Celie and Nettie are sisters but two completely different people. In the book, “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker gives these two characters different lives, personalities, and points of views on the different parts of life. The differences give the book a perfect twist it needs to make this novel worth reading. Celie and Nettie have different love and different experiences with religion and children.
Religion is a huge part of this phenomenal story. Celie and Nettie both feel different about the whole God idea. Throughout the whole story, Celie changes her feelings about God. At one point, it seems like she believes and the next, it seems like she has given up or as if she never did believe. This is exemplified on page one when Celie begins her first diary entry saying “Dear God,” (1) This shows that Celie did in fact believe in God so therefore she addressed all of her entries to God. Another example is, “I keep hoping he find somebody to marry. I see him look at my little sister. She scared. I say I take care of you. With God help.” (4) This could be considered solid proof that she actually does believe in God. She does think that God is real and she depends on God to help her save her sister from her abusive dad. However, things take a dramatic drift as more and more things happen to Celie. This change was proven here, “Dear Nettie, I don’t write to God no more. I write to you. What happened to God? ast Shug. Who that? I say… What God do for me? I ast?” (192)The way Walker worded this makes it seem like Celie doesn’t even know who God is much less believe in Him. That is where the change in her beliefs takes place. Nettie had a better relationship with God. in the book, she is brought up as a strong believer. I say this because first off Nettie is a missionary in Africa and secondly because in one of her letter’s to Celie she says, “Oh Celie! Will I ever be able to tell you all? I dare not ask, I know. But I leave it all to God.”(143) This proves that she still believes in God and leaves things up to him. She has high expectations of God and just like Celie she depends on him.
Another major difference is the gender inequalities. Celie’s husband abuses her and gives her hell over the littlest things. On the contrary, Nettie happens to run into a good man whom treats her good. Celie was beat occasionally over Mister’s (her husband) children and never once had Mister attempted to help her handle them. Her “Father” also raped her and that left a major scar.
“Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t. First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. The he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it.” (1)
Celie and Nettie’s thoughts about children are contrasting as well. Nettie has always dealt with children who were under control and who knew how to respect their elders. Being a missionary, she was around children who were taught to behave so she never had a problem. Nevertheless, her sister Celie dealt with snobby little children who were anything but respectful and innocent. They were disrespectful and partially the reason why she was beat. They were, “…all rotten children, I say. You made my life a living hell on earth. And your daddy here ain’t dead horse’s shit.” (200) That was the first time Celie had spoken up and said how she felt. By doing that, she revealed a lot about how she felt towards the children and Mister, which was partially why she got a little more freedom and was able to leave with Shug. Had she not spoken up, Mister probably would have held her back.
Celie and Nettie’s different lives are definitely one of the main points of this book. “The Color Purple” is a book that shows how even though you are related, you can still go through life in different ways and you can get different things out of your experiences. Celie and Nettie have different love and different experiences with religion and children.
On the other hand, Nettie has had a much better experience when it came to men. She met a man named Samuel whom treats her very good. When it came to being abused, she was never really abused. Her “Father” did all the horrible things to Celie and Nettie was never an option because she was too young. Therefore, Nettie was never given a reason to hate men. However, considering all of what she has been through, Celie realizes she is not attracted to men she likes women. “He beat me today cause he say I winked a boy in church… I don’t look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women…” (5) She says it right out, she looks at women, which is the beginning of her attraction towards women.
