The Color Purple Short Summary

As the author Alice Walker begins the story; the reader is introduced to Celie. She is pessimistic about the future. Her father is cruel and beats and rapes her mother, and Nettie, her sister, is also not doing well.

When Celie gives birth, her father takes the child. Mr. __ wants Nettie for marriage. However, Alphonso, Nettie’s father, convinces him to take Celie instead. After the marriage, the man mistreats Celie a lot. When Nettie goes to live with Celie, the man makes sexual advances at her forcing Nettie to run away. Celie becomes worried because she does not hear anything about Nettie after that.

Celie and Mr. __ give birth to Harpo, who marries Sofia despite opposed by his father. Harpo is also controlling just like his father. Ironically, Celie supports Harpo’s behavior. Celie and Sofia later become friends.

Celie notices that Mr. __ has another woman, Shug Avery, a Jazz singer. Shug Avery has three children with Mr. __. At some point, Shug is unwell, and it is Celie that takes care of her, although Shug is mean towards Celie. After some time, the two become friends and they are later involved in a sexual affair.

All along, Nettie had been sending letters to Celie which Mr. __ hid. Shug shows Celie these letters, which makes Celie happy since she knows her sister is alive. Nettie had been living with Samuel and Corrine, a missionary couple. The couple also lives with Adam and Olivia whom Nettie has a feeling are Celie’s children that were taken away. The children are found to be Celie’s, and Alphonso is not Celie’s biological father.

Celie begins a tailoring business, Alphonso dies, Nettie gets married to Samuel. Mr. __, now called Albert, regrets mistreating Celie. The two become friends. Nettie and Celie finally reunite, and they are happy.