Names
Consider the men that do have names (Harpo -- who introduces himself nameless on the wedding day by cutting open her scalp with a rock and gets a name after Mr ---'s sister makes him help Celie with the household chores, Samuel -- who is first introduced as a Mr/Reverend --- on p14, Adam, etc.) and the two who don't (He/Pa and Mr. ---). For the unnamed, consider the reveal of their names (Alphonso pp250 & Albert pp49 and why Celie doesn't use them).
He or Pa/Alphonso
Mr. ---/Albert
Mr. ---/Samuel
"the oldest boy"/Harpo
Shug Avery/Shug
Pauline/Olivia
Adam/Adam Omatanga
Coping Mechanisms -- Become a tree & feel nothing (Celie)*VS* Lash out & feel nothing (Mr. --- & Harpo) *VS* React & feel nothing (Shug & Sofia)
Celie uses her body to protect her mother, then her sister, then even Mr ---'s kids ("I make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie you a tree. That's how come I know trees fear man" 23) -- and as a function of being a living human shield, she believes herself ugly and accepts others' affirmation of this fact. It is Shug who teaches her that pain is not the only option option to her body and mind.
"She look so stylish it like the trees all round the house draw themself up tall for a better look" (47).
"Everybody say how good I is to Mr. ---- Children. I be good to them. But I don't feel nothing for them. Patting Harbo back not even like patting a dog. It more like patting another piece of wood. Not a living tree, but a table, a chifferobe" (31).
---
"Someone to run to. It seem too sweet to bear" (69).
---
"[Shug Avery]...more evil than my mama and that keep her alive" (49).
a different survival tactic than becoming a passive tree ... her first step is putting spit into father-in-law's drink when he insults Shug (56-7)
---
"I can't even remember the last time I felt mad, I say. I used to git mad at my mammy cause she put a lot of work on me. Then I see how sick she is. Couldn't stay mad at her. Couldn't be mad at my daddy cause he my daddy. Bible say, Honor father and mother no matter what. Then after while every time I got mad, or start to feel mad, I got sick [like she did when she was mad at herself for hurting Sophia]. Felt like throwing up [is that why she threw up while cleaning game earlier?]. Terrible feeling. Then I start to feel nothing at all" (43-4).
*
"My kids with they grandma, she say. She could stand the kids, I had to go.
You miss 'em? I ast.
Naw, she say. I don't miss nothing" (52).
>> Celie awakens everyone (including herself) from their years of numbness/nothingness! Albert stands up to his father & admits his vulnerability, Shug learns to feel again.
Mr --- doesn't stand up for Shug in the church (pp46) nor did he when his father forbid their marriage -- much like his own son did years later
God
"She ast me bout the first one Whose it is? I say God's. I don't know no other man or what else to say....Finally she ast Where it is? I say God took it" (3).
how true that is
"I don't even look at mens. That's the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I'm not scared of them" (6).
yet she's afraid of herself
"Long as I can spell G-o-d I got somebody along" (18).
"I wash her body, it feel like I'm praying" (51).
Reason for switching from "Dear God" to "Dear Nettie" and observe "Dearest" in some chapters
SHUG AVERY
"I ast our new mammy bout Shug Avery. What it is? i ast. She don't know but she say she gon fine out.
She do more than that. She git a picture. The first one of a real person I ever seen. She say Mr. ---- was taking something out his billfold to show Pa an it fell out an slid under the table. Shug Avery was a woman. The most beautiful woman I ever saw. She more pretty than my mama. She bout ten thousand times more prettier then me. i see her there in furs. Her face rouge. Her hair like something tail. She grinning with her foot up on somebody motocar. Her eyes serious tho. Sad some.
I ast her to give me the picture. An all night log I stare at it. An now when I dream, I dream of Shug Avery. She be dress to kill, whirling and laughing" (7).
(While men discussing her ugliness and barren state): "I take out the picture of Shug Avery. I look into her eyes. Her eyes say Yeah, it bees that way sometime" (9).
"I know what he doing to me he done to Shug Avery and maybe she like it. I put my arm around him" (13).
