Nettie in Africa

All Nettie's experiences as a missionary in West Africa take up a large part of the novel. Initially she is excited at the prospect of returning to her roots in order to convert her ethnic brothers and sisters. A series of disappointments and disillusionments follow, as she realises that they are uninterested in slavery, the black experience in America, or really in the religion which the missionaries have brought them. Paradoxically, Corinne, Samuel and Nettie are alien outsiders among their own original people. There is no racial unity between the three of them and the Olinkas despite the colour of their skins and their common heritage.

Olinka society is at first fascinating and alluring but as the time progresses. Only Tashi comes round to her way of thinking and she is ostracised and leaves the tribe to marry Adam travelling back to America with Nettie and Celie's children. The practice of female circumcision and facial scarring is also revolting to Nettie, who regards it as degrading but understands it to be a custom which enables the Olinka to cling on to its tribal identity in a changing world. It is a barbaric custom and Nettie feels helpless to influence the tribe or to help the victims

Shug Avery

She is a blues singer - very successful and wealthy. Unlike other black women, she is well travelled and quite sophisticated. The dominant impression of her is that she has enormous vitality. She is not a pleasant person, having a very acerbic, tough exterior. She can be insensitive and cruel, even to people she loves. Celie's first impression of Shug when she nurses her serious illness is that Shug is "evil". Throughout her life she seems to have chosen her own path, sleeping with whoever she pleases and pleasing herself in her lifestyle. She has a number of illegitimate children from a long standing affair with Celie's husband, Albert and several passionate affairs with other men, some young enough to be her own son. She also has a serious love affair with Celie, although there is no indication that she has ever been lesbian before.

Racism

A sense of racial tension runs throughout the novel alongside the feminist issues dealt with. Celie is the daughter of a successful Negro store owner, lynched by white men for no other reason than his financial success. All the characters in Celie's family and the extended family she comes into contact with through Shug and her husband's children are the poor exploited blacks of the American South. Even the poorest of the whites consider themselves superior to any black, no matter how successful. The story of Sofia is the main episode in the novel which illustrates the hazards of being black in Georgia in the thirties (and later) Sofia is spirited and strong, assertive and independent and yet she is reduced to total helplessness when she dares to answer back to the mayor's wife - a spineless creature who is herself as weak as Sofia is strong. Sofia refuses to be patronised. She makes the mistake of "looking like somebody" - driving in a car, an unusual thing in those days for anyone, let alone a black woman and replying to the mayor's wife's offer of menial work with a "Hell, no" The beating she receives is out of all proportion to the offence she committed but the white ruling class shows no mercy to an "uppity nigger".

In the character of Eleanor Jane, Alice Walker manages to show that it is possible for black and white to mend relationships and begin to understand and accept one another. By the end of the novel Eleanor Jane and Sofia are able to relate like equal women rather than black servant and mistress, but only after Sofia has been brutally honest with the younger woman about the reality of the way she feels about her and her child. Eleanor Jane begins to realise that Sofia is a woman, not a faceless black person like all the rest of her race and even turns on her own parents, demanding to know how a woman like Sofia could work for "trash". The main point to note about the racial prejudice shown by whites to blacks is that it is very often unconscious and all the more insidious because of that.

Men of the novel

"Wherever there's a man, there's trouble!"

It is hardly surprising that most of the male characters in this novel are presented in an unsympathetic light. They are all, even Samuel, inferior in some way to the women they associate with. They show little understanding of women, treating them as slaves, menial workers or sex objects. They seem also to have no solidarity, unlike the females, who band together to support and console one another. The men in this novel seem to be incapable of bonding with one another and show little evidence of communicating on anything other than a very basic, crude level.

Each one of the men has their own issues: Alphonso, the father, is a rapist and uses his daughters in despicable ways, Albert is abusive and Harpo is negligent.

Faith

The church is an important part of the social life of the community in which Celie lives. At the beginning of the novel she is a staunch member of the church, and continues to be so, working as hard there as she does for Mr and his children. Her letters are addressed to God and she says "As long as I can spell G-o-d I got somebody along." She looks to God as a support and a help although in practice she gets very little help from her fellow church goers. Nettie's religious experience is different to Celie's, being more conventional in the missionary setting in Africa, but she, too arrives at a more relaxed and tolerant outlook as the novel ends Her experiences with the Olinka tribe are educational, in that they show her and Samuel that the conventions of organised religions are often restricting, not liberating as they are meant to be - that the message of the Gospel has to be in harmony with the people receiving it. Her acceptance of the ceremony of the roof leaf as "not Jesus Christ, but.in its own humble way is it not God?" is significant, as is her decoration of her hut with native artefacts rather than the stereotypical images of the missionary Jesus and saints. She ends up with a more spiritual and personal relationship with God as a result of her time in Africa, and like her sister comes to realise that the narrowness of conventional belief and practice closes rather than opens the way to a personal contact with the Almighty.

Feminism

Male dominance is the norm in both countries. As Albert says "Men s'pose to wear the pants". It takes various forms, not least of which is sexual aggression. In the very first letter, Celie tells of the abuse she suffers at the hands of the man she believes for a long time is her father. Mary Agnes is raped by the white uncle whom she approaches for help to get Sofia out of prison and Mr also tries to force Nettie to submit to him before she leaves the house after fighting him off. Physical violence is a common occurrence, even in relationships which are quite loving, like that between Harpo and his wife Sofia. He beats her because "the woman s'pose to mind." It is a respectable thing for a man to do to his wife, in his view.

Women are exploited very seriously, especially Celie. Celie is supposed to Albert's affair with Shug Avery. The novel's message is that women must stand up against the unfair treatment they receive at the hands of men and that they must do this by helping one another. The women in the novel, even those who have interests in the same men, nevertheless band together to support and sustain one another throughout the novel. The bond of sisterhood is important, both literally in the persons of Nettie and Celie, Sofia and Odessa and metaphorically in the persons of Mary Agnes and Sofia, Albert's sister and Celie, Tashi and Olivia and of course Shug Avery and Celie, who embody the twin roles of sisters and lovers in their relationship.

The color of purple

A dictionary defines purple as “any of a group of colors with a hue between that of violet and red” and as a “symbol of royalty or high office.” Historically, the color purple has been associated with royalty and power. At the beginning of the book, you could say that Celie has no sense of the color purple. She has such a horrible life, she’s not stopping to smell the roses, she’s just surviving. By surviving, we mean, she’s practically dead emotionally, but is physically alive. At first I thought the color purple was merely another way to refer to people that were of African American descent, but there is much more to Walker’s title. The actual color purple is a powerful color that was rare throughout history. It was the color of royalty. I believe this color can relate to the way that Celie portrays herself. She is treated as the opposite of royalty and needs to find the color of purple within herself.

Slave to freedom

Celie goes through the transition of a slave to an individual. Celie is an extremely strong character that overcomes the many years of abuse that was put upon her. The book was conveyed in a style that is unique in its own sense and the use of the Southern English makes the book especially realistic and more like an actual journal. I have felt that it is the most powerful portrayal of a woman and her struggle to survive. This character shows the reader that she is a survivor and your future can't be determined from your

Naming Mr.

When Celie finds the strength to leave Mr, he is left to face the reality of himself and what he sees isn't pretty; his transformation humanizes him and allows Celie to call him Albert, recognizing him as a person, as he finally recognizes her as one. This is a book to be treasured and read over and over again. When Celie hurls her defiance into Mr's face -- "I'm poor, I'm black, I may be ugly... but I'm here", she is making an affirmation not only to him, but to the whole world; the reader can only say, along with Shug Avery

Shug's illness--Community reacts

Celie's church thinks that Shug becomes ill through sexual acts.  They label her with the "woman disease", but what is so ironic is that men can get the disease she has as well.  It was just easier to label her with it and allow the men to get away with it because that was more acceptable in their community.  After all of this happens Shug goes back to performing and all of the people that had called her names and labeled her were willing to take her back as admiring fans of her talent.

