Alice Walker’s The Color Purple tells of the life of Celie, a young girl. Celie writes daily in her journal. The book’s beginning reveals that Celie lives in constant turmoil, confusion, and hardship. She is also insecure and hopeful that she will find a way to overcome these hardships. The novel ends with an inspiring transformation. Some would say she was able to transform herself through self-reflection, maturity. But, readers can see that her transformation was caused by the growth of her relationships to Mr__, Nettie, and Shug. They have enabled Celie to feel dependent on her sister, to forgive those who hurt her, and to love another person.
Readers can see that she has changed from talking about Nettie, God, to actually having conversations with Nettie. Celie’s dependence on Nettie is revealed in some of these conversations. . One example is when she ends one of her entries with “Pray For Me, Your Brother Celie” which indicates that she is seeking Nettie’s guidance in facing adversity. Walker 3 explains this similarity. This shift also shows Celie has changed from her initial belief that she had to protect her sister, but she now realizes that she is not strong enough and can seek protection in Nettie. These entries also reveal the thoughts of Mr____. Celie’s feelings. Celie is informed by him that he wants to kill Celie. I didn’t understand how Shug and your relationship with Shug worked. It bothered me. I could understand her being mean and naive to you. But I became concerned when I saw how you both were doing each other hair. This quote shows Mr_______ what he thinks of Celie and his concerns over her not living up his expectations. The conversation exposes the similarities between Celie, Mr___ and their struggles with acceptance. Celie learned about this from Walker and she said she doesn’t love him because of the discussion. Walker 7 She has since been able to forgive Mr___ as well as anyone who has hurt her through this conversation with him.
From the beginning readers discover that Celie is drawn to Shug Avery’s picture and makes a vow to emulate her beauty in her marriage with Mr___. Readers will see that Shug is there for Celie as she grows older and have a stronger bond with each other. Shug has been through so much that I think this is the best thing about her. Shug looks like she has been there. She now knows.” This shows that the relationship is built on understanding one another’s struggles and returning to it with new lenses. Shug, who she considers strong and independent, is what Celie wants to be. Celie was able to learn how love can be for herself as well as others. It’s clear that Celie realized that God had helped her to realize that it was possible to love another person and not lose heart because of bad experiences.
Readers can see Celie’s transformation from a young girl into a mature woman through The Color Purple. As a young woman, Celie was insecure. Her faith in God was her only hope. They also see her determination to do the right thing and her resilience. The influence of Nettie and Mr___ on her life as a mature lady makes her transformation even more inspiring. Nettie is able for Celie have open conversations with her sister. Talking to Mr__ helps Celie understand and accept him more. Lastly, Shug’
Their relationship is built around the love they share. This teaches them how love one another and then ultimately God. People forget to realize the importance of relationships in their lives. These relationships, good and bad, are lessons that can’t always be taught from self reflection or maturity. However, lessons can be learned by observing the lives of others.
