When there seems to be nobody else to talk to, we talk to God. At least some of us do, like Celie. And she has a lot to tell God in "The Color Purple". The novel is really aboout Celie growing up. At first her letters to God are like a child. But, eventually, with the help of both Shug and her sister Nettie, who has found her own adulthood with the natives in Africa, Celie becomes more a woman, even a black woman, and less a child. But, what does the color "purple" mean?
The color purple is mentioned by Shug. Shug indicates that it pisses God off if a person walks past the color purple and does not marvel at it. Thus the color purple becomes tied to religion for Celie. Celie's struggle to find God and understand him is given a very existentialist feel by Shug, who indicates that God is a part of everything. Thus the color purple should be noticed and enjoyed because it exists. It is possible to identify Celie with the color purple by realizing that she has gone unnoticed and is finally being noticed as she asserts her existence. "You have to marbel at the color purples". And, God now notices Celie. At least, Celie feels that way. God is not some old man with a beard. He is everywhere. And this is the purpose of Shug's explanation. God is not merely in a church. God is nature. He is in every piece of dirt, stick, stone, rock, field, plant, animal, and, of course in all human beings- no matter what their skin color, age, or position in life. he color purple. Celie's new awareness of life is that life is something to be marveled at. This interpretation makes her more aware of her own existence. Thus, if the color purple should be noticed, then so should she. This becomes manifest in the final words that Celie writes, "I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I'm here." Thus Celie is now fully aware that she is a person who deserves to be looked at as a person. This in a sense...