This book is rich with great quotes! The author uses vivid, descriptive language that makes this story one of a kind. I will discuss some key quotations to help get you started.

I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and I can't cook ... but I'm here.

This quote is important because it is the first time that Celie expresses confidence and agency. It is a key moment in her character development.

Oh, Celie, unbelief is a terrible thing. And so is the hurt we cause others unknowingly. Don't cry.

This quote is from Nettie, who wants Corrine to die knowing the truth that Olivia and Adam’s mother is Celie. However, this quote also represents deeper themes in the text. It is applicable to the violence Celie has endured, and even broader commentary on the racism experienced by Black people.

It is the pictures in the bible that fool you. The pictures that illustrate the words. All of the people are white and so you just think all the people from the bible were white too. But really white people lived somewhere else during those times.

Here Nettie explains that depictions of Biblical stories inaccurately portray the figures as white. In reality, most of the religious figures in the Bible were people of color. This is an important quote because it underlines how socially constructed ideologies of white supremacy have been perpetuated through religion.

But it ain't easy, trying to do without God. Even if you know he ain't there, trying to do without him is a strain.

This is an important quote because it reflects the Christian themes explored in the book. Celie has been hurt by so many people, and she struggles to separate her view of God from the men who have hurt her. Shug Avery says this line to help Celie find strength in religion. Shug does not see God as a man the way Celie does, but rather a redeeming force whose love can be healing.

What are some key quotes in The Color Purple?

At the beginning of The Color Purple, young Celie tells God “I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me” (p. 1). This appeal to God sets the reader up for an unnerving beginning to the novel, as she goes on to describe the horrible assault that her father has been subjecting her to. It also speaks to Celie’s innocent nature, which is one of her more defining characteristics.

Celie's reserved demeanor makes her a target for ridicule and abuse early in the novel. Her husband, referred to as Mr. ______, tells her “Wives is like children. Nothing can do better than a good sound beating” (p. 55). Upon first meeting Shug Avery, the traveling singer tells Celie “you sure is ugly” (p. 46) while letting out a laugh that “sound like a death rattle” (ibid).

Other characters encourage her to fight back. Sofia tells Celie that she “you ought to bash Mr. ______ head in. Think bout heaven later” (p. 67). Kate tells her “You got to fight them, Celie… I can’t do it for you” (p. 21). Both of these quotes connect with the book’s theme of self-empowerment despite one’s circumstances.

Several quotes address Celie’s sexual identity. She mentions that she doesn’t look at men, but “I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them” (p. 5). Later in the book, Shug and Celie develop an intimate relationship, as seen in this quote: “She say, I love you, Miss Celie. And then she haul off and kiss me on the mouth… Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more” (p. 113).

Another common theme of the novel is religious belief and spirituality. In one of Celie's letters to her sister Nettie, she begins the letter by saying “I don’t write to God no more. I write to you” (p. 192). Shug tells Celie that “it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it” (p. 197).

There are also several quotes that deal with with racism and race relations. Squeak sings a song that says, “But if yellow is a name, why ain’t black the same? Well, if I say Hey black girl, Lord, she try to ruin my game” (p. 99). Shug says “When I found out I thought God was white, and a man, I lost interest. You mad cause he don’t seem to listen to your prayers. Humph! Do the mayor listen to anything colored say?” (p. 195).

In one letter, Nettie tells Celie “We are not white. We are not Europeans. We are black like the Africans themselves. And that we and the Africans will be working for a common goal: the uplift of black people everywhere” (p. 137). This quote is perhaps the author’s most obvious attempt to communicate the purpose of the novel, as author Alice Walker has stated that her experiences as an African American woman and her family were the inspiration for telling this story. Please consult the attached link to the Guardian article for further reference to this theme.