To page 281

This was a very long entry for Celie!!!

First, Nettie tells Celie that Tashi and her mom have run away to the other tribe. This doesn't sound good because they don't even know if the tribe exists. I don't know what I would do if the home I knew for so long was suddenly ripped from me.

I didn't realize how fast the time goes in this book. As of now, it has been thirty years since Nettie left! This really amazed me because I really didn't think about it.

Nettie then explains how she now sees God differently. She now doesn't have a vivid picture of what he looks like, but she has a greater appreciation for the work he does. Her work in Africa must be hard. She says, "After all, the Olinka know we can leave, they must stay”(page 262). Nettie knows that she won't be in Africa forever and that she will be able to escape the horrible conditions, but the Olinkas don't have the luxury of just leaving. She then tells that Adam is missing! This must feel horrible as a guardian to find out that he is missing. He must have a lot of feelings for Tashi.

We then hear from Celie. It seems like the relationship between Mr. ______ and Celie is getting even stronger. This is hard to believe because not too long ago, Celie wanted to kill Mr. ________ (and vise versa). Celie says that he is the only one who understands her feelings. I think that Mr. ________ had a big awakening and somehow has completely different opinions than what he had before. I wonder what made him change so much. The two of them sit and reminisce about all of the things that happened while they were together. At the time, they did not enjoy these things, but as they sit back and remember, it seems like these events bring them even closer.

Miss Eleanor Jane and Sofia obviously have some conflicting views. Eleanor Jane said that Sofia was the only one who loved her, but Sofia is just really annoyed with her and her baby. It is strange (for that time period) that a white woman would feel so connected to a black woman. Sofia is fed up and finally says that she doesn't like the baby.

It breaks Celie's heart to know that Shug isn't coming back like she promised. She got a letter from Shug explaining that her and her husband have moved in with her son, and they are having a good time.

Celie and Mr. _______ continue to talk. They talk about Shug, and Mr. ________ askes Celie why she loved Shug so much. They both share this love for Shug, and they feel like they can express their feelings together. All along, Mr. _________ was just jealous, and that is why he beat Celie. He was jealous that Shug and Celie had such a strong bond.

Somehow, they got on the topic of the Adam and Eve story. Her version was very interesting. She said that there were a lot of white men before Adam, and he just was the first one that wasn't killed. I found it interesting that they associated white with naked, and that black people could never be naked because they would never be white. I really don't think this has much significance- I just found it interesting.

Celie is still receiving letters from Nettie, so there is some hope that the telegram is false. Let's hope so.

--Leah

to page 281

I'm still going strong!
In the beginning of the reading we find out the Tashi and her mother have ran away to join a new tribe deep in the forest. Then on page 262 Adam is missing, they think he has gone to find Tashi because it's obvious that he has feelings for her. Eleanor Jane has been coming over to visit Sofia all the time. Bringing her husband, and then the baby. She is always over at Sofia's because she feels that Sofia was the only one who really cared and loved her. Her parents only love Junior and her husband only loves his job. When she brought over her baby and asked Sofia if she loved her baby Sofia said no. Eleanor was so hurt that she left.
Now Celie and Mr. ___ have some kind of bond. They are talking all the time and just really enjoying eachothers company. I really want them to get back together. Celie said something that maybe she just loved Shug because she was the first person really there for her and talked to her. Maybe Celie isn't a lesbian, I hope not because like I said before, her and Mr. ____ could try again. Mr. ____ explained that he beat her because he didn't understand why Shug loved Celie and it frustrated him. Celie was just a skinny ugly girl.
I predict that Mr. ___ and Celie will start to like eachother, I am predicting this because as we all know I really want this to happen. It would be so good for both of them!





--BethAnn

To page 259

So, I still can't decide if the whole Africa thing is a good experience for Adam and Olivia. They have been exposed to things that most children will never get to see. I don't know if this is good or not. I think that it is so sad that Tashi was forced to scar her face. This ritual seems really unreasonable and scary. This could easily cause infections. I also think it is sad that the children have to work because of the taxes. Children as young as 8 years old are working in the fields. When I was 8, I know that I didn't think one bit about working.

I find it very interesting that Celie and Nettie now have a house. I am really surprised that Daisy gave it up, because she sounded so disappointed. Celie and Nettie would have never found out if she didn't say anything. So now Celie has a place to make her pants. This is a good place for her because I think that making pants has really helped her cope with all of her problems. It keeps her mind off of life.

I felt really bad when Shug was talking about liking a guy. I know that Shug only feels comfortable telling Celie these types of things, but it left Celie heartbroken. It seems as though Celie finally found something to look forward to in life, and that whole safety blanket is crushed. At one point she even says, "I pray to die" (page 254).

It is horrible to see such a young child be as sick as Henrietta. She doesn't sound good. What is wrong with her? I forget, but this has sort of brought Celie and Mr. _________ closer. Mr. _________ has changed so much. He know seems to have some respect for Celie and is actually interested in her life. I think that their relationship has really changed. I don't know what will come out of this.

The telegram that Celie received is horrible. All of Celie's dreams would be crushed if Nettie really died. I hope you are right when you think that Nettie really wasn't on the ship.



---Leah

to page 259

Since I'm sick I thought I might as well get ahead on reading!
Well all has changed for Celie, on page 248 we find out that Pa is dead. His land and store was owned by Celie's father who left it to her mother who left it to Nettie and Celie. Celie is now using the store for her pant business, and is loving the house. However when she goes back to visit Shug, Shug tells Celie that she is in love with a nineteen year old boy. Celie is heartbroken but Shug says, give it six months and everything will be back to normal. Of course Celie just gives in. Celie has been visiting Henrietta and sometimes Albert has been taking her home. You can see Albert's change on page 257 when he admits to not paying her any attention, he even acts interested in her however Celie says how all men remind her of frogs. I really think Celie is now a lesbian. She cries at the thought of marriage or of men. Then on page 259 Celie reads a telegram that says the ship that Nettie and the children were on was sunk by a German ship. I guess this isn't true since Nettie is still writing, or are these writings from the past? Why would they send Celie a telegram that Nettie is dead if she really wasn't? Maybe Nettie was supposed to be on that ship but never got on. There are so many possibilities, I guess we'll find out later in the readings.






