The Character Evolution of Celie in The Color Purple

The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a novel representative of the struggles of African American women in the first half of the twentieth century as it chronicles the trials and triumphs of Black women in southern Georgia. The main character of the novel is Celie, first introduced as a young teen, is a Black woman of the South with no freedom over her life in any way. However, by the end of the novel we see that Celie has evolved into a respected woman with more freedom than she ever imagined having. In her letters, the reader sees Celie go through three stages that bring her to final character: Celie as a victim, Celie and love, and Celie fighting back.

The novel opens with Celie’s first letter to God which is shocking in its illustration of her life and the abuse received from her stepfather: “You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t. First he put his thing up against my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to chock me, saying You better shut up and git used to it” (Walker, 1). Celie’s letter designates herself as a victim of abuse, typical of the South for Black women. “Celie has been deprived of basic human rights; she possesses no freedom, no will of self-determination, and has even been deprived ownership of her own body”( Gleason).More freedom is taken from Celie when she is given to Mr. _ for marriage, although more an exchange of goods than an exchange of vows. Her marriage to Mr. _ forces her sister Nettie to run away, leaving Celie to bare the burden alone while she finds freedom. In this scene Celie’s strength is seen as she says goodbye to Nettie and there is hope that Celie will escape too: “ I sure hate to leave you here with these rotten children, she [Nettie] say. Not to mention with Mr. _. But I just say, Never mine, never mine, long as I can spell G-o-d I got somebody along” (18).

The second stage in Celie’s character evolution begins with the arrival of Shug Avery to the household. It is evident that Celie admires Shug from the beginning but when she moves into the house, the possibility of sexuality in the relationship is revealed: “First time I got the full sight of Shug Avery long black body with it black plum nipples, look like her mouth, I thought I had turned into a man [Celie said]” (51). The bond between the women strengthens when Shug discovers Mr. _ beats Celie and Shug takes a stand against it. The bond between the women emotionally leads to a sexually awakening for Celie. As they begin to talk about sex, Shug tells Celie that she is still a virgin even though she has been molested by her stepfather and Mr._ because she has never enjoyed the act. Shug forces Celie to look at herself in the mirror which causes Celie to feel differently about herself as she notices: “then inside look like a wet rose”(82). Shug leaves Mr._’s house and returns much later, now married but still connected to Celie. Her return is the opportunity for Celie to tell the real story of her sexuality to Shug, which results in Celie’s losing her virginity: “I kiss her back, say, um, too. Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more. Then we touch each other” (118).

The final and most significant stage of Celie’s transformation is Celie learning to fight back. With help of Shug, Celie discovers that Nettie has been writing since she left only to have Mr._ hide the letters. This is push Celie needs to walk away from him and begin her own life; as she leaves she tells Mr. _: ”until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble” (213). From this pint on Celie is able to leave her former life and make something of herself, opening the tailoring business. When Nettie returns to Celie it appears that her life is now complete. Celie endured great hardship but in the end she won the battle.

Celie of The Color Purple as a Black woman of the South stuggles her entire life to please those around her while being put down. Through the novel she becomes a new woman, a woman that is not afraid and takes charge of her life; Celie escapes her oppression. Gleason encapsulates Walker’s novel by saying: “[Celie] lives a horrid existence of racism and sexism, but she maintains her own dignity. With the help of Shug Avery, she is given a second chance for success, for life, and for love”.

Works Cited
Gleason , Jessica. "Walker's The Color Purple." suite101.com. 07 07 2008. American Fiction , Web. 3 Mar 2010. walkers_the_color_purple>.

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Pocket Books, 1982. Print.