The Color Purple Journal No. 1

Journal no. 1 rough draft completed!


The Color Purple: Journal Entry #1
pages 1-75
My first impression of the novel The Color Purple was met with uncertainty. The rural dialect, vague setting, and vulgarity that prevailed in the first quarter of this book took me by surprise. The language, especially, seemed confusing to me at first. However, by about Celie's fifth letter, I had become used to the very simple and uneducated manner in which she wrote her epistles and allowed myself to be emerged in the plot.
From the very beginning Celie's life has been one misfortune after another. The physical, psychological, and sexual abuse she suffers at the hand of her father has caused Celie to fear men. She is meek and obedient at all times, and dares not lash back, even when her father takes her two children away from her. This will to survive, by making herself invisible, even carries over to her married life with the abusive Mr.____. She has allowed herself to be completely at the mercy of the men in her life: her father, Mr.____, and Harpo. The only way she can convey how she feels is through her letters to God. Yet she still does so in a mildly passive manner, most likely because God is a patriarchal figure to Celie.
I felt, at this point, that no good could come of the way Celie got by each day. I pitied her. At her young age, she had lost everything she cared about, especially now that she had presumed Nettie dead. I had hoped that once she met the hot-headed, independent Sophia, Celie would begin to act stronger. However Celie remained as subservient as always, though she did tell Sophia that she was jealous of her assertive personality. It was not until Celie met Shug Avery that she began to change.
When Shug was first introduced, I was distrustful of her. I did not like the way she would condescend Celie while she was nursing Shug through her illness. Like the men in Celie's life, Shug called her ugly, which upset me. Her dominant nature, also reminiscent of the men in Celie's life, was a cause for my discomfort as well. Furthermore, Shug was presented as a promiscuous woman who was always “dressed to kill” in the most outrageous outfits. I never would have suspected that this wild woman would be the one to help change Celie for the better, but the two became fast friends.
Shug's nurturing creates the beginning of a sense of self-awareness in Celie. She begins to notice that her perception of herself varies from other's perceptions of her. She professes, in her letters, that she hates the way she looks and dresses. She wishes she could be like Shug, whom she admires more than anything. Celie also begins to notice weaknesses in the men around her. She notices Mr.____'s inability to stand up to his father and Harpo's sensitivity and sorrow when Sophia takes their children and leaves. Also, Celie begins to express her anger. When Mr.____'s father criticizes Shug's licentiousness, Celie spits in his water, something Celie would never have done before. If not for Shug, I do not believe that this development would have happened. I hope that, through Shug's guidance, Celie will continue to come into her own, and perhaps find better ways to cope with her situation.
This first quarter of the novel The Color Purple, has left me with some questions and some insights. Is Nettie really dead? I truly doubt that she is. I believe Celie judged too soon on that matter. Nettie may not be writing to Celie, but I believe that she is still alive. Will Sophia come back to Harpo? I hope that we at least see Sophia again in this book, if she doesn't come back to her husband. I am really unsure if she will or not. Sophia seems very in love with Harpo, however, she is an independent spirit, and therefor may be fine living without him. Another question of mine is, will Celie always be fine with Shug sleeping with her husband? Celie has never shown any affection for Mr.____ before, so I hardly think she would mind that he is being unfaithful. However, Celie has shown some interest in Shug. I have no idea if Shug is the kind of woman who would return these feelings, though, so this may be a roadblock for Celie.
I will continue the novel with these questions in mind. Hopefully, The Color Purple will continue to be an enjoyable story for me to read.