The Color Purple Shug Character Analysis

Shug’s Relationship with Celie

In Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Walker uses Shug Avery to show the ways that Celie has not yet come alive, as well as the ways that Shug has not come alive. These two characters truly bring out the best in each other. From one’s ignorance, to one’s inattentive ideals, these two started out not liking each other. Or rather, Shug not liking Celie, and Celie adoring all of Shug whether she looked down on Celie or not. Shug defines the magnificent color of purple in her own special ways.

Celie is abused and raped by her Pa, who takes her children once they’re born. Pa marries her to Mr.___, who is just as abusive and just uses her to watch his kids and work the fields. Celie brings her sister Nettie with her

when she leaves but she soon has to leave, promising that she will write letters when she’s gone.
Celie’s life changes when Mr.___ brings his deathly ill mistress home for Celie to take care of. Celie is quickly jealous of the women named Shug for her sexy body and good looks. The two women quickly fall in love with each other. Shug helps Celie in finding the letters her sister promised to send for many years. After finding the letters Mr.___ had kept hidden for so long, Celie goes to Memphis with Shug.
Once reading Nettie’s letters, Celie changes how she sees the world. Nettie tells of their Pa’s death and how Pa isn’t Celie’s biological father. She tells of how since their mom’s death, the house has been hers and Celie’s. She takes the house and prepares it for Nettie.
Celie, an independent woman now, remains friends with Shug. Even though Shug is still not faithful or constant in their romantic relationship, it still remains.
After many decades in Africa, Nettie returns with Samuel who is now her husband, and Celie’s two children.

After leaving Mr.___, she made a new friend while he became a new man. Even though Celie is not remotely romantically attracted to Mr.___ any longer, they can now enjoy each others company. Even as Celie and Nettie are old women now, it seems as if the best years of their lives are just now starting.

When Mr.___ brings Shug into his home, the first thing that she manages to say to Celie is, “You sure is ugly” (Walker 46). Shug is, and always will be brutally honest to anyone and everyone she comes in contact with (“The). In fact she refuses to be “sweet” like her name suggests (“The). She has been Mr.___’s mistress for many years and was to be the mother to his kids. When he tells Harpo, his oldest son, to help him get her inside, Harpo asks who she is. All Mr.___ says is, “The women should have been your mammy” (Walker 45).

From the moment Celie first laid eyes on Shug, she was basically in love with her. “She dress to kill,” even in what looked to be her last moments on Earth (Walker 45). “She look like she ain’t long for this world but dressed well for the next,” Celie observes this as Mr.___ brought her closer (Walker). Mr.___ tells her to go prepare the guest bedroom for Shug but Celie can’t move. She must get a look at Shug’s face before she can move. Once Mr.___ tells her twice to prepare the room, As Shug looks up, Celie turns around and runs

inside.
Later, these two women have come far in their relationship together. Celie is still in love with Shug but she doesn’t think that Shug will ever love her back. She says that’s how it should be but that it still hurts her little heart.
Pretty soon it’s time for Shug to go. Shug had been singing at Harpo’s every weekend now and they were both making money from it. She starting singing with Swain and they sound really good together with her singing and him picking his box. She’s strong now and belts out the songs so the people gathered in the yard can hear her with no problem (Walker 75).
One day, Shug is talking to Celie and she says, “Well, Miss Celie, I believe it time for me to go” (Walker 75). Celie asks when and Shug answered with, “Early next month. June. June a good time to go off into the world” (Walker 75). Celie doesn’t say anything until Shug walks over and puts her hand on Celie’s shoulder. “He beat me when you not here” (Walker 75). Shug can’t believe it. She sits down on the bench next to Celie and asks, “What he beat you for” (Walker 75)?
Celie answer Shug with a simple, “For being me and not you,” and they just sit in silence with Shug’s arms wrapped around Celie for maybe a half an hour. Then Shug kisses the “fleshy part of her shoulder” and stand up saying, “I won’t leave, until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you” (Walker 76).
They all know that Shug will be going sometime soon, and they, Shug and Mr.___, sleep together almost every night, Monday through Friday. He goes down to Harpo’s to watch her sing, and they come home late and giggle and talk and rassle until it's morning time. Then they sleep until it’s almost time for Shug to go back to work.
Shug and Celie talk about a lot together so Shug asks Celie to tell her the truth.

“Do you mind if Albert sleep with me?” and at first, Celie thinks I don’t care who Albert sleep with. But she instead tells Shug she might “git big again.” Shug answers with, “Naw, not with my sponge and all.” So Celie then asks if Shug still loves Mr.___. Shug says she has what you would call a passion for him. If she were to have gotten married, it would have been to Mr.___ (Walker 77).

Celie asks Shug if she likes to sleep with him and she says, “Yeah, Celie, I have to confess, I just love it. Don’t you?” and Celie answers with, “Naw, Mr.___ can tell you, I don’t like it at all.” Shug asks what it’s like for her and she says, “He git up on you, heist your nightgown round your waist, plunge in. Most times I pretend I ain’t there. He never know the difference. Never ast me how I feel, nothing. Just do his business, get off, go to sleep” (Walker 78).

Shug laughs at the way Celie describes it and tells her she makes it sound like he’s going to the toilet on her. Celie just calmly says that that is what it feels like. Shug stops laughing and asks her if she ever enjoys it all, even with her children daddy. Celie says never and Shug tells her that she is still a virgin. Shug tells her that there is a little button down there that gets real hot when you do you know what with someone. Then it melts and that’s the best part. She explains some other things as well that make Celie embarrassed (Walker 78).

Shug tells Celie, “Here, take this mirror and go look at yourself down there, I bet you never seen it, have you?” When Celie says no, Shug says, “I bet you never seen Albert down there either.” When Celie doesn’t move Shug says, “What, too shame even to go off and look at yourself? And you look so cute too. All dressed up for Harpo’s smelling good and everything, but scared to look at your own pussy.” Celie tells her to come with her while she looks so they run off to Celie’s room “like two little prankish girls.”
Celie finds the courage to pull her dress up and look at herself. She asks where the button is supposed to be and Shug tells her while she keeps watch at the door. Celie finds and Shug tells her to look at her breasts too. Celie remembers feeding her babies. She thinks Best part about having the babies was feeding ‘em. Shug hears the guys coming and they feel as if they had been doing something wrong when in all reality they were just fine.
Shug and Celie have grown together into better women. Shug, from a blunt and straightforward person who did what she wanted all of the time, to someone who made friends and took everyone's thoughts into consideration. Celie from a tight ball of wonder, to someone who could now explore and be her own person. Every person needs to find that person that can make them better and let them see the world.