--BethAnn

To page 244

I agree that there is a lot going on! It is so sad that the Olinkas are being driven out of their land. Their village has now become the headquarters for the rubber plant. They now have to pay for their water and the tin, and they don't have good living conditions. I'm glad that they are still sticking to their beliefs. They won't put roofs on their houses because they cannot grow roofleaf. They do meet Jared Hunt on their ship to England. They are going to England to get help for the Olinkas, right? Anyhow, Jared is a very strange lady. She talks about how proud she is to be a good grandmama and how she is so wealthy. I am also not sure about her significance to the story. Then, the children seem to be having a hard time getting used to all of the change. Nettie says that Adam is "unusually glum" and she had to talk to Olivia about what was wrong. (page 235). They finally got there and they went to the bishop for help. When they asked for help, he was quite rude and didn't help them whatsoever. He refers to her as Mrs. _________. Why do they keep the last name a secret????? It seems that Samuel is coping well with Corrine's death, and Nettie and him are thinking about getting married. I got really confused about the part with the aunts. As you said, I guess they were just the ones who got them started as missionaries. Then, Nettie talks about how much she loves Samuel. I'm happy to see that she found someone who she can trust and rely on. Adam misses Tashi, and I think that they will end up being a big part of each other's lives.


Surprisingly, I found some vocab words, too:
verbosity: expressed in or using too many words
staid: sober and steady
blight: something that spoils or damages things severely



--Leah

to page 244

Well there is a lot going on, but it's a lot of boring stuff.
Celie is in her new house with Shug, Squeak, and Grady. I think that something is going on with Squeak and Grady, other than drug dealing partners. By the way, we find out Grady is now a drug dealer of marijuana. He grows it in the backyard. Shug is gone for periods of time with traveling and singing. Celie has found her calling, making pants. She loves it and everyone loves her pants. Two women are helping her, Jerene and Darlene. On page 218 Darlene is trying to help Celie talk. Celie is not really into the whole idea, but I really think it would help her for the pant business and her whole life. Then on page 220 it really shows how Celie is changing. She goes back to see Sofia, Harpo, and the children. Now she is dressing up all nice, doing her hair, and people are noticing. Then on page 227 we find that Albert is going through some troubles of his own. Leah, you were right in your predictions, he is the destruction of himself. He is troubled by everything he has done.
Then there is a long letter that Nettie wrote. I found it really boring. On page 229 it says something about Nettie and Samuel getting married, well at least I thought. However, then on page 242 Samuel announces to the children that they will be getting married. So now I'm a little confused. The family is now in England, which also confuses me because they talk about going back to Olinka, if that is the case then why did they leave to begin with? Samuel is troubled however because he feels that he is making no difference. Then they meet this women Jared Hunt, who seems all over the place. She wants to write but pretends to be a missionary just to please her family. I have no idea where she came from and what her purpose is in the book. Also in Nettie's letter her and Samuel talk a lot about the two aunts that joined Samuel and Corrine together. Althea and Theodosia seem to be the people that inspired the couple to become missionaries. However, they did not do too well.
Things are all over the place in the story. I want something to happen, or something to come together. Hopefully, Nettie will be coming to America, Samuel even told the kids that they would be going soon. I wonder if they will be returning to Olinka first, if that's the case Nettie won't see Celie for a long time.







--BethAnn

To page 228

Shug and Celie started drawing a sort of dream house. I was round and pink and had elephants and turtles. I wonder what is the significance of elephants and turtles. Then, Shug starts leaving for her job. I felt bad for Celie because she seemed lonely once again. It surprised me that Shug came back in such bad shape. Celie said that she was overweight and dirty. I didn't think that Shug would let herself get like that. Then, Celie starts to make so many pants. She makes them for Shug and Squeak and Jack. I think that this has become a hobby that keeps her mind off of her dysfunctional life. I also think that it gives Celie a sense of accomplishment. She has finally found something that she is good at. I am glad that Shug says that she is not ashamed of Celie not being educated. If she would have said that she was ashamed of her, I think Celie would have had a major breakdown. I was a little confused as to how Celie got back to see Harpo and Sofia again. But anyway, it had to be really good to see something familiar. Things changed since she left. Mr. ______ apparently worked in the fields. This really surprised me. I was also surprised about the drugs Celie was introducing to them. Was it illegal to grow and sell drugs at that time? I think that drugs are the last thing that they need right now. Then they were talking about a funeral. If was a funeral for Sofia's mom, right? We then find out that Harpo and Sofia's daughter is sick, and that Mr. _______ is pretty much going insane. Harpo has to stay with him sometimes because he is losing it. This has to be hard on Harpo to see his dad go through such a hard time. Maybe if Mr. _______ dies, Harpo and Sofia will have something more in common and could be there for each other and possibly get back together. It seems as though Mr. _______ has brought his failure upon himself. All of the horrible things he has done are now coming back to haunt him. We'll just have to see what happens.

--Leah

To page 210

I thought that Shug and Celie's conversation about God was very interesting. Because of all of the hardships Celie is going through, she is starting to lose faith in a God. She is thinking that if there really was one, her prayers would be answered. Shug knocks some sense back into Celie and reassures her that there is a god. Then Shug askes Celie what her god looks like. Celie is sort of a shamed to say, but I don't know why. She seems to tell Shug everything else. Then Shug gives a whole explanation about how God is in everything around us and that going to church means sharing the spirit of God. I thought it was a great point when she says, "Everything want to be loved" (page 198). I think that this is one thing that every living thing strives for. I think that Shug has been such a good influence of Celie and has really given her an eye-opening experience.

