The role of Celie in The Color Purple not only as the main character but also as the narrator of the story. In this novel, Celie writes letters to God and to
her sister, Nettie. Celie’s characters before meeting Shug Avery are portrayed below.
1. Uneducated
Celie is a poor, uneducated fourteen-year-old black girl who lives in rural Georgina, United States. From the language and the grammar that she uses to
write her letters to God, we can see that she is not well educated. The language, which is used by Celie, is not well organized. The grammar that she uses is
incorrect, such as the use of -s and -es after suffix and the use of the uncompleted words.
He act like he can’t stand me no more. Say I’m evil an always up to no good. He took my other little baby, a boy this time. But I don’t think he
kilt it. I think he sold it to a man an his wife over Monticello. I got breasts full of milk running down myself. He say Why don’t you look decent? Put
on something. But what I’m sposed to put on? I don’t have nothing Walker 5.
As a young girl, Celie is constantly subjected to abuse and told that she is dumb. It can be seen from the comments of people around her. This shows that
Celie is uneducated and does not know much about formal education. She has to do all the housework. Her pa said, “…she ugly. Don’t even look like she kin to
Nettie. But she’ll make the better wife. She ain’t smart either and I’ll just be fair, you have to watch her or she’ll give away everything you own. But she can work
like a man” Walker 10.
Celie does not receive formal education like Nettie does. Her father, Alphonso, never lets her goes to the school and learns like the others. Alphonso
said, “…you too dumb to keep going to school, say pa. Nettie the clever one in this bunch” Walker 11. From that statement we can conclude that actually she
wants to gain education but her father never gives a chance for Celie to go to school.
2. Suppressed
At the beginning of her life, she is living with her sister, Nettie, her mother, and her stepfather whom she called Pa. Her stepfather rapes her after her
mother refuses to have a sexual intercourse. Her mother has serious illness. Celie receives its effect. She is forced to have the sexual intercourse with her stepfather
and she does not have the courage to fight it or to refuse it. You gonna do what your mammy wouldnt. First he put his thing up gainst
my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab holds my tities. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me
saying You better shut up and git used to it Walker 3. The sexual intercourse that happened to Celie has a big effect on her
personality. Celie becomes depressed. This pressure makes Celie suppressed by her husband and her stepfather. She never claims or rebels to what her stepfather
has done to her, although she hates to obey her father’s order. Celies reason for her weakness is the norm, which says that a woman must obey and honor her
husband or her father. Celie said, “…couldn’t be mad at my daddy cause he my daddy. Bible say, Honor father and mother no matter what” Walker 39.
As a result of the incest, Celie gives birth to a girl, whom her father steals and presumably kills in the woods. Celie said, “When I start to hurt and then my
stomach start moving and then that little baby come out my pussy chewing on it fist you could have knock me over with a feather” Walker 4.
Celie has a second child from her stepfather, a boy, whom her father also steals. Her stepfather sells Celie’s children to a couple, named Samuel and Corine.
She does not fight to get her rights as a mother to take care and to protect her children and cannot do anything to keep her children. Celie said, “He took my
other little baby, a boy this time. But I dont think he kilt it. I think he sold it to a man and his wife over Monticello” Walker 5.
3. Obedient
