Why did Celie decide to marry Mr.__ in The Color Purple?
Mr.__ is a widower with children who needs a wife to run his household. He wants to marry Celie's pretty younger sister, Nettie. However, their father has his eyes on Nettie for himself and refuses to allow Mr.__ to marry her.
Celie dislikes Mr.__ and doesn't want to take care of someone else's children, but she notices the way her father is looking at Nettie and wants to save her sister. Therefore, she starts proposing herself as the appropriate wife for Mr.__.
This seems startling, given Celie's aversion to the man, but her reasons become clear as she writes:
All I thought about was Nettie. How she could come to me if I marry him and he be so love struck with her I could figure out a way for us to run away.
Celie thinks that by marrying Mr.__, she can save Nellie from her father and that the...
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two of them can live in Mr.__'s household and find a way to escape. Celie sees her marriage to this man as a temporary measure that will allow both she and Nellie to find freedom.
This shows us that Celie has a generous nature and a willingness to sacrifice herself, at least temporarily, to help someone she loves. However, even if only subconsciously, Celie is likely influenced by the photo of Mr.__'s lover she sees, the glamorous Shug Avery. Marrying Mr.__ would bring her closer to this woman.
Who does Celie marry in The Color Purple?
In The Color Purple, Celie marries a man she calls Mr.__, though she learns that his first name is actually Albert. Albert was married once before and has a few kids, and he is basically looking for a new mother for those children and a wife to cook, clean, and keep his house.
Albert is initially interested in marrying Celie's younger sister, Nettie, but the girls' stepfather, Alphonso, insists that Celie should get married first. Alphonso has raped Celie multiple times, and he's given away the children she had as a result of these assaults. It seems fairly clear that he plans to rape Nettie as well and that this is why he does not want to let her marry. Although Albert wants Nettie, he settles for Celie, as he is in need of someone he can put to work right away.
Ultimately, Celie leaves Albert and goes away with Shug Avery. Celie tells Albert off one night at dinner, standing up to him after he has mistreated and abused her for years. She lives with Shug for a while and begins her own clothing company called Folkspants, Unlimited, where she makes comfortable, unisex pants for both men and women. Eventually, Celie returns to Georgia and develops a sort of friendship with Albert.