We finally get a reference to the color purple, but I don't really understand it. I don't know how that is going to tie the whole book together. Then, we hear more about Squeak and Harpo. Why is Squeak's daughter's name Suzie Q., and is that her and Harpo's child? I was really surprised that Shug announced that she and Celie were leaving. I had a feeling that Mr. _________ wouldn't take it very well. I also saw some more character changes. Celie was actually standing up for herself and yelling at Mr. _______. She would have never done that in the past. Also, Mr. _________ sounded a little nervous. He was stuttering and didn' t know what to say. He actually showed a little bit of weakness, which I had never saw before. Their fight ended up becoming very heated. It surprises me that Harpo and Mr. _______ are letting the girls leave. It seems like they could do more about it if they really wanted to. Lastly, Mr. ________ is one of the meanest people I have ever seen. He treats people so badly!


--Leah

to page 210

Well things are really starting to change.
In the beginning of the reading Nettie tells Corrine the truth (page 185). Corrine is dying and Nettie feels that she won't live if she doesn't know the truth because she won't be fighting to live as hard. Nettie proves that Celie is the children's mother and not her by having her remember what Celie looked like. Corrine does believe her after time but still dies. I wonder if now that Corrine is dead that when the family returns home Celie will get her children back? I really think she will.
I found this quote in the book that really made me think and believe that this is true throughout the whole book, "...unbelief is a terrible thing. And so is the hurt we cause others unknowingly." (page 186)
The workers then come to the village again and one even tries to learn their language before "it dies". What I found is so weird, is on page 190 it says the the Olinka people feed the workers. Why would they be nice to people who are destroying their village?
Shug and Celie then go to Pa's house to learn and find out the truth about Celie's real father. I was confused throughout this part. I am guessing that Celie's father could not take care of his children because he could not afford it, so Pa took them and that was that. Pa didn't even care, he was just like, "oh you found out." However, I wasn't really expecting him to show much emotion. He was too busy fussing over his not even 15 year old wife. That is disgusting.
On page 193 Celie talks about not believing in God anymore. I think the last straw for her was the talk with Pa about her real father. She feels that God has done nothing for her and her life is a wreck. Which it kind of is. While Shug is trying to fill her belief back up again she talks about the importance of the color purple on page 197. I was wondering if it had to do with the title of the book. She didn't say much just about enjoying life and noticing everything. Like the color purple in the field. I'm not sure what the significance is, but I thought I'd point it out.
Page 201 and 202 was a complete shocker. Shug announces that she is leaving. However Celie is going with her. On page 202 Celie completely chews out Mr. ____ and tells him how horrible of a person he really is. I was not expecting this at all and I didn't know she had it in her. Good for her though, I wanted that to happen for a long time.
Squeak is going along too, I wonder what their new future will hold for them. Fame and money for Shug and Squeak I am guessing. Maybe a new love and family for Celie?






---BethAnn

To page 192

Ok... well nothing is really getting any more interesting but here we go...

At the beginning of this section, Celie seems kind of different. She seems so happy and optimistic as she describes the beauty of spring. It kind of seems like Celie is seeing some brightness for her future. Maybe she this book will have a happy ending after all of this depressing stuff. Anyway, I found it very strange when Celie says, "But then I remember, he not my daddy, just my children daddy." (page 181). This was when it really hit me about Pa. It really wasn't her dad who raped her. It was another guy. I was confused as to how he was related to the family. I thought it had to be very sad for Celie to find out that she no longer has either of her parents. I think that it would be so hard for someone to grasp the concept of no longer having any parents. I think that I would feel so alone and scared because Celie doesn't even have her sister to be with. Just a side note: they mentioned the word lynched a couple of times and it was one of the first words in the whole book that I didn't know the meaning of. I was also confused about what Shug says at the end of page 184. What does she really mean about this? I know that I talked to you about this but the quote on page 186 also really stuck out to me. Unbelief is a terrible thing, but how do we know when we are believing too much? I was really sad that Corrine died. The one thing that I was glad to see was that she ended up understanding Nettie and actually believing her. I can't even imagine losing a spouse. Samuel has to be in so much pain, and no one can really do anything about it. I know someone who this happened to and I know how painful it is to watch a someone suffer through it. They also mention how the white men keep coming back. I want to know why the Olinkas keep catering to them. Why would they keep helping them?


--Leah

to 178

Where do I begin?
There is more and more coming from Nettie, all of her adventures in Africa. She is now helping to teach and nurse somewhat a tribe called Olikna. Their major crop that cherish is the roofleaf. All their huts are made from this and it's in an abundant there. On page 151 some trouble begins because the Olinka people keep asking if Samuel and Nettie are husband and wife. Corrine then starts to wonder if they had a previous affair.
Nettie is so happy to be in Olinka. She teaches children and even adults. However there is only one girl who attends class, Olivia. Leah, I read that quote that disturbed you, but the quote that disturbed me was on page 161, "Our women are respected here. We would never let them tramp the world as American women do." Tashi, a young girl who strived to learn, was not allowed to be educated because of her father, and he was the one who said that. He said she was becoming "too thoughtful". That to me is just pathetic. Then Nettie said, these men remind her of Pa. How both men alike treat and respect women. That made me upset too.
Leah this is the most degrating quote I found in the book, "A girl is nothing to herself; only to her husband she can become something." That quote is on page 156, and you know what they are talking about when they say, she becomes that something? A mother. That's all, a mother. They even put down Nettie because she said, well I'm not a mother. They were like, oh yeah you aren't much. I would've been so upset!
Then a bigger problem arrived. A road was being built. The people of Olinka were so excited for this road to be built. When they thought it was finished because it came right up to their village they invited the road workers for a feast and celebration. The next day the road workers came to level down their houses to make way for the expansion of the road. It was a huge betrayal towards the Olinka people. Now their whole village is in danger. The cheif went to talk to the man in charge, but the man didn't even think twice. This might be the end of the Olinka village.





---BethAnn

To page 178

Wow...

We first find out that a road is being built to the village (Olinka). When I was reading this, I had the feeling that something bad was going to come out of this. But not knowing any better, the Olinkas welcomed the road builders and even had a huge celebration with them. It turns out that the road was scheduled to go right through their village. Huts, crops, the school, and the church were all destroyed. The Olinkas felt very betrayed. I felt so bad for them because they didn't know that it would have such a bad effect on them. We also find out that Tashi's father dies from Malaria. It is so sad to see someone lose their dad. It sounded like he got proper funeral rights and that he will be honored forever. Tashi's mom is now open to the idea of her daughter getting an education. Other girls in the village are also attending school. This does not go over well with the men, but who cares about them. Men and women should get equal rights. This quote really angered me: "The men do not like it: who wants a wife who knows everything her husband knows?" (page 172). It is a women's right to know just as much!

