The Color Purple – letter 57-60 (p.123132) Story Outline:
Letters from Nettie about her journey with the Samuel and Corrine family from their old town all the way to Africa. She talked about the Harlem (in letter 56),then a ship to England, then back their motherland, Africa.
Importance of these Letters:
The Letters from Nettie expands the whole story within a much larger context as now the story goes all the way to an African village. Before the letters from Nettie the story was all around a small set of people in a small town in the rural South. The images in Nettie‟s letters not only open Celie‟s eyes to the outside world, but also links the personal experiences Celie has suffered with the broader themes and exploitation of the Africans everywhere. The message that Nettie is not dead also ignites her desire and idea to leave this so called home and become independent. We can also see from her desire and struggle to whether kill Mr.Albert or not her attempt to stop relying so much on Shug, we can see that as she gets numb and tried to argue with Shug whether or not she should kill Mr.Albert. The idea of black actually being rich and independent is now emerging to Cilie‟s mind. She was no long the submissive little woman that was like a „wood‟ and takes everything that people do to her. Influence by Shug and Nettie‟s letters, her sense of self and idea that she worth something is growing day by day.
Important quotes and implications:
Letter 57:
Samuel: the first black male in the book that doesn‟t exploit black women. P.123 “We all used the same cups and plates” -> shows the English people treated them equally and once again tell us how bad black people were treated back in US. P.124”Our work have been somewhat clearer in England because the English have been sending missionaries to Africa…….. the things they have brought” it shows that actually the intrusion of African culture
and the American Africans‟ (or just Nettie‟s) ignorance towards the harm the earlier missionaries brought to the native African and the difference in objectives from them. In P.124 it also brought up a quite interesting and inspiring question of how come the American African love Africa, their root, so much while they were sold and betrayed by their fellow African families. I think we can discuss this question a bit. (it might have got something to do with the very unsatisfactory social status they get outside Africa and hardship they have to endure.)
Letter 58:
P.126 “The president….has a lot of white-looking colored people in his cabinet” + P.127 “The president talked a good bit about his effort trying to develop the country and about his problem with the natives, who don‟t want to work to help build the country up.” It shows there was discrimination even in Africa : More western African (or called “exslave”) discriminating more native African and that people in power are all “westernized” Africans. (*but then undoubtedly they are more educated) It is actually the same in Hong Kong: People general have preference to western things naturally without thinking and blindly follow western fashion and norm. P.127”they don‟t own the field….people in a place called Holland do…. And there are overseers who make sure the people work hard.” This shows colonialism and exploitation didn‟t only exist in America or outside Africa but even in Africa where, naturally, the Africans‟ home and where they are from. It is different from the expectation Nettie had before she went to Africa. P128, one of the most important line in the whole book. “..my first sight of the African coast? Something struck in me, in my soul, Ceilie, like a large bell, and I just vibrated.” It was a very emotional moment and surely it implanted the idea of going back to Africa inside Cilie‟s heart. It also shows many of the American Africans‟ dreams of going back to Africa, their home, at that time.
Letter 59:
Shifts back from Nettie‟s letters and Africa to real life: Shug and Mr.Albert. Although the subject seems concentrates more on her rage towards Mr.Albert, I think the emphasis is actually P.129”How am I gonna keep from killing him” Cilie is getting more and more expressive -> influenced by Shug, starting to become more and more of a modern independent woman.
P.129”You somebody to Nettie…” + “think about me (Shug) a little bit.” It is one of the first times somebody actually tells her her importance. It also conveys the message of Shug actually loves Albert more than she loves Cilie. I think the “I laugh, thinking bout Grady‟s toofs.” Is actually an act of jealousy and Cilie was caught in the jealousy, didn‟t really know what to do and so laugh. Laugh is a very instinctive act when we feel uncomfortable.
Letter 60:
P.131“Much as I want to be with her, much as I love to look, my titties stay soft, my little buttons never rise. Now I know I‟m dead.” Cilie has lost herself, drown in her hatred towards Mr.Albert, building up her decision to leave the house and do things she wants to do. P.132”A needle and not a razor in my hand, I think. She don‟t say nothing else, just come over to me and hug.” It shows Shug did help her to calm down and stop her from killing Mr.Albert. Interesting thing here I think is the reason Shug comes and hug her. It might be either because she was glad that Cilie was no longer haunted by the thought of killing Mr.Albert or she might just be glad that she still has Mr.Albert because Cilie was not gonna kill him anymore.The overall idea of making pants implanted in Cilie‟s mind as we can see later on she would have her own pant store.