Who is Celie in the Color Purple?
Celie - The protagonist and narrator of The Color Purple. Celie is a poor, uneducated black woman with a sad personal history.
What happened to Olivia Celie's children?
She and her husband buy Celie's babies from Fonso. Samuel A missionary who takes Nettie with him and his family to Africa; after his wife, Corrine, dies, he marries Nettie. Olivia Celie's daughter; she is reared in Africa by Samuel and Corrine. Adam Celie's son; he is also reared in Africa by the missionaries.
Who are the actors in the Color Purple?
Main articles: The Color Purple (film) and The Color Purple (musical) The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1985. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Danny Glover as Albert, and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia. Though nominated for eleven Academy Awards, it won none.
Who is the narrator of the Color Purple by Alice Walker?
by: Alice Walker. Celie - The protagonist and narrator of The Color Purple. Celie is a poor, uneducated black woman with a sad personal history. She survives a stepfather who rapes her and steals her babies and also survives an abusive husband.
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How old is Olivia in The Color Purple?
Plot. Celie is a young poor, uneducated 14-year-old African-American teenager girl living in the Southern United States in the early 1900s. She writes letters to God because her father, Alphonso, beats and rapes her.
Who were the characters in The Color Purple?
CelieShug AveryNettie HarrisAlbertMiss MillieThe Color Purple/Characters
Who was Celie's first child?
OliviaIn the winter of 1909 Georgia, a 14-year-old African American girl named Celie (Desreta Jackson) gives birth to a daughter, whom she names Olivia, as her younger sister, Nettie (Akosua Busia), acts as midwife.
Who is Celie's real father?
AlphonsoCelie, the protagonist and narrator of The Color Purple, is a poor, uneducated, fourteen-year-old black girl living in rural Georgia. Celie starts writing letters to God because her father, Alphonso, beats and rapes her.
Who is the hero in The Color Purple?
Shug is the hero of the story, lover of Celie; more than anyone else, Shug teaches Celie how to be her own person. He is the husband of Shug but is really in love with Squeak. Samuel is the black minister who travels to Africa with Nettie and eventually marries her after Corrine's death.
Who are the most important characters in The Color Purple?
The Color Purple CharactersCelie. The novel's protagonist, at the beginning of the novel Celie is quiet, passive, and able to express herself only through letters to God. ... Nettie. Celie's more attractive younger sister. ... Mr. _____ (Albert) ... Shug Avery. ... Sofia. ... Harpo. ... Squeak. ... Eleanor Jane, Stanley Earl, and Reynolds.More items...•
How many kids did Celie and Mr?
Celie bears two children to Alphonso, both of whom he takes away. Celie believes that he has killed them both, but discovers later that they have been given away for fostering. Celie's mother dies and Alphonso rejects Celie and begins to show sexual interest in Nettie instead. Celie swears to protect her sister.
What was wrong with Shug Avery?
Shug Avery is sick, likely due to a sexually transmitted disease, and no one in the town will take her in. Both her mother and father say that Shug's promiscuity has gotten her what she deserves.
How did Celie get pregnant?
Only fourteen, Celie is already pregnant with her second child—the result of rape and incest. Alphonso, Celie's father, has turned to Celie for sexual gratification because Celie's mother is ill and can no longer endure Alphonso's sexual demands.
Why did Celie marry Mr?
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. Celie is somewhat happy to marry Mr.
Do Shug and Celie end up together?
Shug, in fact, refuses to be "sweet"; she is uncompromisingly honest. Her first words to Celie are "You sure is ugly." Later, however, Shug befriends Celie, and still later, she becomes her lover.
What's the nasty woman's disease?
tuberculosisThe first time the film hints at what it could have been comes as Shug, nursed back to health by Celie from her “nasty woman disease” (possibly tuberculosis), suddenly turns the spotlight of attention on the pitifully self-effacing Celie by singing “Sister,” a blues number in her honor, at Harpo's juke joint.
What is Shugs real name?
Initially, Shug Avery seems litile more than a flashy blues singer who is not only selfish, but also arrogant. However, the key to Shug's character is the element of surprise: Shug always catches us off-guard.
