Date: 25 April 2011
Re: Summary of The Color Purple
Celie is fourteen years old. She started writing letters to God telling stories about her everyday life. She started because her father, Alphonso, beats and rapes her. He has already impregnated Celie once. She gave birth to a girl, whom her father stole and most likely killed in the woods. She had a second child, a boy, whom her father also steals. Celie’s mother becomes seriously ill and dies. Alphonso didn’t waste any time and brought home a new wife but continued to abuse Celie.
Celie and her bright, pretty younger sister; Nettie, learn that a man known only as Mr. ____ wants to marry Nettie. Mr. ____ has a lover named Shug Avery, a sultry lounge singer whose photograph fascinates Celie. Alphonso refuses to let Nettie marry, and instead offers Mr. ____ the “ugly” Celie as a bride. Mr. ____ eventually accepts the offer. Nettie runs away from Alphonso and takes refuge at Celie’s house. Mr. ____ still desires Nettie, and when he advances on her she flees for her own safety. Never hearing from Nettie again, Celie assumes she is dead.
Harpo, Mr. ____’s son, falls in love with a girl named Sofia. Sofia becomes pregnant and marries Harpo. Harpo’s attempt to beat Sofia but consistently fail since Sofia is by far the physically stronger of the two. Shug falls ill and Mr. ____ takes her into his house. Shug is initially rude to Celie, but they become friends as Celie takes charge of nursing Shug. Celie finds herself infatuated with Shug and attracted to her sexually. Frustrated with Harpo’s consistent attempts to subordinate her, Sofia moves out and takes her children with her. Several months later, Harpo opens a juke joint where Shug sings nightly. Celie grows confused over her feelings toward Shug.
Shug decides to stay when she learns that Mr. ____ beats Celie when Shug is away. Shug and Celie’s relationship grows intimate, and Shug begins to ask Celie questions about sex. Sofia returns for a visit and...