A Piece of Coursework

I was looking through my school folders, as you do when you're not at school anymore, and came across a piece of coursework I had done for English Literature in year 12. We read The Color Purple by Alice Walker and then had to decide whether to write a transformational or interpretational piece of coursework based on it. I chose transformational. So I was reading over this piece of text and was quite proud of it, so I decided I'll share it.
(It would help if you've read the book first.)

A Dramatic Monologue in the Voice of Mr.___

[The setting is as described in the book. Albert is sitting in front of his property looking out towards his land looking melancholic.]

Oh, how I miss her. My Celie, though she ain’t my Celie no more. I don’t think she ever was. But, oh how I wanted her to be though. She knew that. I knew it. Maybe a bit too much. I needed me a woman and Shug weren’t gonna be it. Then Nettie. I had my eyes on Nettie first. She was so beautiful and smart. But I couldn’t git her. Her nigger father was too much a fool to give her to me. I woulda loved her. Maybe even more than Shug. In the end I only got me Celie ‘cause I git me a cow with her. I had a woman and I ruined it. Just like I did with Shug.

Ever since she been gone…it’s like I, it’s like I can’t feel nothing greater. Does that even make sense? Oh well, it does to me. I feel this thing sometimes. [He walks to the bathroom] I don’t know what it is, but every time I feel it, I git this thing in my head; it’s like I’m Celie, ‘n’ I’m seein’ through her eyes. I’m in the bathroom ‘n’ I’m looking down into the sink with the water runnin’ and it a bit red. There’s a damp cloth in my hand and I look up to the mirror and dab the cloth on my cut forehead.

I don’t know why it keeps comin’ up in my head but it’s kinda weird. I wonder how she got them c-.

[He starts to walk around, trying to get the battered image of Celie out of his head.  He goes to the living room and looks out the window to where he was sitting at the beginning.]

I remember them days when Celie ‘n’ Shug sat there making them quilts. They were so good at it. I could never get my head round it. Or the cooking either. Or anything for that matter. It don’t really make sense how she did all them things and never got tired.

[He goes to the bedroom he shared with Celie] But she did get tired didn’t she. I just didn’t wanna know it. Too busy being guided by my own – [He looks towards his crotch area and looks disappointed with himself]. I mean when I was in my room by Ma ‘n’ Pa’s I always used to hear them same sounds. I musta been doin’ it right. She didn’t complain much so I musta. But then whenever she was in that room with Shug she always used to make a different noise.

[He walks back to his room, sits on the bed, and looks into the cupboard.]

Them goddamn letters. It’s all Nettie’s fault. If she had never written to Celie none of this would of happened and Celie would still be here. With me. But then if Celie stayed I woulda stayed the same too. I wouldn’t have known to change. And if Celie stayed I probably woulda beat her even more! She may have deserv- [he stops what he is saying realising he is lying only to himself.]

Everyone knows that women belong to men though. Everyone went by going on doing them things and they had no such trouble. [With slight hesitation] and they love them deep down, don’t they? I put Celie in her place because I loved her. I don’t give no damn ‘bout much others. I wanted to make sure that she would one day know the right path to take. Yeah. That’s it.

I was by Shug’s side when she was ill, day in day out. She called Celie ugly the first time she saw her. I just stood there. I boiled up so much inside though. But I couldn’t show it, not infront of Celie, I couldn’t let her know I loved her so.

[He walks back to the front of his house and stands at the very front, with a strong posture looking outwards.]

I need to get a look at myself. People be worried about gittin’ lynched and I’m here alone thinking about Celie. She left six months ago and she’s still on my mind, even if I have got me a new girl. She’s not the same though. I hope she’s well. My Celie.

[He says the last words as though he is slowly drifting off.]

[He snaps back to reality with more energy and walks back into the kitchen] Well, better get back to it, these dishes ain’t gone clean themselves.