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Letter 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Color Purple, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
God and Spirituality
Race and Racism
Men, Women, and Gender Roles
Violence and Suffering
Self-Discovery
Summary
Analysis
Celie's father beats her because he thinks she is winking at a boy in church, although Celie denies this. Celie states that she prefers looking at women, since they do not scare her.
Pa's remarriage does not prevent him from feeling sexual jealousy toward his daughter, whom he wishes to control.
Themes
Celie worries that her father will begin sexually abusing Nettie, so she changes her mind and tells Nettie to wed Mr. ____ Celie reveals to God that she no longer gets her period, meaning she can no longer become pregnant.
Celie realizes that, although Mr. ____ himself is a man of bad reputation, he is of better reputation than Pa, and could at least spirit Nettie away to another location, sparing her from Pa's abuse.
Themes
Literary Devices