Why does Celie call her husband Mr?
Celie does not use her husband's given name of Albert until almost the end of the narrative, although other characters call him either Albert or, like Harpo, 'Pa'. In referring to her husband as Mr _, Celie indicates her inability to relate intimately to him in any way at all.
What disease does Henrietta have in The Color Purple?
sickle cellThey talk about Henrietta, Sofia's youngest daughter, who has some kind of blood disease. (It's unnamed in the novel but we suspect it's sickle cell.) Celie is really surprised that she can actually hold a conversation with Mr.
What was Celie's sister name?
Nettie Celie's sister. Celie loves Nettie more than anyone else in the world. Fonso Celie and Nettie's stepfather; shortly after their father is killed, he marries their widowed mother.
Who raised Olivia in the book?
Adam's sister, Olivia is recognized by Celie early in the novel as being her biological daughter when she spots her with Corrine in a store, but Olivia is raised by Samuel, Corrine, and Nettie, and is not reunited with Celie until the very end of the book.
Who is Sofia in the book Eleanor Jane?
Eleanor Jane, the mayor's daughter, becomes close to Sofia, the woman who raised her. Sofia is civil to Eleanor's husband Stanley Earl, but Sofia refuses to gush and dote upon Reynolds, their son, explaining… read analysis of Eleanor Jane, Stanley Earl, and Reynolds
What happened to Celie and Nettie's mother?
Celie and Nettie's mother. After the death of her husband who is lynched by a gang of white men, Celie and Nettie 's mother falls into a deep depression. She eventually marries Pa, and never tells the girls… read analysis of Celie and Nettie's mother.
What did Tashi do in the Olinka?
An Olinka girl educated in the Western manner, Tashi elects to undergo the ritual female circumcision and face scarring of the Olinka, then feels ashamed of having done so. She ends the novel by marrying Adam and moving to the United States with him, Nettie, and Samuel .
Who is Shug Avery?
Shug Avery. A singer who is considered a "nasty woman" by those in the community, because she has relationships with numerous men, Shug becomes friends (and, later, lovers) with Celie, teaching Celie about sexuality, love, and… read analysis of Shug Avery.
Who is Sofia in Harpo?
Sofia. A strong-minded and physically strong woman, and first wife of Harpo. She does not brook any discrimination from white people or physical or other efforts to control her by men, Sofia is sent to… read analysis of Sofia. Get the entire The Color Purple LitChart as a printable PDF.
Who are the mayor and Miss Millie?
The Mayor and Miss Millie. The white mayor of the small town near Celie's and Mr .'s property. The Mayor, along with his wife Millie, are genteel and racist, and are the master and mistress of the home in which Sofia works for nearly a dozen years.
Who is Olivia's friend in Olinka?
An Olinka village girl who befriends Olivia and marries Adam. Tashi defies white imperialist culture and embodies the struggle of traditional cultural values against colonization. She chooses to undergo two painful African traditions—facial scarring and genital mutilation—as a way to physically differentiate her culture from imperialist culture.
Who is the narrator of the color purple?
Celie. The protagonist and narrator of The Color Purple. Celie is a poor, uneducated black woman with a sad personal history. She survives a stepfather who rapes her and steals her babies and also survives an abusive husband. As an adult, Celie befriends and finds intimacy with a blues singer, Shug Avery, who gradually helps Celie find her voice.
What is Harpo's lover's name?
Although abused like many of the women in the novel, Squeak eventually undergoes a transformation much like Celie’s. She demands to be called by her real name, Mary Agnes, and she pursues a singing career.
Who is Miss Millie in Sofia?
Miss Millie. The wife of the mayor of the town where Celie lives. Miss Millie is racist and condescending, but she admires the cleanliness and good manners of Sofia’s children, so she asks Sofia to be her maid.
Who is Celie's friend?
Shug becomes Celie’s friend and eventually her lover, all the while remaining a gentle mentor who helps Celie evolve into an independent and assertive woman. Shug does not at first appear to be the mothering kind, yet she nurtures Celie physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Who is Celie's stepfather?
