The Poem For Colored Girls by Ntozake Shanges - Assignment Example

Shange’s creativity in times of feminist movement; highlights the uniqueness of black women and their resistance against the common malfunctions in unpredictable life and predictable social circumstances. It has a melancholic touch along with the inspiration of moving on; in it. However, the author’s aim has been to depict how life moves on and requires the people to do the same.

Sexiest discrimination within the same ethnicity, human needs as women, consequences of sex, forced sex turning into rape were the moving topics of it. Through this, Shange painted a true picture of life lived by black women and the treatment they receive from black male members of their own ethnicity. Their pains as diseases, attachment, and detachment, all a play of emotions.

Shange’s viewpoint was to highlight the sentimental dependence and enslavement of black women without identity and the true hidden colors of brightness in these women, which are often neglected.

Shange through different colors portrayed different challenges faced by black women like love, sex, abortion, rape, and moment of realization (unacceptance of giving up to the people and circumstances) and finally realizing the happiness, within oneself when one confronts the feeling of disappointment. Thus, the experience of sharing challenges collectively shows the power of community and sisterhood. Shange’s aim was to show the universal truth about life and its relevance.

On the other hand, Tyler Perry’s version lacked the true essence of the plot. It was viewed from a typical angle and directed in a similar manner. It has lacked the beauty of upheaving the audience; limited expression of actresses and enforced chunks of direction put together; was unable to justify the classical work of art. Alterations in the sequence of the poems and additions according to his melodramatic views, somehow managed to depict the opposing image of Shange’s approach of sensation intermingled with the beauty of acceptance. Although the rape scene did some justice to the play, as it showed the actress looking at the clock, which depicted the moments; one wants to speed away rather than freeze and make suffering longer and more unforgettable.

Shange’s version had 6 women, nameless identified only through the colors of the rainbow and the seventh of brown color; showed as a dark patch in a woman’s life. Blue lady struggled with the dilemma of abortion and red-faced domestic violence. The ending, however, enlightens the power of womanhood and sisterhood and showed the optimistic version of the downfall of lives of African American Women.

On the other hand, Perry’s version mainly showed the pessimistic side and the ending was horrific, which showed the drastic ending of all the eight black women. Through the use of 14 original poems from Shange’s version, he clipped most of them according to his own version, which wasn’t exactly ravishing and inspiring. The typical lines of Perry’s version said by Janet Jackson were, “I know I have issues with trust” (For colored girls, 2011).  Tyler Perry describes his adaption of “for the colored girls…….” As a picture of surrender which completely negated Shange’s idea of acceptance and call of recognition.

 Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Jurnee Smollett, Macy Gray, Phylicia Rashad, Kimberly Elise, and  Kerry Washington, were the leading black women, who depicted the ladies of Shange’s rainbow color women. However, these ladies were unable to do them justice with the poetic theme of “experiencing the inevitable”. The lady in yellow was meant to describe her loss of virginity in the back seat of the car and the opinion of other ladies in regard to sex were meant to show the importance of companionship and difference of opinion regarding unprotected sex in society. Perry showed these black women powerful and successful in outer spaces by showing them professionally successful and wealthy but portrayed them helpless and victims of men in their private lives.

The trauma felt and displayed in Shange’s poetic version is peculiar and Perry’s version has been an utter disenchantment in portraying it.  The poetry in Perry’s version (altered) is unable to inspire and reveal the defeat and success of these women. The idea of success mainly consists of a person’s perspective, Shange believed; to make the best out of worst and Perry couldn’t picture the potency of it. Perry made a feminist chore poem into a soap opera. Kimberly Elise was considered the only actress who could justify her role as an abused woman by her boyfriend. Although Perry tried to wrap up the events gracefully in the end, the originality lacking up till the end of the movie.