I also found it interesting that Corrine was suspicious of Samuel and Nettie. She specifically told Nettie that she cannot have Samuel over without her. Corrine then gets out a bible and makes Nettie swear that she never met Samuel prior to the trip. I feel that she wrongly accused Nettie and jumped to conclusions way too fast. She did then apologize, but I think she was wrong for what she did. This made Nettie really unselfconscious. She was worried what Corrine thought of her. She didn't want Corrine to worry about that.

Then came the story from Samuel. I got really lost during this whole thing. So he says that a man's shop and blacksmith shop were burnt to the ground because white men were jealous of his business. The man and his brothers were hanged and beaten. I got really confused as to which person had which children and which one was Celie (if she was even in the story at all). Somehow, Nettie finds out that Pa isn't their father.

I find Celie's last entry very interesting. I think that it really shows her emotions, and I am not sure what she is going to do about all of these stresses.

One other thing I noticed was how Nettie wrote with such proper English. She was able to write a lot and her letters were much easier to read than Celie's. You can really tell that she has had an education.

Somehow, I believe that Celie and Nettie are going to meet up and figure this whole thing out. I think that they have a lot of investigating to do!

--Leah

To page 163

Celie is feeling much better now that she knows Nettie is alive. Again, we get more letters from Nettie. She is now getting off of the boat to enter the village where she will teach. The people helping them on the boats didn't seem very friendly. They just threw some of their stuff into the water. I'm not sure that this gave Nettie a good first impression. They then went to see the native people. The people had so many questions for Nettie, Corrine, and Samuel. They asked if the children were Nettie's because they looked so much like her. (I wonder why? :) ). The people then told the story of the roofleaves. Many people died because the chief was selfish and got rid of the roofleaves. They died of illness and animal attacks and because of this, they now worship the roofleaf. Nettie then begins to teach. She notices that there are only boys who are educated except for Olivia (Celie/Corrine's daughter). Olivia then tries to teach another little girl, Tashi. Tashi's parents approach Nettie because they say that their daughter is changing. They don't want her to be educated- they just want to follow old tradition where women do house chores. I was glad that Nettie defended Tashi and said that she was a very intelligent girl and should be a nurse or a teacher. The dad says that there is no place for her to be a nurse or a teacher in their village. It made me really angry to know that Tashi's own father didn't have hope for his own daughter. Nettie is trying to explain that things are changing. He does not except the fact that women might be gain some rights. I also found it scary that not many people make it out of the village alive. I really hope (and I think that) Celie and Nettie will be reunited. I guess we will have to see.

--Leah

To page 147

These letters have been going on for a really long time. I wonder how long Nettie has been sending them. How many are there? Anyway, I am really happy that Nettie is finally enjoying herself. She is seeing that the world really isn't all about being abused and judged. Her time in Africa seems really exciting, and I hope that everything goes well with her return. On the other hand, Celie just wants to literally kill Albert for hiding these letters from her. She doesn't even like him in the first place, so not she absolutely hates his guts. I am also glad that she has Shug to talk to because if she didn't, I'm sure Albert would be dead. What would Celie do if she had no one to talk to? How would she deal with all of these hard feelings? Shug has really reached out and protected Celie. The pants do sound quite interesting. We will see how they turn out.

Let's cross our fingers for some exhilarating action!

--Leah

to page 147

In this section it's mostly about Nettie's letters. She tells Celie of all the places and things she has seen. She talks about the huge boat she is on, the Malaga and how great everything is. She was in England and talked about the tea that she got to drink, and she even got to drink out of the same glasses as everyone else. This is strange because black people never could do that. On page 141 Nettie talks about Africa. Then she also says how strange it was for her to see a white person at first. Most people even now think Africa has no white people. I then remembered how one girl from our school came from Africa, and she is white. When she talked about it, the way she described it was nothing like America, but I immediately thought of her when Nettie mentioned a white African.
Nettie now wants to kill Albert. She is so upset that he has lied and kept Nettie's letters away from her. However Shug calms her down and tells her if she kills him then she won't be able to see Nettie and nobody will be able to look at her the same. Celie is lucky she has Shug to help her when she is upset, or I think she would've done many things that she would've regretted. Shug is also there to just talk to her and be a friend, which Celie really needs. Now Shug talks about making Celie some pants. Women don't usually wear pants so it should be interesting to see and hear everyone's reactions of Celie's pants. I wonder how they will turn out.




Oh and Leah, that whole idea for getting the book done is great. We can easily do that and we'll have plenty of time to make a cool project to present. Plus with all these great entries it will be easy to collect notes and make whatever we can imagine! :)





BethAnn---

For over break, I think that we should try to get a large portion of the book finished. As of now, we have 157 pages left. I think that we should read small sections and comment on each so that we don't end up with one huge comment. It might also be helpful if we get together over break to start thinking about what we are going to present.

This is just a thought:

• 138-147 (TUES)
  
• 148-163 (WED)
  
• 164- 178 (THURS)
  
• 179-192 (SUN)
  
• 193-210 (WED)
  
• 211-228 (FRI)
  
• 229-244 (SUN)
  
• 245-259 (TUES)
  
• 260-281 (WED)
  
• 281-294 (THURS)

We would post on that day. This would give us two weekends and one week to finish the project. We can make any changes, but I wanted to plan out how long it will take to finish. Let me know what you think.

--Leah

To page 138

This section also confused me.

