In the essay "The Color Purple", it is important to distinguish between the "real" result of economic success, as described in the novel by the lynching of Celie's father and her "alternative" economic vision presented at the end of the novel, describing Celie's happiness and entrepreneurial success. To make this distinction it is necessary to relate the novel to two models of representation: historical and empirical data, and habits and customs. By focusing on the letters describing the lynching of Celie's father and the letter describing Celie's economic stability and happiness (found in the last letter), it is possible to establish a clear distinction between the real and alternative worlds in relation to the economic situations presented in the novel. Customs and traditions in the "real" world generally serve to maintain order, decorum and stability. In the novel, the reality was that blacks had to work for whites on whatever terms were available. When using customs and traditions to describe the real world of the novel, it is evident that we are examining an external world based on a society where the white oppressor rules over the oppressed black population. The economic realities of white land ownership, near-monopoly of technical and business expertise, and control of financial institutions were, in fact, the accepted norm (Sowell 48). In presenting the term “fact,” we must take into account the introduction of a second model, “historical and empirical data,” in representing the real world of The Color Purple. As illustrated in the pages of American history books, it is clear that the economic situation of blacks in the early 1900s was characterized by extreme poverty and limited opportunity. This historical context provides a framework for understanding the economic realities of the novel. However, the novel also presents an alternative world, one in which Celie achieves economic independence and happiness. This world is represented through fairy-tale explanations of social relationships. This fable embraces America for providing the black nation with the right and opportunity to own land, participate in the free market, and profit from it. Indeed, The Color Purple is a fairy tale; a world where sexual exploitation can be easily overcome and a world of unlimited access to material well-being (Hooks 223). By highlighting the letter dealing with the lynching of Celie's father and the final letter of the novel establishing Celie's economic independence, we have illustrated the real and alternative worlds as they relate to the economic prosperity of the black individual. Thus creating an illusory fantasy world by combining or mediating between the social realism of the novel and its alternative.