In the color purple Alice Walker takes the reader through a young colored girl's life. Throughout the novel Celie is growing and learning about herself emotionally, physically, and spiritually. She learns with the help of Sofia and Shug Avery about herself and about other things that go on around her.
The fact that Celie is writing to God shows us that she has a way of coping with her horrendous life. In a way God is the only person/thing she could turn to since her stepfather scared her by saying "You better not never tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy." (Page 1) This is the first sign of growth we are presented with in the novel.
Next Celie is confronted with Sofia, who she wishes she were like in some ways. She learns quite a bit from Sofia's and Harpo's relationship; like the fact that a wife doesn't have to take abuse from her husband.
English: Alice Walker, Miami Book Fair Internation...
Reading and talking about "Why War is Never a Good...
English: Picture of Celie Brunius, Swedish writer ...She also learns about Sofia's outlook on life. For example when Sofia tells Celie "You ought to bash Mr.___ head open, .... Think bout heaven later." (Page 44) In this quote the reader sees that Sofia is telling Celie that she should start caring about the life she is living and get rid of Mr.____. This is one of the first steps in which Celie starts to care about her life and makes gradual attempts to better it.
Shug Avery enters the novel next and is idealized by Celie. Celie does everything she can to be like Shug. Once Celie becomes Shugôs friend and stops trying to be like her, she begins to learn from her and becomes her own person. Through Shug she learned sexually about herself. All the sexual experiences she had had prior to the one with Shug...