Calvino says that catastrophes are like a whirlpool towards which a multitude of converging causes have contributed, rather than one single thing. A knot or tangle of events causes a mess to ensue. Calvino says the contemporary novel (which The Color Purple is an example of), is like an encyclopedia as a method of knowledge and a network of connections between events, people and the things of the world.
When I read The Color Purple I became very aware of the concept Calvino speaks of. There were so many converging events that jumbled together to form a mess of things. Albert’s relationship with Celie was horrible and her father treated her badly as well. Sophie is sent to jail and Celie has to take care of everyone near her and at the same time she misses her sister, who she thinks is dead for years until she realizes Albert has been hiding her letters. Celie also discovers that her daughter was adopted by the woman who Nettie (Celie’s sister) is in Africa with, which connects more people in the story. All these events cause quite a mess but also show the connections that are held between people in the story and how they are all connected in some way.