We know that Celie misses Nettie so much, and had no idea that she was receiving letters from her. We find out that Mr. _______ was hiding them because Nettie hurt him when he tried to rape her. Then Shug started talking about how Albert used to be. She was in love with him because of his sense of humor and his awesome dancing skills. I wonder what made Albert change? Why isn't he the same fun-loving person that he used to be? No wonder Shug like him. He actually had a personality and feelings. I find it interesting that Shug says, "Who he? I don't know nothing, I think. And glad of it." (page 125). She now sees how Albert has changed, and she is glad that she doesn't have to deal with him everyday. Then, Celie and Shug go to Albert's trunk to get the letters. I have a feeling that Albert is going to find out that the letters are missing, and it is not going to be good. I also found it ironic that Nettie is living with the people whom Celie met in town. It is also ironic that the son and daughter are really Celie's children. Nettie becomes really interested in Africa, and reads all of the books that Corrine and Samuel have. She becomes so interested that she decides to accompany them on the mission trip to Africa. First, they stop in New York, and Nettie gets to see Harlem. I think that Harlem is a sign of hope for Nettie. She sees that black families are driving nice cars and living in houses with desired amenities. She now knows that there is a hopeful future. Well, I think that towards the end of this section, Nettie has reached Africa. I think this because she says that she writes to Celie the whole way and then gets so frustrated with not hearing from Celie that she rips the letters and throws them into the ocean.

I predict that Nettie is going to have a life-changing experience in Africa and then return back to the United States. I then think that Shug is going to play a very important role in getting Celie and Nettie back together. I'm not sure how they will get past Mr. _______, but I think that he is going to be responsible for his own downfall.



****I think that the action is sort of slow. There is no "on the edge of your seat" action, and I think that it is all starting to jumble together. I hope something good happens soon so that everything gets a little more easy to understand.

--Leah

to page 138

Leah, I am so confused now because of Nettie's letters so you will have to help me out. However, maybe I should explain the beginning of the reading untill the part of where I am confused.
Celie has gotten a letter from Nettie. But Shug tells Celie on page 120 that Albert has been hiding them from her. Celie is so outraged. Which is understandable because she loves and misses Nettie so much.
On page 124 we find out about Annie Julia. She is the one who first married Albert. Shug was in love with him but Albert's father and even brother told me not too because she's dirty and sleeps around. That's why Shug still calls him weak today.
On page 127 the first letter of Nettie is read. Much in found out in just this one short letter. The day Nettie left Albert followed her and tried to rape her. However Nettie fought back and hurt him so he told her that she would never talk to Celie again. That is why he is hiding all the letters, because of his pride.
This is where I started to get confused. On page 130 Nettie says how she has met this family and is living with them. Then I got the impression she was in Africa. This is where she saw Sofia and the mayor and his wife. Was she not there in Africa yet though? What is so crazy is the family she is staying with could not have children. However they have two kids, a son and daughter. They happen to be Celie's daughter and son that she gave birth to. What are the chances that Nettie would be staying with them. Then Nettie says how she went to New York and how she is going to Africa to help her new family with a mission trip sort of thing. She is thrilled to go and loves her new "family".
So I am thinking Nettie saw Sofia somewhere where the whole story has been taking place, but now is at New York and will soon be on her way to Africa. If this what you are thinking too Leah?







---BethAnn

to page 120

Sofia is now out of jail. However her and Celie seem to be working for Millie and the Mayor. Maybe this is more punishment for Sofia? This just somewhat happened, I'm not really sure the whole story of it yet. On page 105 Sofia explains her situation by saying how bad Millie treats her. It sounds like they are pratically treating her like a slave.
Millie gets a car and has no idea how to drive. Her husband won't teach her either. So Celie teaches her how to drive. Millie then even drives Celie home for the first time in 5 years to spend the day with her family. However Millie's car breaks down so Celie has to go drop Millie back at home, go to town to get a mechanic, and then drive back home. She only got to spend 15 minutes with her kids.
On page 109 Shug comes home to visit and brings her surprise. She is now married to a man named Grady. Mr. ____ and Celie are very upset. They get over it though and there's no big deal, Mr. ____ just drinks. On page 113 while Grady and Mr ___ were driving around Celie and Shug lay in Celie's bed and Celie tells Shug of her "rape". Then on page 114 and 115 they, fool around with eachother. Leah, when I read this I knew immediately you were right that Celie is into Shug on different levels. However, does this mean that Shug is into Celie on different levels too or did she just do that?
Then on page 117 Shug tries to talk Mary Agnes into singing publicly. However Mary Agnes doesn't feel that her voice is strong enough like Shug's so she can't sing in public. I really think that in the future Mary Agnes will start to sing in public and become famous and rich, just like Shug.
Then on page 119 we hear from Nettie again. It pretty much is just a letter saying, "I love you, we're alive, and we're coming home." I wonder what their return home will mean. Will Celie even be allowed to see them because of Mr. ____'s rules? I'm sure she will be able to see her. I think Nettie will just show up at the house because there's no real other way of Celie finding out.





--BethAnn

To page 115

In the beginning of this section, Celie is talking about Sofia and the people she is working for. The way Celie describes Sofia makes her seem more outgoing and happy than she used to be. Sofia did a nice favor by teaching Miz Millie to drive. Something like that takes a lot of patience. I was so happy to see that Celie was going to get to go home. It would be so hard to be separated from your family for so long. That had to be an emotional experience for Celie. It was so sad to see that her time with her children was cut short. She deserves to see her children, but she knows that she has to obey her master.
I was really surprised that Shug would show up with a husband. She knew that her and Mr. ______ had a thing, so you would think that she would really anger him. It sounds like Shug has become very successful and has made a good life for herself. This has to be hard for Mr. ______ to know that he was so close to being with her.
Celie's story about the rape was really sad. She was only fourteen and had to experience something so horrible. Things like this have really scarred her for the rest of her life. When she says stuff like, "Nobody ever love me" , it shows how hurt and desperate she is.
Shug and Celie's relationship is very weird. I'm not sure how they feel about each other, but they are definitely something more than friends.

