Summary
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.
(See Important Quotations Explained)
Nettie confesses to Samuel and Corrine that she is their
children’s aunt. By this point, Corrine is very ill and has grown
bitter and unfeeling toward the children. Still certain the children
are Nettie’s, Corrine refuses to believe Nettie’s story and is stubborn
in her belief that Nettie and Samuel are lying to her. Nettie tries
to make Corrine recall the time when Celie saw her with her children
in the fabric store in Georgia. Corrine fails to remember it until
Nettie finds the quilt made from the fabric Corrine bought that
day. Corrine finally remembers seeing Celie, but dies of her illness
that night. According to Samuel, Corrine forgave Nettie and overcame
her fear just before she died.
Celie confesses to both Shug and Nettie that she has
stopped writing to God. Shug tries to get Celie to reimagine God,
not as the archetypal old bearded white man, but as an “it” who
exists in and delights in all creation. In the meantime, after eleven
and a half years, the mayor and Miss Millie end Sofia’s period of
servitude and release her. Though free, Sofia feels lost, as her
older children are married and scattered, and her younger ones do
not even remember her. Harpo and Squeak now have a daughter of their
own, named Suzie Q.
Back at Mr. ______’s house, with all the old crew seated
at dinner, Shug announces that she, Celie, and Grady are moving
to Memphis. In front of everyone, Celie finally speaks her mind,
cursing Mr. ______ and later telling him that everything he touches
will crumble until he makes amends for the years of abuse and mistreatment
he has brought her. The others are shocked at Celie’s defiance. Squeak,
perhaps hearing a bit of her own story in Celie’s defiance, announces
that she will join them and move to Tennessee as well.
Shug’s house in Memphis is spacious, luxurious, and beautifully decorated.
Celie passes the time designing and sewing individually tailored
pants. Shug urges Celie to start her own business, so Celie launches
an enterprise called Folkspants, Unlimited. Celie returns to Georgia
for Sofia’s mother’s funeral, and many of her old friends remark
on how beautiful she looks. Celie finds that Mr. ______ is a completely
transformed man who works hard on his land and cleans his own house.
Celie learns that Mr. ______ grew weak and afraid and that Harpo
nursed him back to health. Harpo’s devotion moved Sofia to return
to her marriage with Harpo. Celie also learns that Alphonso has
died, which means that her parents’ land and home are hers. She
moves into her own home.
In the meantime, Nettie and Samuel have married. They
have become disillusioned with their missionary quest in Africa
and plan to return to America. Before they leave, however, Adam
falls in love with Tashi, who has recently undergone the painful
rituals of female circumcision and facial scarring, a move to uphold
the traditions of her ancestors. In solidarity, Adam undergoes a
similar facial scarring procedure.
Analysis
In this section, Walker presents personal religious belief
as an important component of a strong sense of self. Celie has always imagined
God as a distant figure who likely does not listen to her concerns.
She sees God as a white man who behaves like the other men she knows
and who does not listen to “poor colored women.” This image of God
held by Celie—and, ironically, by Nettie, Corrine, and Samuel in
their missionary work—is limiting. In thinking of God as an old,
bearded white man who does not listen to her, Celie implicitly accepts
white and masculine dominance and makes the assumption that her
voice can never be heard.
