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Letter 83
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
Shug leaves Memphis with Germaine, and Celie returns to her new home in Georgia. There she watches Henrietta battle her illness. The family has to slip yams into all sorts of dishes to trick Henrietta into eating them, as they help combat her sickle-cell anemia.
The family comes together to care for Henrietta, one of the smallest in the clan, and one of the weakest. Their desire to cook for her is a genuinely heartwarming example of family togetherness and ingenuity.
Themes
Mr. ____ and Celie have a conversation about Shug's departure and about Celie's pant business. Celie tells Mr. ____ that she started making pants when living with him in order to channel her rage about Nettie's hidden letters, and, therefore, to keep herself from killing him. Celie also tells Mr. ____ that she is not really attracted to men, and that, without pants, they resemble frogs to her.
An important moment. Celie acknowledges to Mr. ____ both her rage at him and her sexual preference for women. But it is important to know that she is sharing these facts with him—not screaming, not fighting, not even blaming—and that he is listening, understanding. They are starting to build a real relationship, a friendship, of their own.
Themes