-leah

To page 103

I guess my prediction was kind of right. I thought that it would only be Celie and Harpo trying to get Sofia out of jail because I thought that they were the only ones that cared for her. I am really surprised that Mr. _______ and Squeak wanted to help, especially Squeak. Why would you want to help someone that knocked out two of your teeth? I was also really confused about their plan to get her out of jail. So they were telling the warden that Sofia's punishment is not harsh enough? And why are they giving him the suggestion to have her a servant for a white person? I thought that they were trying to help her!? I don't know how they found out that the warden was Squeaks uncle. Obviously he didn't know or was just denying it. Squeak sounded like she was in really bad shape. On page 97, Celie says that Squeak came home limping with a ripped dress and a missing heel. I feel bad for her because she was just trying to help someone that I don't think she was so fond of. I wonder why Squeak started to sing? It seemed really out of the blue. Her song on page 101 was very interesting point. A color shouldn't play a part in the way we are treated. Yellow is the same as black, and the color of someone's skin shouldn't matter. On a different note, I thought that Sofia got out of jail. On page 202, Celie is talking to her and actually gets a giggle out of her. Celie says that that is the first giggle she heard for Sofia in three years. This leads me to believe that Sofia has a new outlook on life. Maybe (hopefully) Sofia and Harpo will get back together.

-leah

In the beginning of this reading everyone is trying to think of ways to get Sofia out of jail. On page 92 Mr. ___ even says, "us got to do something." This shocked me, I didn't think he cared about anything but Shug and didn't even really like Sofia. I laughed when Harpo was thinking of rediculous ideas like, blowing up the jail. The funny thing was, he was serious.
On page 94 the group decides to send out Squeak to free Sofia because the warden is Squeak's uncle. This shocked me, because I didn't think she would agree to go free someone that knocked two of her teeth out!
On page 98 Squeak comes back and tells the group what happened. I was a little confused on why her "uncle" raped her. It was out of nowhere. Maybe just because she was there? But then he told her he wasn't her uncle or it would be a sin to rape her. They did not get Sofia back. I don't know how or if they will ever get her back.
At the end of the reading, Harpo actually says he loves Squeak which I was not expecting because I was sure he only loved Sofia. Then she tells him to call her by her real name, Mary Agnes. When Celie told her to tell Harpo to call her by her real name, I was pretty confused on the reason. However, I think it is a pretty good idea for him to start calling her by her real name and not some nickname. The reading ends with Mary Agnes singing songs of Shug's and then her own. I wonder what made her start this?



bethAnn

to page 92

The reading starts with Shug and Mr. ___ having sex. Celie obviously knows and it doesn't seem to bother her one bit. However I'm not really surprised because we all know she doesn't love him and so the less of him the better.
Then on page 81 Sofia returns. Leah, we both knew she was going to come back but she brought back some man they call Prizefighter. The mood is really akward obviously for Harpo and Sofia because now out of nowhere Harpo has a new wife named Squeak. As soon as I heard that name I knew she was a push over. A girl that waited on Harpo's every need. I think though that when Sofia came back, he noticed that's not what he wanted all along, even though he thought he just wanted a woman to push around. On page 82, Leah your assumption of Celie being attracted to Shug is pretty clear. She admits to looking at her butt like all the boys, and getting a little excited.
Then on page 84 a fight breaks out. Squeak feels intimidated it seems by Sofia. Sofia is getting too close and comfortable to Squeak's man. So then Squeak slaps Sofia on the head, which is nothing. Sofia turns around and punches her in the face. Squeak is bloody and two teeth short. Sofia leaves with the Prizefighter and that is that. You know though that when you read this part, that Harpo still loves Sofia and wants her back.
On page 86 we find out that Sofia has been put in jail. She assulted the mayor's wife and even the mayor. She spoke back to the mayor's wife and then when the mayor hit Sofia, she lost her temper. On page 91 Sofia says that she'll be in prison for twelve years. That sentence is crazy! Now if you murder someone you get twelve years, and they won't even let her out early if she's good. I know the sentence is so high because she's colored. That is pretty sad.



--BethAnn

To page 92

This was a pretty interesting section. It starts out with Shug confessing that she sleeps with Mr. ______. Celie says that she doesn't mind, but deep down inside, I think that she really has a problem with it. I think that she is jealous of Shug because she never had that enjoyment. I find the part very weird where Celie looks at her private parts in the mirror. You usually don't think of this as something that you would do with a so-called friend. I think there is something more to this relationship.

I also found the reuniting of Harpo and Sofia to be quite awkward. Sofia comes back with a new man, and Harpo has also found a girlfriend. Obviously, Squeaky, the new girlfriend, doesn't know of Sofia's strength. The name Squeaky makes me think that she is very little and helpless. She is definitely messing with the wrong person. I really hope that Sofia and Harpo get back together because being apart has shown them how much they miss each other and what a good relationship they had.

I also think that Sofia's sentence is quite ridiculous. I really don't think that it is fair to base her sentence on race. I also think that this prison experience has really changed Sofia. She is forced into being submissive. She knows that she cannot question the authority like she is used to doing. It is almost like Celie and Sofia are switching attitudes. Celie is becoming more vocal while Sofia becomes more quiet.

I predict that Celie and Harpo are going to do something to get Sofia out of jail. I also think that Celie is going to become more vocal and eventually be able to get rid of Mr. _________.

-leah

Leah I also agree that Shug is the one that is really bringing out Celie's true inner feelings. She's teaching her and giving her confident to stand up for herself and be unique. Before Celie just went with the flow and followed what everyone told her to do. Shug is sure to talk her into anything now, I'm sure Celie would do anything she says. I'm not sure she's interesting in her more than friends, but you do bring up some good points. I just don't see that happening for some reason. I predict Shug is going to give Celie the confidence to leave Mr. ____ and find a better life.




BethAnn

To page 76

In this reading we meet Mr. _______'s father and brother. They all seem to be very similar. They do not approve of Shug staying at the house. Celie overhears them and actually sticks up for what she believes in. I cannot believe that she spit in his drink! I think this is uncharacteristic of Celie. She has now become a girl who is trying to speak her mind and is becoming more assertive. At the beginning of the book, she would never have done anything to even close to that. I think that this change has come because of Shug. Celie and Shug have become friends and are looking out for each other. This gives Celie the confidence to be more like Shug- a strong, powerful female. I also am a little confused about the relationship between Shug and Celie. It seems as though Celie likes her as more than a friend. The quote that led me to think this is on page 74. Celie says, "I love looking at Shug." It seems as though she likes Shug because she finds security in her. She has had horrible experiences with men, and she knows that Shug would never hurt her. Also, another big change from earlier is the way the Shug treats Celie. When she first met her, she called her ugly and was very mean to her. Now, Shug and Celie are great friends and Shug even dedicated a song to her.

