The Color Purple & God

 I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple

in a field  somewhere and don't notice it.

_Alice Walker 

The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which is a journey of a young African American teenage girl to an independent and self-sufficient woman. At the beginning of the novel, Celie addresses her letters to God but this changes. Her relationship with God and she herself transforms into something more abstract and satisfying. 

Celie's vulnerability, death of her father and emotional unavailability of her mother causes the initial development of a strong relationship of dependence on God's healing powers. After sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather his words "You better not never tell anybody but God. It'd kill your mammyy" leaves Celie weak and frail just like the presence of good and God in her life. Celie notices her condition and abuse but spurns it. She demands God's help for a better life and holds the almighty accountable. Celie relies upon scriptures in a directive manner to determine her responses to circumstances. She is unable to be angry at her father or her husband for their abuse or to realize that they need to be held accountable for their behavior because she has learnt that she couldn't be mad at daddy. After all, he is her daddy. "Bible say honor father and mother no matter what." This deductive conceptualization of God leaves Celie in an utterly vulnerable state. 

    In church, Celie tries to hold her head up and is bothered too much about her looks to be appealing and pleasing, this reflects her role in the home life and religious institutions. Her job is to please and serve her husband and the Church Priest. Celie's relationship with God changes as she and Shug come close and Shug animates the idea of God not being a white man with a beard but everything. Celie's elevated confidence helps her change her perception of God, now God is no more a physical entity that is bounded but resides in every aspect of nature and her life. This new and strong relationship between Celie and God is more acknowledging of herself, her life and God's spiritual presence. This new relationship shifts her from addressing God in the letters to Nettie, her younger sister wherein she needs to be heard and understood.

As at the beginning of the novel, Celie was alone, vulnerable and subverted she tried to seek encouragement and benevolence from God. When Celie experiences the mounting problems she realizes that her expectations from God are like expectations from any other man and men have always hurt her and treated her as a low-down. But as Shug heightens Celie's esteem, we see Celie uncover a more abstract perspective of God. As Celie becomes more comfortable with a new understanding of a relationship with God she discovers the freedom to find God intimately that she is now able to experience. A woman who had been sexually abused since childhood, who had been placed in a marriage without her consent, was forced to submit to her husband's desires. In the end, she abandons the fixed patriarchal notion of God for one that is more free recognizing of the divine in all creations and claiming the spirit within the individual. The last letter is addressed as  "DEAR GOD. DEAR STARS, DEAR TREES, DEAR SKY, DEAR PEOPLES.    

 DEAR EVERYTHING. DEAR GOD." is the greatest testimony of rebuilding the relationship of herself with God which is now more strong, open and abstract unlike earlier which was more rigid, frail and narrow.

You might think "What's there in the novel for me?" Well, I learnt that God is not just some man or woman and perhaps is present in anything and everything. God lives in the hearts of fellow creatures and objects, if you think treating anyone with contempt and then offering sweets to temples makes you God bidden and an nice, religious person you are probably mistaken. Then why not treat everyone with the same love and admiration as you pray to your God. I'm sure that will make you a better person and God's favorite child!

Love,

Rewa Joshi

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field  somewhere and don't notice it.
_Alice Walker

The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which is a journey of a young African American teenage girl into an independent and self-sufficient woman. At the beginning of the novel, Celie addresses her letters to God but this changes. Her relationship with God and she herself transforms into something more abstract and satisfying.

Celie's vulnerability death of her father and  emotional unavailability of her mother causes the initial development of a strong relationship of dependence on God's healing powers. After sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather his words "You better not never tell anybody but God. It'd kill your mammyy" left Celie weak and frail just like the presence of good and God in her life. Celie notices her condition and abuse but spurns it. She demands God's help for a better life and holds the almighty accountable. Celie relies upon scriptures in a directive manner to determine her responses to circumstances. She is unable to be angry at her father or her husband for their abuse or to realise that they need to be held accountable for their behaviour because she has learnt that she couldn't be mad at daddy. After all, he is her daddy. "Bible say honour father and mother no matter what." This deductive conceptualization of God leaves Celie in a very vulnerable state.

