Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, tells of the lives of two sisters, Celie and Nettie, through letters and diary entries of theirs. While Nettie’s letters detail her missionary work in Africa, Celie’s letters describe the daily goings-on back in Georgia and reveal her thoughts and innermost desires. One such desire of hers is to get the chance to see singing sensation, Shug Avery. Her chance finally arrives when Shug falls ill and has to take up residence at Celie’s. At first, Shug appears rude and ungrateful to Celie’s care, but as time passes by, Shug reveals a softer, caring side of hers. This translates into her having a care and appreciation for Celie that foster in her a greater sense of self-worth and self-reliance.
It is not…show more content… Although Shug is more than ready to continue her singing and traveling career after recovering from her illness, she abruptly changes her mind once Celie reveals that Mr.___ beats her. Shug comforts Celie and tells her “I won’t leave until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you”. (75) Also, while Shug is surprised to find out Celie does not enjoy her sexual encounters with Mr.___, it’s to Celie’s credit that she does not realize she is supposed to feel any other way from them. Shug ultimately helps Celie discover her sexuality and what intimacy really feels like. Celie is made to understand that she deserves much greater than the life she lives now with an abusive husband who wishes she were someone else and his disrespectful…show more content… At first, Celie makes pants as a way to pass the time by, but when orders start pouring in, Shug suggests they put a few advertisements in the paper, raise her prices a “hefty notch”, and “give you this diningroom for tour factory and git you some women in here to cure and sew, while you sit back and design” (213). Soon, “Folkspants, Unlimited” is established, and Celie can proudly say that it is all hers and that she even has people working for her. Not only is her business is an outlet for her creative ambition, it is also a means of economic self-sufficiency. However independent her business makes her appear to be though, Celie has yet to reach complete independence as she feels cast aside when Shug claims to love a nineteen year old she met from her travels. Because most everything Celie has accomplished was because of the support and care of Shug, it is difficult for her to envision doing anything without Shug being there for her. This helps her out in the long run though, because even though it hurts her, it shows her that she is able of supporting herself without