Allegory

The Purple Flower is an allegorical play. An allegory is a story in which the characters, settings, and action are meant to be interpreted as representative of a social or political situation Allegories frequently provide a moral or lesson about this situation. Thus, Bonner's play is an allegory for-race relations in the United States, in which the Us's represent African Americans, and the White Devils represent white Americans, The hill with the purple flower symbolizes the realm of the privileged, while the valley symbolizes the realm of the underpriVI1eged or oppressed. The characters are allegorical figures that represent a variety of attitudes toward these race relations, and their discussion of how to reach the hill symbolizes various debates among African Americans as to how they should go about trying to achieve equality.

Setting: Time and Place

The Purple Flower is set in an allegorical time and place...