The Color Purple Shug's View On God

This excerpt from the novel, The Color Purple, follows a conversation between Celie and Shug who share their different views on God. The character of Celie used to write letters to god but no longer does so and now writes letters to Nettie, since she feels alienated from God because of all the hardships he’s made her suffer in life. Celie says that her god is a white men, and in her experience, white men have never cared about her wellbeing before. She says, “The God I been praying and writing to is a man. And just like all the other mens I know. Trifling, forgetful and lowdown.” (pg.101). Celie also believes that in order for God to love her she has to do things like go to church, and follow other strict rules in organized religion, but Shug says that she doesn’t HAVE to do those things unless she wants to and that all she really has to do in order for god to love her is appreciate what he’s given her and be happy (pg.102). Shug asks celie what her god looks like and she describes the typical old white man with beard and blue eyes. She says, “He big and old and tall and graybearded and white. He wear robes and go barefooted.” (pg. 102). Shug says that if celie goes to church

Shug says, “I think it pisses god off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it… People think pleasing god is all god care about. but any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back…it always making little surprises and springing them on us when us least expect.” (pg.104). Celie admits that she’s always been so busy thinking of god as a white man that she never took the time to appreciate all things god has made, like the color purple or wildflowers. Shug advices celie to picture god as nature (flowers, wind, water, earth) whenever the idea of god as a man tries to creep back into her head.