.

Concluding Sentence: Once again reunited with her own children, who were taken from her shortly after birth, she is able to raise them alongside her sister.

Quote(s) from the film you will use to support this point: "I'm Poor, Black, I May Even Be Ugly, But Dear God, I'm Here! I'm Here!" “The world is changing. It is no longer just a place for boys and men.”

Conclusion:

Summarize the main points in the body paragraphs and paraphrase your thesis.

In "The Color Purple," the flaws in Franklin's conception of the American ideal are laid out for everyone to see. The challenges that people face and the pressure they feel to achieve may sometimes provide them with possibilities for great fortune. In addition, the ideal was not meant to be shared with everyone, which makes it more challenging for people of color and women to attain financial success.