In church, Celie tries to hold her head up and is bothered too much about her looks to be appealing and pleasing, this reflects her role in the home life and religious institutions. Her job is to please and serve her husband and the Church Priest. Celie's relationship with God changes as she and Shug come close and Shug animates the idea of God not being a white man with a beard but everything. Celie's elevated confidence helps her change her perception of God, now God is no more a physical entity that is bounded but resides in every aspect of nature and her life. This new and strong relationship between Celie and God is more acknowledging of herself, her life and God's spiritual presence. This new relationship shifts her from addressing God in the letters to Nettie her younger sister wherein she needs to be heard and understood. As at the beginning of the novel, Celie was alone, vulnerable and subverted she tried to seek encouragement and benevolence from God. When Celie experiences the mounting problems she realises that her expectations from God are like expectations from any other man and men have always hurt her and treated her as a low-down. But as Shug heightens Celie's esteem, we see Celie uncover a more abstract perspective of God. As Celie becomes more comfortable with a new understanding of a relationship with God she discovers the freedom to find God intimately that she is now able to experience. A woman who had been sexually abused since childhood, who had been placed in a marriage without her consent, was forced to submit to her husband's desires. In the end, she abandons the fixed patriarchal notion of God for one that is more free recognising of the divine in all creations and claiming the spirit within the individual. The last letter is addressed as  "DEAR GOD. DEAR STARS, DEAR TREES, DEAR SKY, DEAR PEOPLES.
DEAR EVERYTHING. DEAR GOD." is the greatest testimony of rebuilding the relationship of herself with God which is now more strong, open and abstract unlike earlier which was more rigid, frail and narrow.

















































































































































































































































































































































































I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field  somewhere and don't notice it.

_Alice Walker 

The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which is a journey of a young African American teenage girl into an independent and self-sufficient woman. At the beginning of the novel, Celie addresses her letters to God but this changes. Her relationship with God and she herself transforms into something more abstract and satisfying. 

Celie's vulnerability death of her father and  emotional unavailability of her mother causes the initial development of a strong relationship of dependence on God's healing powers. After sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather his words "You better not never tell anybody but God. It'd kill your mammyy" left Celie weak and frail just like the presence of good and God in her life. Celie notices her condition and abuse but spurns it. She demands God's help for a better life and holds the almighty accountable. Celie relies upon scriptures in a directive manner to determine her responses to circumstances. She is unable to be angry at her father or her husband for their abuse or to realise that they need to be held accountable for their behaviour because she has learnt that she couldn't be mad at daddy. After all, he is her daddy. "Bible say honour father and mother no matter what." This deductive conceptualization of God leaves Celie in a very vulnerable state. 

In church, Celie tries to hold her head up and is bothered too much about her looks to be appealing and pleasing, this reflects her role in the home life and religious institutions. Her job is to please and serve her husband and the Church Priest. Celie's relationship with God changes as she and Shug come close and Shug animates the idea of God not being a white man with a beard but everything. Celie's elevated confidence helps her change her perception of God, now God is no more a physical entity that is bounded but resides in every aspect of nature and her life. This new and strong relationship between Celie and God is more acknowledging of herself, her life and God's spiritual presence. This new relationship shifts her from addressing God in the letters to Nettie her younger sister wherein she needs to be heard and understood. As at the beginning of the novel, Celie was alone, vulnerable and subverted she tried to seek encouragement and benevolence from God. When Celie experiences the mounting problems she realises that her expectations from God are like expectations from any other man and men have always hurt her and treated her as a low-down. But as Shug heightens Celie's esteem, we see Celie uncover a more abstract perspective of God. As Celie becomes more comfortable with a new understanding of a relationship with God she discovers the freedom to find God intimately that she is now able to experience. A woman who had been sexually abused since childhood, who had been placed in a marriage without her consent, was forced to submit to her husband's desires. In the end, she abandons the fixed patriarchal notion of God for one that is more free recognising of the divine in all creations and claiming the spirit within the individual. The last letter is addressed as  "DEAR GOD. DEAR STARS, DEAR TREES, DEAR SKY, DEAR PEOPLES.

DEAR EVERYTHING. DEAR GOD." is the greatest testimony of rebuilding the relationship of herself with God which is now more strong, open and abstract unlike earlier which was more rigid, frail and narrow.