| “ | I'm poor, I'm Black, I may even be ugly too but dear God, I'm Here! I'm here! | „ |
| ~ CELIE'S MOST FAMOUS QUOTE |
Celie Harris Johnson is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1982 novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker, as well as its 1985 film adaptation by Steven Spielberg. She is a poor, uneducated, and abused African-American woman who lives in rural Georgia in the early 20th century.
In the 1985 film, she is portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg, who also portrayed Deloris Van Cartier in the Sister Act film series. In the 2023 film, she is portrayed by Fanstasia Barrino.
Background[]
History[]
Celie was born to her mother and father in about 1896. Her father owned a store but was later lynched and her mother remarried a man named Alphonso Harris who Celie believed for a long time that he was her and her sister Nettie's biological father.In December of 1909, at age 14 Celie has given birth to her first child, Olivia, but she is soon taken away from her by her abusive father, Alphonso Harris who later impregnates her again at age 14 and she ends up giving birth to her son named Adam, who Alphonso takes away while she's sleeping. Celie was under the influence that Alphonso killed her children until she saw her daughter with a preacher and his wife.
Later after her Alphonso is newly married a man called "Mister" arrives at his house in hopes of marrying Celie's younger sister Nettie but Alphonso refuses (due to his own attraction towards her) so he allows Mister to have Celie instead. However Celie ends up being abused by Mister the moment she arrives at his house. Eventually her sister Nettie arrives there after narrowly escaping her father's advances towards her. Mister allows Nettie to live in his house until he attempts to rape her on her way to school. Mister then casts Nettie out leaving Celie alone at least hoping her sister will write to her.
8 years later:[]
As the years go by Celie's abuse gets worse even as an adult. Meanwhile, her stepson Harpo Johnson has fallen in love with a head-strong, independent woman named Sofia who Celie envy because of Sofia's ability to fight against others. When Sofia's nature has gotten too much for Harp to handle Celie advises him to beat her!
Sofia later confronts Celie for advising Harpo to beat her and angrily tells how she's had to fight her entire life but she still forgives Celie for the advice she gave to Harpo. However, the constant beatings drive Sofia away and she leaves to Harpo.
Later, Harpo and Mister bring in an ailing Shug Avery, a blues singer and Mister's long-time mistress. Celie has slowly grown a fondness for Shug from seeing her picture in her and Mister's bedroom. Celie nurses Shug back to health abd Shug in turn takes a liking to Celie writing and singing a song about Celie at Harpo's newly established Juke Joint.
Shug tells Celie she is moving to Memphis, and Celie confides to Shug that Mister beats her. Shug tells Celie that she is beautiful and that she loves her, and they share a tender moment where they kiss each other. Celie packs her things to follow Shug to Memphis, but is caught by Mister. Celie and Johnson watch as Shug leaves and Celie passes out on the ground.
Shug returns to Celie and Mister's home with her new husband Grady, in town on business. Grady and Mister become intoxicated while Shug checks the mailbox. She finds a letter from Celie's sister in Africa. Shug gives Celie the letter from Nettie, who tells her that she is working for a couple who adopted Celie's children. Celie and Shug realize that Mister has been hiding Nettie's letters from Celie. While he and Grady are out drinking, Shug and Celie search the house, finding a hidden compartment under the floorboards containing bundles of Nettie's unread letters.
Engrossed in reading, Celie does not hear Mister's calls to shave him, and he slaps her. Celie sets her mind to kill Mister with his straight razor, but Shug stops her. At a family gathering, Celie finally speaks up against Mister and his years of abuse, to the delight of Shug. This fighting spirit also brings back Sofia's old self, and prompts Squeak to insist on men using her real name, Mary Agnes. Celie responds to Mister's taunts with a curse on him. Shug and Grady drive away, taking Celie and Mary with them.
Years later, Upon Celie's father's passing, she finally learns from her father's young, child-bride widow that he was not their biological father after all. When their mother died, "his" property was legally inherited by Celie and Nettie, and the home and shop that had belonged to her biological father pass to Celie.
Celie begins to operate a tailor shop. Mister receives a letter from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service addressed to Celie, takes money from his secret stash, and arranges for Nettie and her family, including Celie's children to return to the U.S. from Africa. While Mister watches from a distance, Celie, Nettie, and the children reunite, and the two sisters bond over a hand-clapping game from their childhood.
Personality[]
In the beginning Celie started out quiet, timid, and submissive as she was too afraid to stand up for herself against her stepfathers advances towards her or the abuse she got from Mister. But once Celie meets Shug Avery, she become more courageous and independent, being able to stand up to Mister and leave his house. Despite the abuse she endured, Celie was still kind, forgiving and compassionate; some examples of this include visiting Sofia while she was in jail and in the 2023 movie inviting Mister over to her Easter dinner despite how cruel he was to her. Despite not raising her children, Celie was still very motherly to those that were kind to her.
Gallery[]
Celie watching Mister attempt to cook
Trivia[]
- Celie's name is derived from the word “celery”, which is a vegetable that her mother liked to eat.
- Celie's character is partly inspired by Alice Walker's own grandmother, Rachel, who was a poor and abused black woman in rural Georgia
- Celie's favorite color is purple, which symbolizes her spirit and dignity. She also associates the color with God and nature like Shug Avery.