How is the epistolary form used in The Color Purple by Alice Walker?

The word epistolary refers to literary works that written in the form of letters or journal entries. Therefore, this novel uses the epistolary form because it is comprised of letters that Celie and her sister Nettie write.  

This form has some unique advantages and disadvantages. Because Celie, at least initially, cannot interpret or reflect on her experiences, the audience gets a very candid, almost childlike perspective on them. She's a reliable narrator in the...

The word epistolary refers to literary works that written in the form of letters or journal entries. Therefore, this novel uses the epistolary form because it is comprised of letters that Celie and her sister Nettie write.  

This form has some unique advantages and disadvantages. Because Celie, at least initially, cannot interpret or reflect on her experiences, the audience gets a very candid, almost childlike perspective on them. She's a reliable narrator in the sense that she is extremely honest, like a child, and because she addresses her letters to God (whom she believes would already know everything anyway, so there is no reason for her to lie). Further, it can be difficult to keep track of the novel's timeline since Celie includes no dates and only refers to the passage of time when a character she's quoting makes a reference to it.  This style of narration does bring us extremely close to Celie, rendering her even more sympathetic than she might otherwise be, especially because of her lack of understanding about what's happening to her early in the novel.