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38 pages 1 hour read

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1975

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Book Brief

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Ntozake Shange

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1975
Book Details
Pages

112

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

1970s

Publication Year

1975

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

NP

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Super Short Summary

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange is a choreopoem that addresses the experiences and struggles of Black women through a combination of dance, music, and poetry. The work explores themes of sexuality, relationships, and sociopolitical issues. The characters express their personal challenges and dreams using African American Vernacular English, reflecting the cultural context of the 1970s. The book includes references to rape, murder, and domestic abuse.

Emotional

Mysterious

Melancholic

Inspirational

Challenging

Reviews & Readership

4.5

35,806 ratings

83%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf earns praise for its powerful and moving depiction of Black women's experiences through poetic monologues. Critics laud its emotional depth and unique narrative style. However, some find the nonlinear structure challenging. Overall, it is celebrated for its cultural impact and artistic innovation.

Who should read this

Who Should Read For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf?

Readers who appreciate raw emotional power, poetic language, and themes of resilience will find themselves deeply moved by Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf. Similar in impact to Alice Walker's The Color Purple and Toni Morrison's Beloved, it speaks to those seeking profound, transformative narratives.

4.5

35,806 ratings

83%

Loved it

13%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Character List

The Lady in Brown

Identifies herself as outside of Chicago and is involved in a monologue that takes place in Saint Louis. Represents one perspective in the ensemble of seven nameless women.

Characterized by the color yellow in her clothing, she contributes to the collective narratives that explore various universal experiences and struggles.

Wears purple and is one of the seven women whose shared stories form a tapestry of Black women's experiences in the 1970s urban United States.

Describes herself as outside of Baltimore but later performs in Los Angeles, adding to the mosaic of voices in the ensemble.

Part of the seven women ensemble, associated with the color green, and participates in the exploration of shared themes and stories among Black women.

Initially identifies as being outside of New York and shares her New Jersey upbringing, participates in a monologue set in the Bronx.

Associated with the color orange, she is one of the seven women whose collective stories depict urban Black women's experiences and challenges.

Book Details
Pages

112

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

1970s

Publication Year

1975

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

NP

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