The Color Purple
(Alice Walker)

The story starts with the narrator, a fourteen-year-old girl named Celie, living in the backcountry of Georgia with her sister, Nettie, their dying mother, and their father, Alphonso. Celie is sexually abused by Alphonso and impregnated by him twice. In both cases, Alphonso took the baby from her and got rid of it. Even through the death of Celie’s mother, and a new wife, Alphonso continues to abuse her.

Celie’s younger and prettier sister, Nettie, is desired by a man known as Mr. _____, who already has a woman in his life; a lounge singer by the name of Shug Avery. Alphonso refuses to allow Nettie to marry Mr. _____, but offers Celie to him and he accepts. Nettie runs away from Alphonso’s house and lives with Celie and Mr. _____ for a time, but eventually Nettie runs off, and Celie assumes she has died because she does not hear from her anymore.

Mr. _____’s son, Harpo, impregnates and marries a large woman named Sofia with an exuberant personality. Harpo and Mr. _____ constantly try to berate Sofia, but to no avail because Sofia is both physically and mentally stronger than they are.

When Shug becomes sick, Mr. _____ allows her to stay in his house where Celie develops a sexual attraction to her. Shug stays at the house to save Celie from being beaten my Mr. _____ and the two women soon develop a sexual relationship with one another.

Shug gets married to a man named Grady, yet continues to have sex with Celie. Shug asks Celie about Nettie and Celie tells her that she assumes Nettie is dead because she has not heard from her and Shug tells her that she has seen Mr. _____ hide letters, which turn out to be from Nettie.

Nettie was taken in by missionaries named Samuel and Corrine and was living in Africa with them, and their two adopted children, which coincidentally look like Nettie. It is revealed that the two children are Celie’s from when Alphonso impregnated her, and Alphonso is not really their father, but their stepfather.

When Corrine dies Nettie marries Samuel, and they move back to the states where Celie and Nettie are reunited. Most relationships that suffered throughout the novel are repaired as the characters get older and Celie and Nettie become close once again, happier than they have ever been.