How do I revise The Color Purple for OCR A-Level?

Use precise quotations and analyse language closely rather than summarising plot.

What exam tips are there for The Color Purple? (2)

Plan essays around key themes, not character-by-character summaries.

What exam tips are there for The Color Purple? (3)

Always consider alternative viewpoints, e.g., feminist, postcolonial, or queer readings.

What mistakes should I avoid in The Color Purple?

Oversimplifying character arcs, e.g., viewing Celie's transformation as solely due to Shug's influence.

What are common errors in The Color Purple exams? (2)

Neglecting the significance of the novel's African setting in the later letters.

The Color Purple

OCR

A-Level

An exploration of Alice Walker's 'The Color Purple' as a seminal work of African American literature, examining its innovative epistolary narrative, the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality in the lives of its characters, and its broader social and historical context. The study encourages critical analysis of language, structure, and the novel's enduring impact on feminist and postcolonial discourses.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award credit for detailed analysis of how Walker uses vernacular and dialect to construct authentic voices.
Reward candidates who make explicit connections between the novel's form and its thematic concerns.
Look for sustained engagement with contextual factors, such as Jim Crow laws and early 20th-century sexism.
Credit discussion of narrative gaps and silences, and what they signify.
Higher marks for integrating critical perspectives seamlessly into the argument.

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Award credit for detailed analysis of how Walker uses vernacular and dialect to construct authentic voices.
Reward candidates who make explicit connections between the novel's form and its thematic concerns.
Look for sustained engagement with contextual factors, such as Jim Crow laws and early 20th-century sexism.
Credit discussion of narrative gaps and silences, and what they signify.
Higher marks for integrating critical perspectives seamlessly into the argument.

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡Use precise quotations and analyse language closely rather than summarising plot.
💡Plan essays around key themes, not character-by-character summaries.
💡Always consider alternative viewpoints, e.g., feminist, postcolonial, or queer readings.
💡Make sure to address the specific demands of the question, avoiding prepared answers.

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Oversimplifying character arcs, e.g., viewing Celie's transformation as solely due to Shug's influence.
Neglecting the significance of the novel's African setting in the later letters.
Confusing Walker's social message with a lack of artistic complexity.
Failing to discuss the novel as a constructed text, treating it as documentary realism.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Epistolary form and narrative voice

Race and systemic oppression

Gender roles and patriarchy

Sexuality and self-discovery

Sisterhood and female solidarity

Religion and spiritual awakening

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic

The Color Purple

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Key Terminology

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in OCR A-Level English Literature

Comparative and contextual study

Beloved

Literature post-1900

Literature post-1900