Nettie

I think Nettie was so intersting because of how smart she was. Compared to Celie she seemed to be a genius, and it's difficult to fathom that Celie had falen so behind in her education. I feel really bad for Celie becuase not only is she "ugly" but she isn't very educated either. The thing that I love about Nettie though, is that she doesn't let it all get to her head. She loves Celie and truly cares about her. I was surprised to find out that she had written to Celie for so long when teh letter were found becuase I thought that once Nettie had her freedom she wouldn't look back and would just end up forgetting her sister.

Celie's lack of trust

I think an intersting aspect of the story was Shug and Celie's relationship. Even though it was a bit too close for my liking I think I an understand Celie's obession with Shug becuase of the way she has been treated by men her whole life. Even her own "father" didn't care about her, and was ore concerened about getting her pregnant rather than be a support support system for her. Then, once Celie is married, she practically becomes a servant of the house and is left to take of everyone's needs, and no one if there to take care of her until Shug come into the picture. Shug is the first person who has Celie think of herself and have the will to do what she wants to do and not go around following other's orders.

Shug Avery: the "free" woman

I think Shug was one of the most interesting characters thorughout the story. She was independant, sassy, caring and even at some point compassionate. At the beginning of the story, Shug was really hard on Celire, calling her name, making fun of her appearance and belittling her. Once she got to know Celie as a person, not as the household servent, she finally started to show that she actuallly cared about people and wasn't just out to make herself feel good. With the help of Celie, Shuf=g is able to recover from a sickness and regain her health. After that the women became close...a little to close, I'd say. And were the support system for each other. Shug was running around in life, having no idea what she wanted, while Celie looked up to her in everything that she did. Shug knew that she wasn't a proper woman by any means, but she held her head up and watched as the world went crazy before her eyes. She held no fear to those around her, and she did not care what/how people felt about her.

Blog 10

The moment of rebirth for Celie is when Shug finds Nettie’s letters. In a moment Celie is freed from purposeful separation from her sister. She is freed from a lifetime of guilt upon realizing that her “pa” is not her biological father. She is also set free from obligation to her husband. Everything that has trapped her in the life that she leads has been broken away because she realizes that everything was a lie. She is not alone and there is someone who loves her. The letters become a lisence for her to be whoever she wants to be and she doesn’t have to seek permission or approval anymore.

            Celie is given a gift. She finds happiness and embraces a new sense of self, peace and forgiveness. It is only the fact that she has truly found redemption and has completely forgiven and begun to love herself that enables her to forgive the people that kept her enslaved. Celie puts on her pants and chases life, knowing that it is worth living now.

Blog 9

Celie becomes young in her old age. A contradiction? Yes. Surprising? No. Her childhood was full of torture and abuse and disappointment. All she could count on was the guarantee that she would be the property of someone else. She left this bondage and married into another one. There is not a moment within the story that proves Celie is loved, until the end. The end is a time of healing. Relationships are repaired, friendships are made and people are reunited. “I think this is the youngest us ever felt.” Referring to Celie, Nettie, Shug, Albert, and others. They have all been given a second chance. For some it is the chance to say sorry and embrace a new way to live. For others it is the chance to live for the first time.

            Celie’s strength comes from the knowledge that someone loves her. This is why Nettie’s character is so important. Without Nettie, Celie is alone, but with her there is the reassurance that there is someone who wants better for her, someone who truly loves her for who she is. 

Blog 8

The complication in the novel is almost funny, but because of the circumstances it is not. Celie’s husband brings his mistress, Shug, to their home to be nursed back to health. Instead of being angry, Celie is fascinated with the beautiful woman. This is the complete opposite reaction that Celie’s husband expects. Celie was supposed to be the victim, but with Shug around Celie isn’t forced to sleep with anyone or beaten. She is given relief. She also experiences jealousy and a desire for a relationship, but instead of having these feelings for a man she has them for a woman. This is the breaking open of Celie’s character. She sees something that she wants and works to get it. This is also the road to her freedom. Shug is the one that encourages her to pursue a new life, to leave everything behind and she also discovers all of the lies that Celie has had to live with for so long.

            When Celie falls for Shug there is a break in her chains, but when Shug falls for Celie they come off completely. I can’t condone this type of relationship, but within the pages of the book, this is what gives Celie the strength to change her life. Later she is able to walk away from Shug with the promise of friendship, so it is not necessarily Shug that makes Celie strong, but it is the reminder that there is something left to fight for.

           

Blog 7

When Celie tell Harper to beat Sophie the reader is able to recognize fore the first time that Celie has something inside of her. She acts for her own benefit for the first time, although she knows she is wrong. She is forced to recognize the state she is in. Why would she inflict pain on another woman? When she apologizes she is forced to confront the emotion- jealousy. “I’m jealous of you. I say it cause you do what I can’t… fight.” Sofia isn’t intimidated by anyone; she is the exact opposite of Celie’s character. Celie lies down in front of the abuser and Sofia hits him right back. This is the beginning of Celie’s desire to do something, to be her own person, but she is still trapped behind the shame and embarrassment of her past. Sofia ends up telling Celie that all her life, she’s had to fight men because it is a man’s world, but she never thought she’s have to do that in her own home. The home is identified as a place of safety here, but throughout the book it has been a place of fear and resignation. 

Blog 6

I felt the irony when Celie’s pa was trying to marry her off. He had ruined her as a woman and that ended up being the selling point. He rattled off all kinds of ‘high praise’-“She ain’t no stranger to hard work. And she clean.” However, the real bargain was that Celie couldn’t have children anymore. I was so angry at the way she is bargained off like cattle. Hey she works hard and she wont waste your money with a bunch of children. The reason she couldn’t have children is because of the way she was treated by her pa in the first place.

            The ideal woman according to the men is someone you can sleep with as much as you want without any consequences. Children aren’t viewed as a gift; they are a drain on the family. Because the woman cannot contribute, she remains voiceless, unable to do anything but follow orders. How can a woman be more than what she is permitted to be when she is damaged, broken… alone?

            The irony was in the relief of the pa. He gets rid of the evidence although if he had cared for her the proper way he wouldn’t have needed the relief. The pressure he felt was self -inflicted.

Blog 5

One of the parts of the novel that really stood out to me was when Celie was addressing one of her letters. She writes, “Dear God. Dear stars, dear trees, dear sky, dear peoples. Dear everything. Dear God.” In Celie’s eyes God is not stagnant. He is in everything around her. She recognizes His presence in all things, not out of a deep connection with Him but just simply with the recognition that He is God. God’s hand has moved among creation; among the fields and the flowers and the trees and among His people. He has painted the stars and spun the galaxies. There is nothing that He has not touched. Celie’s recognition of this is simple. There is not an elaborate explanation, there is simply a title and that title refers to God as all things whether or not she realizes it. Celie does not just simply see God in nature, but in everything, including her fellow human beings

            This is almost shocking that would recognize God in the people around her. One would think that she would be overwhelmed with her anger and bitterness towards them to even realize it, but she does realize it and it able to be thankful for His presence. 

