The Color Purple Letters 22 - 43
Shug Avery is unwell, presumably due to a venereal disease, and the townsfolk refuse to shelter her. Her parents believe that her licentious lifestyle has led to her current predicament. Mr. ______ departs without notice and returns with the frail Shug in his carriage. Despite her weakened state, Shug’s wit remains as sharp as ever. Upon meeting Celie, she greets her with a harsh comment about her appearance. Yet, Celie finds herself increasingly captivated by the alluring singer, whose fashionable attire and slender physique are unlike anything she’s ever encountered. Celie admits to feeling drawn towards Shug.
Under Celie’s attentive care, Shug’s health improves, and they form a bond of friendship. Despite her improved health, Shug continues to treat Mr. ______ with contempt. We learn from Shug that his first name is Albert. She frequently mocks Albert for his lack of backbone in dealing with his father, yet he remains smitten by her. Harpo has been consuming food excessively, resulting in a noticeable weight gain that prompts others to jest about his pregnancy. Harpo later reveals to Celie that his overeating is an attempt to match Sofia’s size and finally subdue her. However, Celie advises him against this, reminding him that his relationship with Sofia is based on mutual love and should not be compared to the cold, loveless marriage between Celie and Albert.
Albert’s father and his brother, Tobias, pay a visit and express their disapproval of Shug’s presence in the house. Celie overhears Albert’s father criticizing Shug’s loose morals, prompting her to secretly spit in his water. When Albert’s father chastises him for his lifestyle, Celie and Albert share a moment of understanding that Celie describes as the closest they’ve ever felt.
Sofia confides in Celie about her sadness, revealing that ever since Harpo started overeating and sulking, their marriage has lost its once vibrant intimacy. Sofia is frustrated with Harpo’s attempts to undermine her independence and assertiveness. Eventually, she decides to move in with her sister, taking her children along. Harpo tries to conceal his emotions when Sofia leaves, but Celie catches him wiping away a tear with his baby’s diaper.
After Sofia’s departure, Harpo and a friend establish a juke joint on their property. They hire Shug to perform, attracting a crowd to the venue. Shug convinces Albert to let Celie come and watch her perform. Celie sits with Albert, admiring Shug on stage. She feels a mix of confusion, sadness, and loneliness when she observes the intimate exchange of glances between Albert and Shug. However, her spirits are lifted when Shug dedicates a song to her, marking the first time anyone has ever named something after Celie. Celie acknowledges that it’s right for Albert and Shug to love each other, but she struggles with the stirrings in her own heart and her growing affection for Shug.
Celie is distressed about Shug’s impending departure. She confides in Shug that Mr. ______ abuses her in Shug’s absence. When queried, Celie responds, “For being me and not you.” Shug reassures Celie, vowing to stay until she’s certain Mr. ______ won’t harm Celie. Shug assures Celie that she is not going to leave unless she is certain that Albert will no longer beat Celie. Their relationship begins to deepen, and Shug encourages Celie to talk more openly about sex. Celie doesn’t associate sexual acts with any notion of pleasure, and so Shug tells her that she is still a virgin. According to Shug, a woman only loses her virginity when she experiences an orgasm, and Celie has never experienced one. Shug encourages Celie to use a mirror and take a closer look at her sexual parts. Celie is disturbed by what she sees, but she accepts that this is a part of her as well. Celie tells Shug that she doesn’t care if Albert makes love to her, but she breaks down in tears when she overhears Shug with him.
Shug’s performances at Harpo’s jukejoint draw large crowds. Sofia, appearing unexpectedly one night, looks radiant and content with a new beau. Sofia and Harpo’s interaction irks Harpo’s new girlfriend, Squeak, a young biracial woman who is subservient to Harpo. Unaware of the consequences, Squeak insults Sofia and slaps her, only to have Sofia retaliate by knocking out two of Squeak’s teeth before leaving nonchalantly with her partner.
Sofia’s audacity lands her in trouble. When the mayor’s wife, Miss Millie, impressed by Sofia’s children’s cleanliness, offers Sofia a maid’s job, Sofia bluntly refuses. The mayor slaps Sofia for her insolence, and Sofia retaliates, leading to her imprisonment. Celie visits Sofia in jail, finding her severely injured. Despite her fear, Celie comforts Sofia. Back home, they decide to free Sofia. Squeak reveals her relation to the white prison warden, prompting Mr. ______ to send her to plead for Sofia’s release. They dress Squeak “like a white woman” and arm her with deceptive words to convince the warden.
The warden doesn’t release Sofia but instead assaults Squeak, who returns home battered and torn. Shattered, she recounts the ordeal and insists Harpo address her by her real name, Mary Agnes. Sofia, instead of being freed, is sentenced to serve as the mayor’s wife’s maid. Squeak assists Sofia with the mayor’s children and starts singing—initially Shug’s songs, then her compositions.
Analysis
Celie, initially silent and voiceless, begins to find her identity. She realizes her self-perception differs from others’ views of her, marking the start of her empowerment. As she grows, she sees the flaws in the men who oppress her and starts to assert herself, even retaliating against Mr. ______'s father’s harsh words about Shug. She advises Harpo against abusing Sofia, showing her newfound assertiveness.
Walker’s concept of multifaceted female intimacy is evident in Celie and Shug’s relationship. Walker sees sexuality as a spectrum, not a binary. Celie’s feelings for Shug are not just sexual but also encompass friendship, gratitude, camaraderie, and admiration. Her maternal tenderness towards Shug is as significant as her sexual attraction.
In the novel, Shug and Celie’s relationship deepens, prompting Celie to open up. Her words, however, remain bleak. She confesses her aversion to intimacy, often pretending she isn’t present during the act. Shug challenges Celie’s perspective, asserting that true loss of virginity occurs not during the first sexual encounter but when a woman experiences orgasmic pleasure. This notion shocks Celie, who views pleasure as otherworldly.
Shug encourages Celie to examine her own body using a mirror—an act they approach playfully, like young girls. Celie’s reaction surprises her; she doesn’t recoil but claims ownership of what she sees. Shug’s renaming of Celie “Miss Celie” further empowers her. By redefining virginity—emphasizing choice and pleasure—Shug disrupts conventional norms. This shift allows Celie to reclaim control over her life, challenging societal expectations.
However, Sofia’s defiance, while empowering, takes a heavy toll. Her refusal to conform leads to physical suffering—similarly, Squeak’s resistance results in rape. Walker portrays resistance as essential but acknowledges its painful consequences. Despite adversity, both Sofia and Squeak retain their voices, refusing to be silenced.
