Nettie, Samuel, and the children plan to return from Africa soon.Ĭelie learns that Pa has died. The Reverend Samuel had also adopted Celie’s two children from Pa many years back. Celie also learns that Nettie is living with the Reverend Samuel and his family, working as a missionary in Africa. From Nettie, Celie learns that Pa isn’t actually her biological father. Nettie’s letters transform the way Celie sees the world. Celie heads off to Memphis with Shug to start a new life. This knowledge gives her the strength to leave him.

Instead of being submissive and downtrodden, she realizes the full extent of the abuses she has suffered from Mr._. When Celie finds her sister’s letters, it unlocks a new world for her. Together with Shug, Celie discovers the mystery of Nettie’s silence for so many decades: Mr._ has been hiding all of Nettie’s letters in his locked trunk. For the first time in Celie’s life, she has a chance to enjoy sex, romance, and friendship. Celie quickly falls in love with Shug, and Shug falls in love back. Mr._’s mistress, Shug, is everything that Celie isn’t: sexy, sassy, and independent. Celie’s life gets worse and worse, as she’s now separated from the only person in the world whom she loves and who loves her back.Ĭelie’s life changes when Mr._ brings his deathly ill mistress home for Celie to nurse back to health.

Though Nettie promises to write to her sister, Celie doesn’t hear from her. However, after Nettie lives in Mr._’s household for a time without encouraging his sexual advances, Mr._ kicks Nettie out. Celie’s new husband, Mr._, simply marries Celie to take care of his four children, look after of his house, and work in his fields.Ĭelie is somewhat happy to marry Mr._ because she can now remove her younger sister, Nettie, from Pa’s household.

Eventually, Pa marries Celie off to a man who is just as abusive as Pa. Alice Walker's The Color Purple: Novel SummaryĬelie is abused and raped by her Pa, who takes away her children after they’re born.

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