"I walk round all day with the announcement burning a hole in my pocket. It pink. The trees tween the turn off to our road and the store is lit up with them. He got about five dozen in his trunk.
Shug Avery standing upside a piano, elbow crook hand on her hip. She wearing a hat like Indian Chiefs. Her mouth open showing all her teef and don't nothing seem to be troubling her mind....Lord, I wants to go so bad. Not to dance. Not to drink. Not to play card. Not even to hear Shug Avery sing. I just be thankful to lay eyes on her" (26).
"I think my heart gon fly out my mouth when I see one of her foots come poking out.
She not lying down. She climbing down tween Harpo and Mr. ----. And she dress to kill. She got on a red wool dress and chestful of black beads. A shiny black hat with what look like chickinhawk feathers curve down side one cheek, and she carrying a little snakeskin bag, match her shoes.
She look so stylish it like the trees all round the house draw themself up tall for a better look. Now I see she stumble, tween the two men. She don't seem that well acquiainted with her feets.
Close up I see all this yellow powder caked up on her face. Red rouge. She look like she ain't long for this world but dressed well for thenext. But I know better.
Come on in, I want to cry. To shout. Come on in. With God help, Celie going to make you well. But I don't say nothing. It not my house. Also I ain't been told nothing" (47).
---
Reactions when learning of Celie's molestation: "I'm in the bed crying. Nettie she finally see the light of day, clear. Our new mammy she see it too. She in her room crying. Nettie tend to first one, then the other. She so scared she go out doors and vomit. But not out front where the two mens is" (8).
---
"He never look up from cleaning his gun. Pretty soon a bunch of white mens come walking cross the yard. They have guns too.
Pa git up and follow 'em. The rest of the week I vomit and dress wild game" (11). [What? Vomiting b/c of the pregnancy or b/c the "wild game" is human flesh?]
---
Fight
Nettie: "You got to fight. You got to fight.
But I don't know how to fight. All I know how to do is stay alive" (18).
"I like Sophia, but she don't act like me at all. If she talking when Harpo and Mr --- come in the room, she keep right on. If they ast her where something at, she say she don't know. Keep talking.
I thinka bout this when Harpo ast me what he ought to do to her to make her mind. I don't mention how happy he is now. How three years pass and he still whistle and sing. I think bout how every time I jump when Mr --- call me, she look surprise. And like she pity me.
Beat her. I say" (38).
jealousy
The mutual fighting between Harpo and Sophia.
"Nobody fight for Shug, he say. And a little water come to his eyes" (50).
---
What Is Love?
When Celie insists that Nettie write, she says "Nothing but death can keep me from it" (19). When no letters come, Celie assumes her sister dead.
p66-7: harpo upset b/c sofia doesn't behave like celie, who reasons that where there is love there is conflict and a balance that is nonexistent in her own marriage
---
PURPLE the color she thought Shug Avery would wear so she requested it when Mr ---'s sister buys her clothes (22).
---
"Harpo no better at fighting his daddy back than me....He strong in body but weak in will. He scared" (29). --- He doesn't even stand up to his father when he insults the woman he loves, the mother of his child (32-3) -- **BUT** the following chapter Harpo marries Sophia and then moves into his father's shed with his family, continuing to work for him (for wages) and even allowing him to goad him (with Celie's "help" borne out of ignorance) into hitting his wife so as to get her to obey.
---
FIRST time [molested]
FIRST time having a new dress (22)
FIRST time Mr --- asked for approval from Celie (for his appearance heading to see Shug)
FIRST time "somebody made something and name it after me" (77)
---
consider importance of sewing/fabrics/textiles to Celie (quilts/pants w/ Sophia, Shug, Albert; Nettie & Corinna)
---
Why does Harpo turn his house into a bar?
(Letters 34-69) pp78-189 "Pretty soon it be time for Shug to go." ... "Shug say, Us each other's peoples now, and kiss me."
(Letters 70-End) pp190- "I woke up this morning bound to tell Corrine and Samuel everything." ... "Matter of fact, I think this is the youngest us ever felt."
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