Blog 4

The moment Celie is freed from her oppressive marriage full of lies, abuse and neglect she begins to wear and to make pants. Pants are her freedom, women do not wear pants but she does. The pants act as a symbol of liberation from sexism. All of her life Celie has been under the thumb of every man in her life. Her Pa sexually abuses her and then gets rid of her as soon as he can to a man who doesn’t love her. Her husband makes demands of her even though he doesn’t care for her. Celie has never been loved. She makes the pants to prove that she is free and she is no longer a victim. She wears the pants to prove her bravery and her newfound confidence in herself.

            The pants can represent economic liberation. Celie’s pregnancy kept her from completing school. This made her illiterate and many people considered her stupid. Being a black woman without an education makes it impossible to find work. Celie makes pants to break this hold over herself concerning her future. Everyone claimed that she become nothing. However, by the end of the story she becomes a person rather than a suppressed woman, free from gender stereotypes and free from the suppression of the people around her. Celie is free.

Blog 3

Walkers chose a narrator that suffered. She was a woman who was weak against the men in her life and helpless in society. She was uneducated and poor, as well as ugly and unrefined. She had no special talents and her husband was a constant reminder of her value in the world. Her children came from the only father she had ever known and her life was wrapped around abuse from every angle. Why would Walkers choose this kind of a narrator?

            Celie is a tool within the story. She shows that all people including poor uneducated victimized black women have an important story to tell. It doesn’t matter who people say you are. Everyone has a place that they have come from and a everyone has a place that they are going and there is always something in the middle. If Celie was given the chance to tell her story then everyone should be given a chance to tell his or her story. She was someone the reader could relate to. Her imperfections made her appealing because of the sense of desperate humanity in her narration. Celie made the book because without her the reader would not have understood the significance of telling someone… of telling someone about your life.

Blog 2

Celie’s letters to God are the constant thread throughout the story. They express a deep honesty that does not hide her weakness or her inhibition or anger. She pours out her heart in every letter, revealing who she is. There is no embarrassment or shame, which is surprising because she lives most of her life with both of these things.

            It surprised me that Celie wrote letters to God, but the longer I read the more it made sense. She wasn’t writing because she was this deeply religious woman but more or less because God was the only consistent person in her life. The reason I came to this conclusion was because of Nettie. As soon as Celie realized that Nettie had not abandoned her, the name on the top of her letters changed. Celie addressed whoever was present in her life. She did not write with intention, but instead wrote the unintended thoughts that coursed through her mind. This made the book more believable and more real. Her vulnerability is what sells the reader.

Blog 1

I thought that the title was appropriate. I couldn’t figure out where is was relative in the story until Shugs conversation with Celie. She says, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”

            I believe that the color purple in the story represents all the good things in the world. I believe that it symbolizes the things that we are supposed to enjoy, but sometimes we forget to recognize. For example, how many times a day do we walk by the flowers or forget to notice the sunset? It is there for our enjoyment and yet we are not aware that it is there. We have become too wrapped up in ourselves. In the beginning of the book I don’t think that Celie has no sense of the color purple. She has such a horrible life that she isn’t stopping to “smell the roses.”

            The color is not as significant as its meaning. This is the first moment where Celie is given the chance to enjoy something in her life, even if it is as small as the purple flower. Not just given the chance, but encouraged. After a life full of oppression and discouragement, Celie is not used to taking time for herself.

Ray of Hope

Throughout this story, you find a lot of suffering, tragedy, abuse, and sadness. It seems like the story will not have a happy ending.Though strategically, Alice Walker puts in a ray of hope in random parts of the story. One of the rays hope that caught my eye was Nettie meeting with the missionaries, Samuel and Corrine. Not only is Nettie free from abuse and suffering, she also is taken to Africa to become a caretaker for the missionaries adopted children. While taking care of the children, she finds out that the children are Celie's children. Then Nettie writes Celie letters to inform her about her discovery. This section of the story gives a ray of hope for Celie to be reunited with her children again. This also gives the reader hope and lifts up their spirit. This personally happened to me, and drew me into the story even more. I began to read more for a specific purpose, which was to read about Celie's reunion with her children.

Celie

I absolutely loved that I got to know the characters in this book through the eyes of Celie. That made them so real to me, and I think I picked up on a lot of things that I would not have had there been a narrator simply giving a description of the characters.

I noticed that whenever Celie’s mood toward a certain character changed, so did mine. When she was upset at them, I was too. However, if right after they hurt her she turned around and forgave them, so did I. I felt myself connected to Celie while reading this book, and I think that is such a sign of good writing. The author was able to capture my emotions and harness them around this character for the entire book. Good writing indeed.

Mr. ______

The fact that we do not know Mr. ______ last name alludes to the fact that maybe he is someone who's name we do in fact know, and perhaps must be censored. I tried to do research on why his name was left out, but could not find anything. However, it got me thinking that if that was the case, and it very well could have been, then Celie was not the only person (woman) living this way. The novel shows us that, and does not try to make it seem like she is the only African American Woman being treated this way, however she was the only one on my mind while I was reading her story. When I think about this whole story in the context that perhaps it was many African American women's reality, that makes it all the more heartbreaking. Suffering did not end with slavery, and that is something this book clearly points out.

Letters

I think that Alice Walker’s choice to write this novel in letters was a brilliant idea, and one reason for that is because it lets readers get to know Celie better than would have been possible without them. Because of her lack of communicating, we would have never known her she felt, what her emotions were, or even what her personality was like without the letters. I think it is a really cool thing to be able to learn all these things about her straight from what she writes about herself, and not from the perspective of a narrator, or of another character.

Slavery

One thing I appreciated about this novel was that it did not only focus on slavery, or abuse from white men. African American's were not only abused by people who were white, as we see in Celie's situation, but also by people of their own color. For all intents and purposes, Celie was a slave. She did what she was told, and was beat when she did not. She did all the work, even if it was more than she could handle. She was responsible for everything, even when it was not her responsibility. However, it was not at the hand of a white man, rather at the hand of a black man. I liked that this novel focused on that part of African American history, because I think that that is something that is often forgotten, or not thought about at all.

Communication

It is sad to think of how much fear Celie had when it came to communication. Whether it was

how she was feeling, something that she wanted, or a question she had, she hardly every

communicated it. However, she does freely communicate with God in her letters. It is so sad to see

that she does not hesitate in telling him how she is feeling or what she wants, so it isn’t as if she is

confused about that. While communication would not have fixed everything for Celie, it may have

made things somewhat easier for her, therefore it is heartbreaking to think about how she never

put it out there, never let on to what she needed. Her life might have been so different had she

started communicating early on, maybe by telling about what her father was doing to her. Or

maybe it would not have, but either way, I think she would have felt so much better about herself if

she would have spoken the words aloud that she wrote in her letters to God.

Pride

“One of Sofia children break in, the oldest boy. He tall and handsome, all the time serious. And mad a lot.

He say, Don’t say slaving, Mama.

Sofia say, Why not? They got me in a little storeroom up under the house, hardly bigger than Odessa’s porch, and just about as warm in the winter time. I’m at they beck and call all night and all day. They won’t let me see my children. They won’t let me see no mens. Well, after five years they let me see you once a year. I’m a slave, she say. What would you call it?

A captive, he say.

Sofia go on with her story, only look at him like she glad he hers.”

This conversation lets readers know that the characters in this book knew how things were. They knew why they were treated the way they were treated, they knew what to expect, and how they were expected to behave. However, they refused to just lie down and let themselves be walked all over. This quote shows Sofia’s son showing a sense of pride not just for his mother, but for his people in general. He was not being rebellious about it, or staging a revolt, yet he was using the power of words to place her at a higher level.

God

“She got sicker an sicker.

Finally she ast Where it is?

I say God took it.

He took it. He took it while I was sleeping. Kilt it out there in the woods. Kill this one too, if he can.”

