The Color Purple sparked considerable controversy regarding Walker's portrait of black male characters, with several writers and critics accusing her of reinforcing negative male stereotypes. The abusive behavior of Celie's father Pa and her husband Albert were cited as examples of Walker's betrayal of African-American solidarity. Class discussions could focus on similar issues in The Third Life of Grange Cope/and, but a more fruitful discussion might result from an examination of the effects that traditional white gender roles have on relationships between men and women in the novel, along with the added pressures created by poverty and racism in the rural South before the Civil Rights Movement.

1. Why is Grange Copeland unable to touch his son in the early scene in which Grange hovers over Brownfield's bed before deserting the family? How do social forces contribute to the alienation of father and son in this...