Well... enough about them

I think that Harpo is getting himself into big trouble by turning his house into a juke joint. He doesn't think that Sofia will ever return, but I think that they had too good of a relationship for it to end so quickly. I think he does turn it into a juke joint because he needs something to keep him occupied. He can't stop thinking about her, which shows that he really had feelings for her, unlike Mr. _______ to Celie. As Celie says, they have such a great relationship. I think that Celie is urging him to fix the relationship because it is something that she never had, but always wanted. She doesn't want Harpo to take something so valuable for granted.

-leah

to page 76

In the beginning of the reading Mr. ____'s dad first comes to visit and then his brother. When his dad comes to visit he questions why Shug is there. Celie seems to be offended with what he's saying about Shug and even spits in his drink. I don't really know why she does this, maybe she feels like she needs to stick up for Shug in some way. On page 55 she even says, the next time he comes she's going to put a little of Shug's pee in his glass.
Then later in the reading Sofia notices that Harpo has been eating a lot. This comes to me as really weird because we would never think that something is going on if a guy seems to be eating more and more. We would think he's just being a guy. Then on page 61 she asks Celie to keep an eye on his eating habits too to see if she notices everything. Of course Celie notices something and finds out what is going on. On page 63 Harpo is crying and crying about how Sofia doesn't listen to what he says. He wants Sofia to act like Celie does for Mr. ____. The reason he is eating so much is so that he can become bigger or at least as large as Sofia so he can handle her and over power her. Leah, I do think he feels the need to beat her because of his father's ways. Mr. ____ always put pressure on him to be the "man" and take control. Sofia then leaves with her children to her sister's house.
On page 70 it says how Sofia has been gone for six months.It also says how Harpo is changing. He has been always keeping busy and now he's working on a new project. I think he is keeping busy just to keep his mind off Sofia. The more down time he has, the more time he has to think about her. He is making a jukejoint, which I am guessing is somewhat of a place for entertainment. Like a small theatre for singers and entertainers and then seats around the stage to watch. Shug even comes to sing and really gets the place going. On page 74 it says of how Shug makes a song for Miss Celie. This is when I really see a bond between them. This song brightens up Celie but also show's Shug's appreciation for all that Celie has done.
On page 75 Shug begins talking about leaving in June. Celie becomes upset and explains to Shug why she doesn't want her to leave. Celie doesn't want Shug to leave because once she does, then Mr. ___ will beat her again. He hasn't beat her since Shug has been here. Then Shug decides that she won't leave until she knows that Celie is safe from Mr. ____'s beatings. I think that Shug and Celie share somewhat of a sister bond. They seem to watch out for eachother and care for eachother like sisters. At least, that's how I see their compassion.


I predict that Sofia will come back, but now with the Jukejoint there will be no place for her to stay. So she will never be able to stay. If she doesn't come back, I think there will be some sort of event that involves Sofia, because I really don't think that's the last of her.


--bethAnn

To page 50

I cannot believe that Mr. ______ is allowing Harpo and Sofia to have a house together. He was so opposed to their marriage. Then, when Mr. ______ askes Harpo if he hit Sofia, he was ashamed to say no. I think that Mr. _____ is pressuring Harpo to be just like him. I think that he is talking to Harpo this way because it has happened to him before. His father could have been the same way, and this is the only way he knows how to communicate with Harpo. I was really surprised that Celie actually told Harpo to hit Sofia! Why would she give in like that? She knows how much pain she has gone through, and why would she wish that upon someone else? I am so glad that Sofia is strong enough to hold her ground. She is very opposite from Celie, which might be on purpose. Maybe the author is trying to develop the characters by making them so contrasting. I think that Celie and Sofia are going to end up learning a lot from each other.

I agree that Mr. _____ very sexist. He never has anything good to say about women. Saying that they are like children is not fair. If anything, Celie is way more responsible and mature than him. He needs to keep his mouth shut and I hope that Celie and Sofia gang up on him.

I find it very interesting that Mr. _____ went and got Shug Avery. Now, this is just one more person for Celie to take care of. I also thought it was amusing that Celie referred to her as "Queen Honeybee". Shug must think that she is so great. She obviously thinks this because said how ugly Celie is. She is putting others down to make her feel better about herself. I also found the first line on page 49 interesting. She takes it as Mr. _____ is too "squeamish" to give Shug Avery a bath. I think that Mr. ______ is just too lazy.

Also, it shows a lot about Celie when she is talking to Sofia. She says that she tries to feel nothing at all. I think that Celie has lost all sense of emotion. She doesn't even get emotional talking about how she doesn't know where her children are.

--leah

Reading to page 50

Leah, that was weird that Harpo said he loved someone but then got someone else pregnant but you do have to remember that he is a young boy so I doubt he really knows what "love" is. So he might have been exaggerating.

On page 36 what Mr. ___ said really bothered me. He said the wives are like children and should be beat so they know the man has the upper hand. However, Harpo learned that isn't necessarily true because looked what happened to him with he tried to teah Sophia who has the "upper hand". I smiled when I found that she had been fighting back. Good for her! I think they will have a good marriage becaue they will be equals.

So now Shug Avery is in the home. She is very sick and I wonder if she will live. Even Celie said that she looks worse than her mother before she died. Poor Celie always wanted to meet her and when she did, Shug told her she was ugly! How rude! Celie shouldn't help someone who is mean to her like that.

Also Leah did you catch what Mr. ___ said to Harpo when he was introducing Shug? "This should have been your mother". I knew he had a weird attraction to her. However I bet Mr. ____ did something to mess up the relationship because she told him she needs a man and not someone who will say no to their father. So I wonder if Mr. ____ got shut down by his father in some way and didn't stand up to him. I hope we hear more about that later in the story.


Also in this reading... it confirms that Celie's children were from her father so Pa then must be her grandfather.