Other than addressing Him at the beginning of her letters, this is the first time Celie mentions God. It’s interesting not only because she is actually talking about Pa, who she assumes is her father, but also because she addresses him while talking about such a violent act. This is the first perspective we see her having of God, yet she continues on addressing Him at the beginning of every letter, just like they are old friends. It makes me wonder if perhaps she was afraid of God, just like she feared other men, yet still had to exist around them.

Children

While I’m pretty sure we can all agree that this whole novel was heart breaking, one of the saddest things to me was the way the children were so often abandoned. It is mentioned that Shug and Mr. _____ have 3 children together, but he didn’t stay with them, and later, neither did she. Squeak finds it easy to leave her child as she goes to pursue her dream, and Harpo does not fight to be able to keep, or at least see, his children. This was a theme that ran all the way throughout the novel, and it just broke my heart that the parents did not feel a strong enough love for their children to at least put up a fight for them.

Attraction vs. Fear

“He beat me today cause he say I winked at a boy in church. I may have got somethin in my eye but I didn’t wink. I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them. Maybe cause my mama cuss me you think I kept mad at her. But I ain’t. I felt sorry for mama. Trying to believe his story kilt her.”

While this quote may seem to be an early indication that Celie doesn’t like men, I think it is more an explanation of WHY she does not like men. I do not think Celie is not attracted to men because she is homosexual, or because she feels more for women than for men, but because she is afraid of men, and when true, raw fear of something exists, it is extremely hard to feel attraction to that thing. Instead, you would want to shy away from what you are afraid of. That is exactly what Celie does, choosing instead to be attracted to women.

Female Relationships

I found “The Color Purple” to be similar to the book I read for the last novel session, “The Secret Life of Bees” in the sense of there being strong female relationships throughout the whole plot. I thought it was very interesting that in SLOB, the only male character close to Lily (the main character of the book) that is not painted as a terrible person is Zak. All other male characters closely involved with her have bad motives and mean her harm. In the same way, “The Color Purple” paints every male in a negative light, except for maybe Harpo. Perhaps this is because as readers, we see him through someone else’s eyes.

I found it extremely interesting that although these books were completely different, they had such a striking similarity when it came to this issue. All males are bad, except for maybe just one. It almost gives the reader a very slight sense of hope about the male characters.

Communication

In life, communication is key to everything. Friendships, relationships, work, etc. all need communication in order to sustain, live. Throughout the book, the author conveys what she thinks about letters and writing. Writing was emotion is crucial in life. Understanding one's emotion and being able to express them and not keep locked what is inside, is something that every person needs. But one key factor is the listening. If there are all of these emotions, thoughts, and agony kept inside someone but no one to listen, the purpose of communicating such things has been lost. The key about communication is having someone to listen to you. When it comes to the end of the novel when Celie and Nettie are finally reunited, they both are fulfilled and freed because now they understand why each other has replied and listen to the other and there is nothing to hinder them from ever not listening to each other again.

True, pure friendship

The ties of friendship and value of friendship between women in the book is conveyed strongly. Sofia is a woman that has learned how to fight because of the influence her sisters have had on her life. Sofia at an early age was already learning to defend, think, fight for herself, fight for her freedom. The strong connection of love and action with Celie and her sister Nettie, also conveys how Nettie was trying to set her sister free also. But because Nettie was taken by force from Celie's life because she would not submit to the wishes of a man as Celie did, she had to leave. If Nettie and Celie had spent a lot more time with each other, Celie's life would have been a lot different due to their bonds and love of friendship. But besides all of this levels of sisterly friendship, the friendship between Shug and Celie is was finally brings redemption and sense of self to Celie. If it was not for Shug coming into Celie's life, she would have never learned to fight for herself. This friendship was strong enough and impacting to the point of breaking the bonds that Celie was in.

Harpo's Personality

By first impression, I imagined that Harpo would be like his father, because of that famous saying, "Father like son". Ironically,the personality of Harpo and his father are completely different. His father, Albert, has a rotten, abusive, and malicious attitude that cannot be overlooked. His father is all about abusing his wife, committing adultery, and male dominance. On the other hand, Harpo is more sensitive and caring. He openly confesses his love toward his independent woman, Sofia, to Celie, and he is less focused on male dominance. Harpos shows love toward his children by giving kisses, which cannot be said for his father. Surprisingly, he also enjoys cooking and doing housework, which his father would have never done. Albert sees his son's gentle personality and attempts to change him. He convinces Harpo about using male dominance by beating his wife, Sofia. Then Harpo starts to beat Sofia, which does not last long. Eventually, Harpo disregarded his father's horrible advice and saves his crumbling marriage. This contrast of personalities is quite interesting to read about, and it is seen hundreds of times in life.

The Irony of Life

This book not only shows women's suffering, but also the irony of life. In the beginning of the story, Celie suffered through all those years without standing up for herself. Her sufferings consisted of being raped by her own father, separated from her two kids, separated from her sister, slavery in her own marriage, dealing with sexual and physical abuse, and many other things.While her husband, Albert, is happy abusing her mentally, sexually, and physically. He disrespects his wedding vows by committing adultery, and attempting to rape Nettie. He ultimately establishes no boundaries in his life. The ironic part of life links with the famous biblical statement "As you sow, so shall you reap". At the end of the story, Celie stands up for herself and leaves Albert. She inherits her father's house ,and she is reunited with her sister and children. These events in her life could be a symbol of rebirth in her life. Albert, on the other hand, lives at his home all alone and old. He has depended so much on Celie that he has no clue on how to cook, clean, and maintain a home. Eventually, he is happiness is gone.

Power of one's name

Mary Agnes is an example of a woman that is fighting for her life. She tries to fight for Sofia, but instead gets reminded of her value to men in that society due to her being a female and black. She gets raped, battered and torn, but this instead of defeating her reestablishes a strength inside of her. She no longer accepts the name that belittles her. She fights for her name Mary Agnes. This shows how she no longer accepts the patriarchal words and symbols imposed on her by a man (Harpo). It is ironic because Harpo is a nickname for him in which everyone accepts and nor does Harpo fight for anyone to call him by his real name. On the other hand, Mary Agnes fights for her name, for her rights, and will no longer accept any type of social role, fixed gender role, or any idea that she does not deserve to be treated right. Celie made a powerful statement, "I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook... But I'm here," same goes for Mary Agnes. They may have raped, taking away her dignity, taking away her respect, taking away her rights, but she is there Mary Agnes!

Women's Suffering

Before reading this book, I never imagined that women suffered so much in that time period. It was sickening to know that grown men would marry underage girls or even their own father would sexually abuse them. It amazed me how Celie can be so mentally innocent while experiencing sexual and physical abuse. Celie's attitude toward this abuse was also shocking to read. When young, she was very submissive and obedient, and she had more fear than any other type of emotion. Even though, some women were free from slavery, but they were not free from slavery in a marriage.Women were seen as "servants" in the household rather than the husband's helpmate. It was also sickening to read that these men could do what they please to their wives, ,and women did not have a voice in a marriage. Celie and Nettie could not have the authority to stand up for themselves, and stop the abuse. I believed that not only do the men have to blame but also the community and churches. The community and church knew this sexual and physical abuse was going on ,but they simply ignored the problem. Literally, women were on their own in life, because no one would come to their rescue.

Gender Roles

"Shug act more manly than most men... he say. You know Shug will fight, he say. Just like Sofia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what. Mr.____ think all this is stuff men do. But Harpo not like this, I tell him. You not like this. What Shug got is womanly it seem like to me. Specially since she and Sofia ones got it."

