The Color Purple Character List
Celieis the protagonist and narrator of the novel. She is a poor, uneducated black woman with an abusive husband. As an adult,Celiebefriends and finds intimacy with a blues singer,ShugAvery, who gradually helpsCeliefind her voice. By the end of the novel,Celieis a happy, independent woman.Nettie isCelie’syounger sister whom Mr. ____ initially wanted to marry. Nettie runs fromAlphonsoto Mr.____, and later runs away from Mr. ____. She meets a husband-and-wife pair of missionaries, Samuel and Corrine. With them, she moves to Africa to preach.
Nettie continued- Nettie becomes the caretaker of Samuel and Corrine’s adopted children(who Nettie later learns, areCelie’sand biological children, whomCelieand Nettie’s stepfather stole and subsequently sold) and faithfully writes letter toCeliefor decades. Nettie’s experiences in Africa broaden the novel’s scope, introducing issues of imperialism and pan-African struggles.Mr. ____ isCelie’shusband , who abuses her for years. Mr.___ whose first name is Albert, pines away forShugduring his marriage toCelieand hides Nettie’s letters toCeliein his trunk for decades.
Mr. ____ continued- AfterCeliefinally defies Mr. ____, denouncing him for his abuse, he undergoes a deep personal transformation, reassessing his life and eventually becoming friends withCelie.ShugAvery – A sultry blues singer who first appears as Mr. ____’s mistress.ShugbecomesCelie’sfriend and eventually her lover, all the while remaining a gentle mentor who helpsCelieevolve into an independent and assertive woman.Shugdoes not at first appear to be the mothering kind, yet she nurturesCeliephysically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Shugcontinued-ShuggivesCeliethe idea of sewing pants for a living.Harpo – Mr. ____’s oldest son. Many of Harpo’s actions overturn stereotypical gender roles. He confesses toCelieabout his love for Sofia, cries in her arms, enjoys cooking and housework, kisses his children, and marries an independent woman, Sofia. However,Mr.____’s expectations of stereotypical male dominance convince Harpo that he needs to beat Sofia. His efforts at abusing Sofia fail, since she is much stronger than he is. At the end of the novel, Harpo reforms his ways, and he and Sofia reconcile and save their marriage.
Sofia – A large, fiercely independent woman who befriendsCelieand marries Harpo. Sofia refuses to submit to whites, men, or anyone else who tries to dominate her. After defying the town’s mayor, Sophia is sentenced to twelve years in jail, but the sentence is later commuted to twelve years labor as the mayor’s maid. The hardship Sofia endures serves as a reminder of the costs of resistance and the difficulties of combating cultural and institutional racism.Squeak – Harpo’s lover after Sofia leaves him. As a mulatto, a person of mixed black and white ancestry, Squeak highlights the complex nature of racial identification.
Squeak eventually undergoes a transformation much likeCelie’s. She demands to be called by her real name, Mary Agnes and she pursues a singing career.Alphonso-Celieand Nettie’s stepfather, who the sisters think is their real father until Nettie learns the truth years later. WhenCelieis young,Alphonsorapes and abuses her until she moves out of the house. Unlike Mr. ____ and Harpo, who are transformed,Alphonsoremains an abuser until his death.Celieinherits her house and property afterAlphonsodies.
Samuel – A minister who, along with his wife, Corrine, adoptsCelie’sbiological children,Olivaand Adam. A wise, spiritually mature black intellectual committed to “the uplift of black people everywhere,” Samuel takes Corrine, Nettie, and the children to Africa for missionary work. He tells Nettie the story that makes her realizeAlphonsois her stepfather ratherthatnher biological father. After Corrine’s death, Samuel marries Nettie.Corrine - Samuel’s wife. After moving to Africa, Corrine grows increasingly suspicious and jealous of Nettie’s role in her family, convinced that Nettie and Samuel have had an affair.
While still in Africa, Corrine dies from a fever, opening the opportunity for Nettie and Samuel to marry.Oliva–CelieandAlphonso’sbiological daughter, who is adopted by Samuel and Corrine. Olivia develops a close sisterly relationship withTashi, anOlinkavillage girl. This friendship, which crosses cultural boundaries, serves as an example of the strength of relationships between women.Adam –CelieandAlphonso’sbilologicalson, who like Olivia, is adopted by Samuel and Corrine. Adam falls in love withTashi, a youngOlinkagirl.
By marryingTashi, Adam symbolically bridges Africa and America, and his respect for and deference to her subverts patriarchal notions that women are subordinate to men.Tashi– AnOlinkavillage girl who befriends Olivia and marries Adam.Tashidefies white imperialist culture and embodies the struggle of traditional cultural values against colonization. She chooses to undergo two painful African traditions– facial scarring and genital mutilation– as a wayto physicallydifferentiate her culture from imperialistic culture.
Miss Millie- the wife of the mayor of the town whereCelielives. Miss Millie is racist and condescending, but she admires the cleanliness and good manners of Sofia’s children, so she asks Sofia to be her maid. Sofia replies, “Hell no,” and is sent to jail, then to Miss Millie’s, where she ends up working as her maid after all.Eleanor Jane – The mayor’s daughter. Eleanor Jane develops a strong attachment to Sofia and turns to her for emotional support. However, Sofia does not reciprocate Eleanor Jane’s feelings because of the years of mistreatment she suffered at the hand of Eleanor Jane’s parents.
Grady –Shug’shusband. Grady is a loving and sweet man, but also a womanizer. He spendsShug’smoney flamboyantly and frequently smokes marijuana. When Grady and Squeak begin an affair,Shugseems relieved to be ride of any responsibility to her relationship with Grady.Kate- One ofMr.___’s sisters. Kate urgesCelieto stand up for herself and defyMr.___’s abuses
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