Celie and Nettie ’s stepfather, who the sisters think is their real father until Nettie learns the truth years later. When Celie is young, Alphonso rapes and abuses her until she moves out of the house. Unlike Mr. ______ and Harpo, who are transformed, Alphonso remains an abuser until his death. Celie inherits her house and property after Alphonso dies.
Who is Sofia in Harpo?
Sofia The outspoken and independent wife of Harpo. Bub Albert's son; he is in and out of jail frequently. Albert's Daddy A carping, prejudiced man; he dislikes Albert's relationship with Shug Avery. Tobias Albert's toadying brother; he is fascinated by Shug.
Who is Joseph in the Olinka story?
Joseph The short, fat spokesman for the Olinka village; he meets Nettie's ship.
Who is Shug in Celie?
Shug (Lilly) Avery A blues singing, no-nonsense woman who teaches Celie about love and self-esteem. Harpo Albert's misguided, immature son; Sofia's husband. Kate and Carrie Albert's sisters who come to "inspect" Celie and her housekeeping. Sofia The outspoken and independent wife of Harpo.
What happens to Celie's mother?
Celie's Mother She loses her mind after her husband is lynched, mutilated, and burned. After she marries Fonso, she is constantly pregnant and ill.
What is the color purple?
Dewey Decimal. 813.54 19. LC Class. PS3573.A425 C6 1982. The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name.
What is the controversy surrounding the color purple?
The controversy centered around the depiction of black men, which some critics saw as feeding stereotypical narratives of black male violence, while others found the representation compelling and relatable. On November 5, 2019, the BBC News listed The Color Purple on its list of the 100 most influential novels.
What does Celie say to Sofia?
She also begins to consider Sofia's advice about defending herself against further abuse from Mister. Shug Avery, a jazz and blues singer and Mister's long-time mistress falls ill, and Mister takes her into his house.
How old is Celie's sister?
Celie and her younger sister, 12-year-old Nettie, learn a man identified only as Mister wants to marry Nettie. Alphonso refuses to let Nettie marry, instead arranging for Mister to marry Celie. Mister, a widower, needing someone to care for his children and keep his house, eventually accepts the offer.
What is Celie surprised by?
Celie is amazed by Sofia's defiant refusal to submit to Harpo's attempts to control her. As Harpo is kinder and gentler than his father, Celie advises him not to dominate Sofia. Harpo temporarily follows Celie's advice but falls back under Mister's sway.
Who is Shug Avery?
Shug Avery, a jazz and blues singer and Mister's long-time mistress, falls ill, and Mister takes her in. Celie, who has been fascinated by photos of Shug that she found in Mister's belongings, is thrilled to have her there. Mister's father expresses disapproval of the arrangement, reminding Mister that Shug has three out-of-wedlock children, though Mister implies to him that he is those children's father, upon which Mister's father leaves in disgust. While Shug is initially rude to Celie, who has taken charge of nursing her, the two become friends, and Celie soon finds herself infatuated with Shug.
When was the color purple adapted into a movie?
Adaptations. Main articles: The Color Purple (film) and The Color Purple (musical) The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1985. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Danny Glover as Albert, and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia.
How does Celie know Olivia?
Celie's attachment to her daughter is extremely strong, so strong that Celie believes she recognizes Olivia merely by the color and shape of her eyes, even though Celie has not seen her daughter since she was very, very young—perhaps only several days old. Active Themes.
Who took Olivia and his wife away in his wagon?
Celie is shocked by this information, and happy that the child is in fact hers, but the Reverend quickly arrives and takes Olivia and his wife away in his wagon. Another coincidence. It is not clear whether or not Pa gave Olivia to Samuel and Corrine saying that the child's name was Olivia.
Who is Celie's stepmother?
Celie, out in town one day (the "town" is not named explicitly, but it is probably Monticello), thinks she sees her child Olivia with another woman—the child's stepmother (later revealed to be the Reverend's wife, Corrine ).
Does Celie adopt Adam and Olivia?
It is unclear whether Celie does this knowing that the Reverend and Corrine have adopted Adam and Olivia. Active Themes. The Reverend is not yet present to pick up his wife and daughter, so Celie invites them into her husband's wagon, waiting outside the store.