The Color Purple- Explore Feelings

A particularly meaningful and sad scene in The Color Purple was when Celie was giving up on God. This was when Celie was talking to Shug Avery about how she had stopped writing to God and instead started to write to Celie, her sister. While looking out into a corn field and sees one purple flower, she said, “Well, us talk and talk about God, but I’m still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head. I been so busy thinking bout him I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?) Not the little wildflowers. Nothing. (p74).” Celie has always relied on God to heal and help her throughout life but she feels like he isn’t helping her and never actually noticed God. After saying this to Shug, she tries to get Celie to picture God as an image of someone who she can have her own spiritual relationship with. One of the reasons I think that Celie is rejecting God is because she pictures God as a man and Celie doesn’t trust men after all she’s been through. This scene showed the turning point for Celie. She had decided to be more independent and to stand up for herself. This was extremely important for Celie because she had thought that God had forsaken her. Celie was a completely different woman when she decided to stop relying on God and men.