Walker states clearly what she thinks fixed gender roles in society are. Sofia and Shug are the two women in contact with Celie that begin to teach her what it is to fight for your life. Shug encourages Celie to get her own shop which during that time men were the only ones that did that. Years later, Celie fighting for her life takes her role of independence (male role) and opens her shop. Sofia who was an independent woman already, Harpo tried to tame her as Mr.____ did with Celie. But in the end of the novel, Harpo was cooking (woman role), taking care of the children, and was kissing his children to sleep. These roles were all obligations that women would have to perform during that time. To see a change of a man such as Mr.___ who was so determined to fill his male role actually become more affectionate and change, conveys the importance that the author places on roles. The author leaves no doubt that she thinks that fixed gender roles are impractical and completely meaningless.

Education

How much does education impact a person's life? Celie and her sister Nettie are very different from one another in personality but also when it comes to education. For example, Celie never got the privilege to attend school. Nettie, on the other hand, did go to school and did her very best to education Celie. She took in the time to teach her words and for her to learn how to read the book Oliver Twist. Celie's eyes opened a lot through the things that Nettie would tell her. Nettie would tell Celie that she needed to learn to defend herself, fight. Yet Celie's reply was always the same, that she did not know how to fight. That concept of fighting never registered in Celie's until much later. Nettie was already a fighter; She tried fighting for her freedom with Alphonso, but say that there was no way for her to win and she left. Celie would have never left if she would have not been forced into a marriage with another man. Only years after did she finally fight and begin her life. This all began with a simple principal of one not being given the ability to think for themselves. Due to Celie never being educated (behinds Nettie teaching her and getting her to learn and fight for herself), it was not something that she was use to. For it to register in her mind, it took her to begin believing in herself. She had to set her mind free from all the imprisonment. Education truly impacts people more than we think.

Purple

Purple. I read through half of the book and still found myself wondering what on earth the title meant. The color purple is a huge symbol throughout this book. Purple is often a symbol of grief and suffering. When Sofia was beaten, “her face was the color of eggplant.” Bruises are purple. At the same time, purple represents royalty. Celie rose to a place of royalty later in her life. She rose to her full potential. I believe that she had always had the potential to blossom and fully embrace who she was, it just took her longer because of her terrible set backs throughout her life. Although she began life with a submissive and beaten air, she harbored a dream within her heart that nearly died down to a flicker but never completely went out. Purple. In one part of the book, Shug tells Celie to look out at the purple flowers and to revel in their beauty. Celie’s life was riddled with ugliness. She even considered herself to be ugly. And yet at this point, Shug is suggesting that she begin to look at the world around her and see beauty despite the ugly.

Feminism

I was struck by how the theme of feminism is so strong throughout this book. We can see the issue being broached even at the very beginning of the book when we see the abuse and exploitation of the Nettie and Celie. As I read the book, its motto kept running through my head, "Men are the problem, men are the problem, men are the problem."

We see this in every breath that Celie takes throughout her life and as she becomes more aware of this thought herself. Her love for Shug is based on this: that men were nothing but abuse, force, and brutality, why should there be any love for them? In a world where women have nothing, where they are worth nothing, and where their dreams are nothing, the only thing that they have is each other. I have to ask, would Celie and Shug have loved one another if Celie would have experienced the love of a man?

Banned book

Just for some information. The Color Purple was banned by the public school system. In this blog, we read about th multitude of layered, concepts, themes, ideas, and the intricate plot that played out within the novel. I, personally, feel that this book should not be banned. First, there are worst things that we read about than homosexuality. Joyce, Hemmingway, Wordsworth, and even Dickens all portray rather explicit themes and realistic topics in their writing. Why then is the topic of sexuality (between two people of the same sex) so taboo? Second, kids at that age are already interested in sexuality and finding themselves. Any surface analysis of Celie's behavior reveals that she felt victimized by men and therefore would naturally result to having feelings for women. A teenager or someone who has had the same misfortune might better understand the origins of such feelings and learn to combat them through this understanding. Third, would I want my highschool student reading this novel?? YES! This book has intense realistic situations that are better empathized through literature than real life experience. If my child had a friend who was being raped by her father or felt lonely or felt racially discriminated against, they might find something or question something by reading this book.
Why not allow it to be purchased by public school libraries?

Family

Thoughts on Shug Avery

Frogs

Pants

Internal Slavery

Names

Building to the End 10

This novel definitely builds until the last few pages. I feel like during the entire novel, readers are waiting for Nettie and Celie to finally be reunited. Then, twice-- Celie believes her sister to be dead. Shug leaves her, but returns at the end of the novel. Finally, there is peace between Celie and Albert. After Albert opens his heart to Celie, telling her how sorry he is, she tells him, "If you know your heart sorry, that mean it not quite as spoilt as you think." He then tells her, "The more i wonder the more I love." Celie tells him, "And people start to love you back, I bet." This is one of the most heartfelt conversations they have, and its sad to think that it happens long after she leaves him. When Shug returns, and Celie, Shug, and Albert are sitting on the porch just enjoying each others company, they seem a group coming in the distance. Later, Celie says, "When Nettie's foot come down on the porch i almost die. I stand swaying, tween Albert and Shug." Just being together with the people she loves makes Celie feel young and alive and complete, and I think this is a beautiful end to the novel. Yes, some of the ideas this novel brought up were shocking and painful, but I think when a book explains some of the suffering people experience in such a raw and unedited way, it makes people feel uncomfortable, and that is natural. In this novel, Walker told the story in such a gripping way, that people could actually feel connected to the feelings of the characters, and that shows her talent and gift of writing. I think that even though the characters went through tragic challenges-- the ending shows that having hope and perseverance through all circumstances will lead one to the love they have been searching for.

Faces of Love 9

It is interesting to note how Albert has always been in love with Shug and Shug has always felt a strong connection with Albert. Celie and Shug fall in love as well-- I believe it could possibly be considered a love born out of loneliness on both sides. Ultimately, it is the love of Shug that brings Albert and Celie together at the end. I was completely shocked when Albert asked Celie to re-marry him! He treated her so terribly at the beginning, the change that took place in him through the years was completely unexpected. When Celie left him, so many positive changes took place in his life. It was as if Celie's goodness kept him from ever making any effort to be productive, kind, or even to work. He began working again, cleaning up after himself, and treating people (including Celie) with the respect they deserved. At the end, when Albert and Celie start spending a lot of time together, Albert tells her, "You know, he say, you use to remind me of a bird. Way back when you first come to live with me. You was so skinny, Lord, he say. And the least little thing happen, you looked about to fly away... I saw it, just to big a fool to let myself care." Celie realizes for the first time, Albert does care about her in some small way. Then a little later, Celie reflects thinking about Albert, "I don't hate him for two reasons. One, he love Shug. And two, Shug use to love him. Plus, look like he trying to make something out of himself. I don't mean just that he work and he clean up after himself and he appreciate some of the things God was playful enough to make. I mean when you talk to him now he really listen, and one time, out of nowhere in the conversation us was having." Her love for Nettie and Shug kept her alive when her life was at the lowest points. She writes to Nettie: "Well, your sister too crazy to kill herself. Most times I feels like shit but I felt liek shit before in my life and what happen? I had me a fine sister name Nettie. I had me another fine woman friend name Shug."

