The Color Purple is a story told in a series of diary entries and then in a series of letters. The main charachters are Celie, who is a slave in the south, and her sister Nettie, who is missionary in Africa. Nettie has also taken Celie's kids along to get them out of the plantation. Celie and Nettie lived together at first, but when Nettie's husband starts abusing her, she leaves to become a missionary in Africa and find her roots.

In the beginning of the book Celie is telling the story through her diary entries, and later Celie and Nettie are writing letters to each other, so it is like two stories going on at once. Celie tells about what is going on at the house and Nettie talks about the different lifestyles and strange rituals of the African people she is living with. Celie has a picture that she admires of a beautiful singer named Shug Avery. She would like very much to meet her, but Celie cannot leave the house. Later it turns that her owner is a good friend of Shug's, and Shug is coming to live with them. This makes Celie excited and nervous. But when Shug comes, she and Celie become good friends.

Later Shug wants Celie to move to Tennessee with her.

Tell how the novel relates to your life and why. Give examples, quotes, phrases, and incidents.

Some topics in this essay:
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