Celie's Growing Up in the Color Purple by Alice Walker The Color Purple is an award-winning novel written by Alice Walker. Originally published in 1982, the novel chronicles the hardships of a black woman's life. Celie, the protagonist, is a dynamic character and changes from an abused and insecure character to a strong and loving woman. He learns to love and fight for the things he needs and wants. Above all, she fights against Mr.'s cruelty. At the beginning, the reader becomes immediately engrossed when Celie is forcibly raped by her father and forced into an incestuous relationship with him, resulting in the birth of two children. Her father's controlling nature then forces her to marry a man she doesn't love. This shows the reader the sense of insecurity that Celie has at the beginning of the novel. Moving in with her new husband, Mr., Celie endures constant verbal and physical abuse. Regardless of whether or not Celie does what Mister says, he beats her. This is where the relationship between Sofia and Harpo, Mr. Son, enters the novel. Celie compares herself to Sofia, who she would like to resemble in some way. Learn a lot from Sofia and Harpo's relationship; such as the fact that a wife should not suffer abuse from her husband. He also learns Sofia's outlook on life, which is important for his growth. "You should smash Mister's head. Think about heaven later." (47).This quote is said by Sofia while talking to Celie. He is trying to open Celie's eyes and make her understand that she doesn't have to put up with the way Mister treats her. This is one of the first steps in which Celie begins to take charge of her life and takes gradual steps to improve it. Shug Avery enters the novel... halfway through the paper... shows us that she is finally feeling equal or better than the "male" and no longer feeling inferior to him, and secondly, because she is finally in control of something yours, with people who work for you. Celie's growth through almost the entire novel is shown through her letters to and from Nettie. The letters are the key to his knowledge of the outside world and his children. With those letters he sees the world and watches his children grow. She learns that she's not the only one going through a struggle and it gives her the strength to move forward. When she finally gets a home of her own and is reunited with her sister, it's a huge step in her growth because she goes from a woman who has nothing to a woman who owns a home and has friends, family, and control of her life. Bibliography: Walker, Alice. The color purple. Paperbacks New York, 1982.