Sexuality 8

I found the aspect of sexuality to be sad and twisted in this novel. The ideas of rape, incest, lesbian sexual relationships, infidelity and fornication to be openly displayed and written about. The main character, Celie is on one side of the spectrum, while it seems Nettie is on the opposite. In some ways, it seems Nettie was shielded from a lot of the crap Celie experienced as a young girl. She even escaped being married into a loveless relationship, when Mr. _______ already had a significant amount of children she would have been expected to raise and care for. Celie tells Harpo: "Mr. ______ marry me to take care of his children. I marry him cause my daddy made me. I don't love Mr. _____ and he don't love me." Celie lost her innocence from a young age, when her stepfather raped her, lied about it to her mother, and took her children once she gave birth. Since she was a young girl, Celie's view of sex was tainted and corrupted by the acts of her stepfather. She found little to no enjoyment and no love, thus, she was scarred by men. She was again taken advantage of by her own husband, Albert, who barely saw her, except for how she could be useful to him. The only love Celie feels is the love she has for her sister Nettie, and the love she begins to feel for Shug-- both are obviously, women. Celie tells Sophia, "Mr. _______ clam on top of me, do his business, in ten minutes us both sleep. Only time I feel something stirring down there is when I think bout Shug...You know the worst part? The worst part is I don't think he notice. he git up there and enjoy himself just the same. No matter what I'm thinking. No matter what I feel. It just him. Heartfeeling don't even seem to enter into it. The fact he can do it like that make me want to kill him." Sadly, Celie's feelings connected to men and sexuality have always been negative and painful, and she becomes completely numb to it eventually.

Africa 7

This book was interesting because of the contrasting aspects of taking place in the South, as well as in Africa. Although the book was ultimately all about Africans, the settings in two so completely different places was fascinating. I thought the book because a lot more interesting after Celie began getting letters from Nettie. The South, with all the racist and sexist issues of that time period was more familiar to me than the Olinka tribe in Ethiopia, Africa. Learning about their traditions and heritage was vastly different than what Celie wrote to Nettie. Also, noting the difference of their writing, considering Celie's writing style is very elementary and the English is broken. When Celie starts getting Nettie's letters, it seems they are very proper and the writing shows the proof of her education. I found the fact that Nettie, a young, single, poor woman who grew up in the South connected with people like Corinne and Samuel and ultimately ended up in Africa is such a rare and intriguing twist to the story line. The fact that Corinne and Samuel had adopted Celie's children and Nettie could be part of raising her niece and nephew (that Celie had believed dead or at least completely gone from her life) is such a beautiful twist of destiny.

The Men in this novel 6

The first example of a male figure in this novel is Celie's "father," and his character and integrity are immediately shown through his actions. He mistreats his children, rapes his daughters, and attempts to marry his daughters off for his own selfish purposes. When Celie is married to Mr. ______, he mistreats her-- verbally and physically abusing her. His son, Harpo, has a horrible example to live by watching his father, and attempts to treat his wife the same way, before feisty and spirited Sofia leaves him. Shug's husband, Grady, is unfaithful and ends up leaving Shug (which she was ultimately happy about) with Harpo's girlfriend, Mary Agnes.

In contrast, Samuel loves his wife and children and vows to take care of them and be faithful to them. He ends up falling in love with Nettie after his wife dies, and they are completely in love. The novel also exemplifies Odessa's husband, Jack, as someone who treated his wife and children with love and respect. The novel paints a gruesome picture of many African American men in this time period; however, I found it interesting to note it shows both types of men in this novel--not merely the terrible ones. It also shows how people can change; for example, Mr. _______, who we learn is Albert, ends up being a decent man in the end.

Blog 10

Blog 10 ---- Final thoughts about The Color Purple ---- Overall the book was nothing like I expected. I had been recommended this book by countless people and was quite surprised with the usually sad and harsh storyline. I was immediately drawn to Celie and I am sure everyone automatically feels bad for her. Her life seems to be tragedy after tragedy. After the first twenty or thirty pages I barely wanted to keep reading the book, let alone finish it. Alice Walker did a great job with character description by the way she had Celie write letters to God. Celie described all of the people she came in contact with in a personal and real way because she was supposedly talking to God. I really enjoyed the way the book was written. It was impressive that Celie's part was written in broken English and Nettie's letters were opposite. The different styles definitely kept my attention. The storyline also had so many twists that I was not expecting. I was never bored with the book, I was either happy for the characters, sad, or feeling whatever emotion they were going through. The writing and storyline are what makes the book such a great read. There was also so much symbolism and underlying thematic material that can be taken so many ways. Overall I did not enjoy the book as much as I expected to, but to be fair I was expecting something much different. After reading The Secret Life of Bees, this was definitely more of a shock!

Blog 9

Blog 9 ----- Character Description for Shug Avery. Shug Avery seems to be a part of all of the major characters lives in some way. Before Celie ever met Shug, she already had a romanticized view of her in her mind. She pictured her as the perfect woman who knew what she wanted out of life and went after it. And ultimately that view of Shug turned out to be pretty true. When Celie first meets Shug, Shug is at her house because she is sick and Celie's husband is going to take care of her. To Celie's husband, Shug is the love of his life but someone he can't have. To Celie, Shug becomes a friend and confidant. Shug is the most free-spirited character in the book. She never stays in one place long or with the same people for very long. Even as she ages, she still moves around and stays busy. She becomes almost a savior figure for Celie. Not only does she keep Celie safe and out of abuse from her husband, she gives her a whole new life. She takes her away and gives her a new job, helps her with her house, and stays with her on and off for years. Shug is the free-spirited and yet strong and confident character who so many people envy and look up to in the book. Shug finally decides that true happiness is with the people she loves and feels most at home with. She goes back to Celie and Albert and finally settles down. Shug was also sometimes the comic relief in the story with some of her comments and outspokedness. She kept the story going and kept the readers attention.

Views of God 5

Celie starts out writing to God, but eventually changes and writes her letters to Nettie. At the beginning, she believed God was all she had after Nettie left her. Then, she loses hope even in God. Towards the middle of the novel, Shug and Celie have a Theological conversation about God--I believe one of the first real conversations concerning God in this novel. It begins when she realizes she no longer writes to God, when Shug asks why, she asks Shug what God has ever done for her. Shug answered, "Celie! Like she shock. He gave you life, good health, and a good woman who love you to death." Shug and Celie talk about sin and the devil and God. Celie admits, "...deep in my heart I care about God." I think one of the most profound statements is when Shug asks, "Celie, tell the truth, have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for him to show." Celie doesn't really know what to believe about God. It is all quite a mystery to her. Shug, on the other hand, has her own unique ideas about everything. She tells Celie, "The thing I believe. God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God. But only them that search for it inside find it.... I believe God is in everything." One other unique view Shug has that I found simply beautiful is: "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." Shug realizes that spirituality it beyond a set of rules, praying and going to church. She knows she has sinned, she knows she is lost, but she believes in God and believes he is inside her. I found this fascinating.

Shug Avery 4

Shug Avery is a complex character-- one of the main characters in this novel. She is one of the most interesting Characters in this novel- from her views about God to her uncharacteristic views on life and woman to her vivacious love for everyone she comes in contact with. Celie falls in love with Shug Avery possibly before she even meets her. When her husband, Mr. _____ 's sisters come to visit, they begin talking to Celie about Shug and how Mr. ____ could never get over her. Everyone talked about Shug. Everyone was intrigued by Shug. Most people loved Shug Avery. And Shug couldn't care less what the rest of the world thought of her, as long as she got what she wanted out of life. Celie is originally intrigued by the color purple because, before even meeting Shug, Celie thinks of her as a queen, and that purple would be something Shug would wear. When Shug finally comes to town, all Celie wants to do is see her. She begs her husband to go with him, saying, "Lord, I wants to go so bad. Not to dance. Not to drink. Not to play card. Not even to hear Shug Avery sing. I just be thankful to lay eyes on her." It's interesting to not all that Celie goes through before she finally has some some form of a romantic relationship with Shug. Shug comes into her home-- because no one else will accept her into their homes-- cares for her and nurses her back to health, and then her husband starts sleeping with Shug. Celie actually has to endure a woman called a "whore" by most of their neighbors and the woman is sleeping with her husband. Shug wants all the pleasure a relationship can offer with none of the commitment. This same attitude is consistent with Shug for most of the book. Shug wants the love and attention of Mr. _____ to remain what it has always been, she marries Grady, claiming she has finally found love, she seduces Germaine into a twisted sort of romantic fling, while for most of the novel she is in love with Celie. Shug is in love with love but she doesn't want the heartbreak of being tied down when she wants her freedom. Therefore, she leaves everyone wanting when she leaves them, but as for Celie and Mr. _______, they can never really let go of her.