--bethAnn

To page 33... again

So... Harpo tells Celie that he loves someone, but got someone else pregnant?

I also agree that Mr. ______ is going to be defeated. I think that he is going to be one character that does not change because he is so bull-headed. Everyone else is going to go through a life change, but I think that he is going to be responsible for his own downfall. He is a very mysterious man that does things that are out of character. I didn't expect him to kick Nettie out either.

I definitely agree that your quote is very strange. You can tell that Celie's life is running her down. It is not normal for a teenager to want to die. All of the beatings and work is way too much for someone her age.

--leah

"It's like seeing you buried, she said."
"It's worse than that, I think. If i was buried, I wouldn't have to work." (Walker, 18).
I just find this quotes so disturbing and confusing. She talks about how greatful she is to be alive and how she doesn't take risks because she is alive and that's all that matters. However she then says, if I was buried it would be better because at least I wouldn't have to work.
In this section I see Harpo and Celie having a stronger bond. He can only talk to her and seek her help because his father is no help to him at all.
I wonder what is going on with Mr. ____ though. This Shug Avery has had a very deep impact on him. I knew he had a thing for her before, but I wonder how that ended up or what happened. Did they have a love for eachother? Also I am really curious what happened to his wife. Harpo's dreams are making me think that Mr. ____ killed her. I wouldn't be surprised because he already beats Celie horribly. She said in the reading, even more than the kids. So if he doesn't have a problem beating Celie I bet he wouldn't have a problem killing his wife. I just wonder why he did it, well maybe I shouldn't be asking these questions yet because it's not proven that he killed his wife.
I love Mr. ____'s sisters though. Kate is somewhat of a role model to Celie, or at least she tries to be. Puts the kids in line and has them do something for a change and even stands up to her brother. However she left crying after something he said. She turned from so strong into a weak helpless woman. I wonder what was said? This incident makes me think that now Celie will never stand up to him because she knows the outcomes. He can make her cry in more ways than words. However I don't think he could make her cry with words. She seems to be such a tough minded person. I think she is this way because of how she had to grow up and live the life she lives.
Another shocker to me in this reading was that Mr. ____ made Nettie leave! He has been trying to flirt with her and I know he still wants her. Maybe he was just getting so frustrated with getting shut down that he made her leave. I expected her to stay because of his infatuation.


I am going to predict now that Celie and Harpo are going to make some plan to over throw Mr. ____. Together I know they are stronger than him.



PS--
Leah I found that really weird too that Harpo never talked to her and now she's pregnant. However I think that she is a different girl than the one in the church. I think this because the one at the church was always with her father. This other one that's pregnant (Sofia) is living with her sister and her husband. The one at the church seemed to be very protected by her father and I highly doubt she would even be allowed to live away from him, that's how I viewed him.



--bethAnn

To page 33

Once again, this section was pretty interesting. I got a little lost towards the beginning. Nettie runs away from home and goes to live with Celie, right? Then, she is forced out and Celie never hears from her again. Later, Mr. _____'s sisters come. I am surprised at how nice they are to Celie. Kate takes her out to buy a new dress. Kate treats Celie with way more respect than Mr. ______ ever did. She makes Mr. _______'s oldest son, Harpo, help Celie with the chores. He refuses because he thinks that chores are a women's job. Mr. ______ is acting really strange. He just sits on the porch and does nothing. He will not allow Harpo to marry the girl from church. Harpo tries to introduce her to his father, but this still doesn't change his mind. He asks Sofia who is the father to her child (she's pregnant). She tells him that it is Harpo. Even after finding this out, Mr. _____ is still opposed to their marriage.

You can definitely tell that times have changed. The way women were treated was terrible. Mr. ______ doesn't realize that Celie might have needs until his sister wanted to take her shopping. Also, Harpo says he won't help her because chores are a woman's job. Celie is being treated like a slave.

Also, I think that the situations Celie has been through have really made her mature (not necessarily in a good way). When I read about her struggles, I forget that she is only a teenager. She has taken on so many responsibilities of taking care of children and a whole household. It must have been common in that time to grow up quickly. At fifteen and seventeen, Sofia and Harpo have already started a family.

One last thing...
I don't understand why Harpo says, "Us ain't never spoke." Then we find out later that he is the father to her child!? This just really confused me.

--leah

Leah---

I am thinking that the project is just our responding and connecting to the book through a blog. If the man that is beating Celie is her father than who is pa in relation to her? I am guessing her grandfather.



--beth

To Page 17

Wow! This is very interesting and definitely will take some time to get used to! I struggled with the language at first, but I think that I'm getting used to it. So, Celie is the main character who is writing the letters to God. I was also confused about who was abusing her. I looked up a summary and it said that it was her father. If this is true, it is really sad. I find it hard to believe that Celie is a teenager and is having her second child. I feel sorry for her. The men treat her really badly and as though she is a "left-over". Also, I find that Mr. ______ is somewhat mysterious. There has to be some reason for the author to call him Mr. ______. I definitely agree that Nettie and Celie are going to reunite to help each other run away.

--leah

Just a side note...

Hey b-

We can always just post questions and stuff because posts are easily deletable later. I think that we can even use this to keep track of the project and not just the book. So, I haven't gotten a chance to read yet but I am not sure what the project is asking us to do. Are we just reading and responding on the blog, or is there something more to it?

--L

To page 17

This book is going to take some time to get used to. The language is somewhat of an uneducated English, I guess you could say. However, so far it seems that the main character Celie is living with her mom and dad but her mom dies. The guy who is living with them I'm not really sure who he is, maybe her mom's boyfriend? But if that's so, then who is pa? That is what confuses me. But the guy living there rapes her and abuses her. She has had two children and she actually sees one when she is in town. Now Celie is married to Mr. ____ even though he wanted Nettie. When the guys describe her I feel so bad for Celie. They say, oh she's short and fat and not much to look at but she can work like a man. I would be so mad if someone described me like that. When I finished reading she is with him and they were just in town. I have a feeling that Celie and Nettie will soon be reunited more because I know they want to run away soon. Who knows where they will run to though.



--beth