Complex Relationships 3

In this novel, there are so many different relationships interwoven into the story. Celie writes letters to God in the beginning, she then starts writing to Nettie for the remainder of the novel. Celie feels like the only happiness she has ever known came into her life when she met Shug. Even before Nettie left, they were under the burden of living with their stepfather, who mistreated and used them for his own selfish purposes. Celie feels no love for her father, and her feelings for her own children are complicated because she never had the opportunity to get to know them. Later in the story, when she learns they are alive and with Nettie, she is extremely happy; however, while Adam and Olivia are a part of her, she feels the disconnect of them being raised by someone else. Therefore, her relationships with her family members are nearly nonexistent, save Nettie, and her relationship with her husband is a drudgery. Celie does not love him, his children run wild, and Celie lives like a stranger/servant in her own home--having no life of her own. When Mr. ____ tells Celie that Nettie is no longer welcome, Nettie leaves, sad only that she has to leave her sister in such a hopeless situation. She says, "I sure hate to leave you here with these rotten children. Not to mention with Mr. _____. It's like seeing you buried." Celie tells her, "Never mine, never mine, long as I can spell G-o-d i got somebody along." Celie did not necessarily feel a strong connection to God; however, she knew that she wasn't really all alone because God was there.

Theory On the Color Purple..

So I had this theory on the ending of the color purple that the end was Celie’s type of heaven. It’s interesting that in the end everything ended on a happy note, shug came back to her, Nettie survives a freak accident on a boat that supposedly killed her whole family, and everyone that has played an important role in Celie’s life are arriving at the scene. It’s interesting that through the whole book Celie struggled and continues to struggle and then in the end it all comes together to make an unrealistic expectation of happiness and complete wholeness that doesn’t seem realistic. To make it more realistic and maybe even more cathartic I see the end as her wholeness coming in the form of her type of heaven. I believe that she died inbetween finding out shug left her and Nettie dying, and in the end Nettie receiving her on the other side alongside the women and even Albert, who had become close to her. i like this take on the ending alittle better because it gives the hope of a new future in heaven better than this unrealistic portrayal of everything working out in the end.

Contrasting Lives 2

The lives of Celie and Nettie took two very different turns in this novel. From early in the novel, Nettie is labeled as the pretty and smart sister, while Celie is seen, in comparison, as dumb and ugly. Celie is bound to a loveless marriage, where she is often mistreated and verbally abused; while Nettie is taken in by a loving family and sets out on the adventure of a lifetime, going as a missionary to Africa. However, through all of this, Nettie never forgets her sister at home, and the sacrifices Celie made for her own freedom. Celie is a dedicated wife, cleaning and cooking, carrying for the children, looking after their home, and even working in the fields when her husband is too lazy to do it. She endures hardship after painful hardship, and through it all, remains faithful. Nettie also demonstrates this "faithfulness" in her work in Ethiopia. She is often looked down on for not having a family of her own, for being a single missionary woman with no husband or children. She continues her work there until she eventually finds happiness of her own when after loving and caring for Corrine until her death, she marries Samuel. In Samuel, Nettie finds happiness beyond anything she could have ever imagined. In Shug (a woman!) Celie finds that for the first time in her life, she is in love. These two women are so incredibly different, and yet the same in their dedication to what they have found to live for.

Blog 8

Blog 8: Love ----- Everyone in the story wanted to love and be loved in different ways. Celie, for example, is afraid of men and has only been abused by them all her life. The only two people she loves are Nettie and Shug. Nettie is her sister and Shug is the one who taught her how to live life without being afraid of everything. Mr. _____ loves Shug and only wants to be loved by her. Shug seems to have love for everyone and she can't settle down. She is happy with Mr. _____, she is happy with Shug, she is happy with the 19 year old boy, and just about everyone else. Nettie doesn't realize that she wants to be loved by anyone other than Olivia and Adam until Samuel shows her that he cares about her. Harpo wants Sofia to listen to him and do whatever he wants her to do. He tries to beat her into submission, which ultimately only drives her away. Sofia wants Harpo to love her for who she is and for the fact that she is his wife. The theme of love is what drives all of the characters to do what they do and act as they act. The greateast show of love is when Nettie and Celie meet at the end of the book. They are the two who have loved each other from the beginning and yet were torn apart. Their love and trust in each other didn't waver, even as the years continued to pass. The two of them coming together in the end was one of the most impactful parts of the book. "I'm so scared I don't know what to do. Feel like my mind stuck. I try to speak, nothing come. Try to git up, almost fall. Shug reach down and give me a helping hand. Albert press me on the arm. When Nettie's foot come down on the porch I almost die. I stand swaying, tween Albert and Shug. Nettie stand swaying tween Samuel and I reckon it must be Adam. Then us both start to moan and cry. Us totter toward one nother like us use to do when us was babies. Then us feel so weak when us touch, us knock each other down. But what us care? Us sit and lay there on the porch inside each other's arms" (292).

Blog 7

Blog 7: America and Africa ----- Not only are Celie and Nettie in completely different places in life, they are on completely different sides of the world. Celie is in America, the land of freedom. And yet, she is anything but free. She is constantly abused and told she is worthless. She has to work the land and take care of the children. She never prospers from the "American Dream." Nettie on the other hand goes back to their roots. She travels to Africa with a family to care for their children as they do missions work. In all of the years they are there, they accomplish almost nothing for the "mission." The tribe they are ministering to is not converted and actually want nothing to do with their god. Instead, the family is most impacted by the natives. Nettie is in a country of freedom, where nature and people come together. The people live in huts made of mud and yet are all much happier than Celie in her house. Africa is portrayed as a place of freedom for the black people, until the whites take that as well. After years with the tribe, Nettie writes about how the white man is coming in to take the land to put rubber factories up. Even on another continent, in another world, the white man finds a way to spoil things for the black people. The two places are so different and yet share so many similarities. Nettie finally comes back to America and the two are reunited.

The Bond of Sisters 1

One of the most unique aspects I found in this book was the special relationship between Nettie and Celie, even from the very beginning of the novel. The bond between these sisters is so strong, that Nettie believes in her sister and thinks the best of her, no matter what anyone else thinks. When they are young, Celie tries to protect Nettie from a bad marriage, and take it on herself. Nettie refuses to take the compliments of Celie's husband (even though Mr. _____ never wanted Celie over Nettie in the first place). Without knowing where the other is or what they are doing, they love each other faithfully through the years of separation. They don't even know if their sister is alive, and they write continually to each other. Celie believes Nettie is the only person who ever loved her until she meets and falls in love with Shug Avery. When Nettie and Celie are reunited at the end of the novel, they can hardly speak or stand in the sate of euphoric joy that overcomes them. They left each other as young girls, and were reunited when they were old and gray, and yet this doesn't seem to matter at all. In fact, Celie writes, "But I don't think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this is the youngest us ever felt." Through the years of pain and hardship and life's simple joys, the bond of their love for each other as sisters kept each sister alive.

Blog 6

Blog 6: Mr. ______'s changed life view ------- At the beginning of the book, Mr. _______ does not seem to care about anything in the world. He lives at home, treats his family without love, and seemingly does nothing. The first thing Mr. ______ seems to care about is Shug. When she is in the house, he tries to do everything he can for her and to make her comfortable. She is about the only thing he is passionate about. After she and Celie leave him, he goes into a depression. Harpo has to take care of him until he gets his feet back under him. He finally stands up again and starts to put his life back together. He starts to care about people. Celie comes back around and into his life when Shug leaves her. They have some good conversations and share company often. During one such conversation they are talking about questions in life. Mr. _____ tells Celie, "You ast yourself one question, it lead to fifteen. I start to wonder why us need love. Why us suffer. Why us black. Why us men and women. Where do children really come from. It didn't take long to realize I didn't hardly know nothing. And that if you ast yourself why you black or a man or a woman or a bush it don't mean nothing if you don't ast why you here, period....I think us here to wonder, myself. To wonder. To ast. And that in wondering bout the big things and asting bout the big things, you learn about the little ones, almost by accident. But you never know nothing more about the big things than you start out with. The more I wonder, he say, the morel love" (288). Mr. ______ finally has a whole new outlook on life and it has made him a better person all around.

Blog 5

Blog 5: Celie and Mr. ______ ----- Celie is married off at a young age to a man that actually wanted to marry Nettie instead of her. The man has children and his wife died when they were young. Celie reluctantly marries the man and then spends much of her life with him. Good and bad things came out of the relationship. Celie was at least in a home and had provisions, but she was abused on a daily basis. Mr. _____ verbally abused her as well as physically abused her whenever he felt like it. Their relationship was never based on love, just on necessity. Celie needed a place to live and Mr. _____ needed someone to care for his children, cook, clean, and do the housework. Their relationship changes when Shug is brought into the house. Mr. ______ was in love with Shug since they were younger. They never married because Shug didn't want to get married. When she stays at the house, Mr. ______ sleeps with her and thus forgets about beating or abusing Celie. Celie enjoys having Shug there for those reasons. After Shug and Celie decide to move away, Mr. _____ realizes what he has lost. Years go by and and Celie sees Mr. _____ again after Shug has left her for a younger man. Celie and Mr. _______ now have a different relationship. They can relate to each other now because they have both been in love with Shug and she has left both of them. Mr. ______ actually got his life together and tells Celie that she is worth something and that he shouldn't have treated her as he did. Celie is a new woman at this point and she has no problem talking to him or telling him what she thinks. They often spend time together sitting on the porch just being together. The change in their relationship was one of the most drastic changes throughout the book.

Blog 4

Blog 4: Character - Nettie ----- Celie and Nettie are sisters and that is about where their similarities end. Nettie seems to have gotten the good luck in life and Celie received all of the bad. Nettie actually lives with Celie's children and their adoptive parents. She travels with them to Africa to do missions work. Even though it is hard work and she is raising the children in a different culture, Nettie is still blessed beyond belief when compared to Celie's life. Nettie is strong-willed and shows her strength throughout her letters to Celie. She writes to Celie, even when she doesn't receive responses for years. She clings to the hope that her sister is alive and doing well. I think if she knew what Celie had to go through, Nettie would have come back right away. Nettie lives through the turmoil in Africa and the death of the children's adoptive mother. She then marries Samuel, the children's adoptive father. Nettie has no reason not to trust men, she was never abused as Celie was. When the two reunite at the end of the book it is like the ends of a spectrum coming back together. Two sisters torn apart at a young age, brought back together after lifetimes of suffering, pain, love, and remorse. Nettie's strength and her letters to Celie seem to be what turned Celie's life around. I think Nettie was the symbol of strength in this book.

Blog 3

Blog 3: Character - Celie ---- Celie starts out as a young and powerless girl. She is abused from the very beginning of the book and is continually abused throughout it. Her step-father not only abuses her and impregnates her, but then takes the children away from her. She has no sense of worth or self-respect. She is constantly told she is ugly and worthless and therefore decides the best way to react is to be passive and not fight back. Celie sees a new way of life in Sophia, who holds her head up and stands up against her husband. This still is not enough for Celie though and she doesn't really start to change until Shug comes into her life. Shug is an old lover of Celie's husband. She comes and stays at the house and immediately tells Celie what she has been told her whole life: she is ugly and worthless. Shug begins to get to know Celie however, and ultimately they become close friends. Celie looks to Shug as a role model and slowly begins to find her identity through Shug. Shug teaches her about religion and what God looks like to them. She teaches her how to stand up for herself against her husband and that she can leave him and branch out on her own. Celie finally finds her life through Shug, especially after finding her letters from Nettie. Shug gets the letters for Celie and then Celie finally has the courage to stand up and leave her husband. She moves away with Shug and begins a business of her own. She gets a house when her step-father dies and finally knows what her life means when Nettie comes home from Africa. Though she had a terrible past and a rough life, Celie finally comes to terms with it all and ends up a strong person in the end.

Blog 2

Blog 2: Shug's view of God ---- Shug and Celie have a conversation about God around page 195. The conversation was one of the most interesting parts for me, and it was one of the only times that God is actually spoken about in detail. Shug explains to Celie that once you realize you are a sinner but that God still loves you, you try to please him with whatever you like in life. "Us worry bout God a lot. But once us feel loved by God, us do the best us can to please him with what us like" (194). Celie finds it hard to believe that Shug thinks she is loved by God without having to do anything for him. Celie tells her that it sounds like blasphemy. The most impactful part of the book, to me, was the next few lines: "She say, Celie, tell the truth, have you ever found God in church? I never did. I just found a bunch of folks hoping for him to show. Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me. And I think all the other folks did too. They come to church to share God, not find God" (194). I think this statement not only rings true for the characters in the book, but also for the church today. There are a lot of people who go to church and make God look like whatever they want him to look like. But there are also a lot of people who don't even realize that God isn't showing up in their church because they aren't inviting him. I love that the characters in the book saw this, even though they seemed to be looking for excuses for their sins.

Blog 1

Blog 1: Dear God ----- Celie starts out her letters at the beginning of the book with the words, Dear God. Celie tells all of her thoughts and prayers to God, without seeming to want or expect a response back. The first line of the book says, "You better not never tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy" (1). The reader obviously has no idea what this means, but it gives somewhat of an explanation for why Celie is writing to God. It is hard to tell if Celie even believes in God, she doesn't seem to be personally talking to him through her letters, more just telling her story. Further into the book the start of her letters changes to her sister Nettie. As Celie's life changes and more people come in and out, it seems like she draws even farther away from the concept of God while her sister is actually doing "God's work" in Africa. The very last entry in the book clears up a lot of my confusion about the letters. Instead of writing to God, Celie explains who she thinks God is. She starts her last letter with these words: "Dear God. Dear stars, dear tress, dear sky, dear peoples. Dear Everything. Dear God" (291). Celie considers God to be in everything in the world. She capitalizes the word Everything as she does the word God. Celie has been writing letters to anyone or anything that will listen to her. She needed to get the story of her life into words on paper because there was no better way to tell them and no better person to tell them to.

Nettie and God

Should the book be censored?

Relationship with Mr.______

Relationship with Shug

Language

Pants

African American men in the book

Movie Version

Swearing a release?

Ending Real?

Relationship with Jack

test

I am not sure if I am in this blog forum, but how is everyone liking The Color Purple?