Letter 82:
Celie writes another letter to Nettie, though she is not really sending these letters. She explains that she has stopped writing to God and now writes to Nettie instead.
Celie shares that recently, Daisy called her to say that Alphonso, who they called “Pa,” has died. Daisy also told Celie that Alphonso’s house and dry-goods store now belong to her. At first, Celie says she doesn’t want them, but Shug helps her see that she should take them.
When they go to the house, Celie and Shug run around burning incense. They do this to drive away Alphonso’s spirit and to make the house feel like theirs.
Letter 83:
Celie writes another letter to Nettie. She tells Nettie that Shug has left her for a very young man named Germaine. Celie also says that Grady and Mary Agnes (Squeak) ran away together and are now running a marijuana farm in Panama, according to what she has heard.
Celie explains that Shug told her about Germaine and said that this would be her last fling. Celie feels bad for spending the summer in Georgia, fixing up her new house, instead of staying with Shug in Memphis. She thinks that if she had stayed in Memphis, she might have stopped Shug from starting this new relationship with Germaine.
Letter 84:
Shug leaves Memphis with Germaine, and Celie goes back to her new house in Georgia. There, she watches Henrietta try to get better from her illness. They have to hide yams in different dishes to make Henrietta eat them because they help with her sickle-cell anemia.
Celie talks to Mr. ____ about Shug leaving and about her pants business. She tells Mr. ____ that she started making pants when she lived with him to help manage her anger about Nettie’s letters being hidden. She says it was a way to keep herself calm and avoid doing something bad to him. Celie also tells Mr. ____ that she doesn’t really like men and thinks they look like frogs without pants.
Letter 85:
Celie writes to Nettie and says she got a letter from the Department of Defense. The letter says that Nettie’s ship, traveling from England to Africa, was sunk by a German mine. But Celie doesn’t believe it. She tells Nettie in her letter that she knows Nettie is still alive.
Letter 86:
Nettie writes to Celie, saying that Tashi and her mother have moved into the woods to live with the mbeles. The mbeles are Africans who refuse to follow English rules. The other villagers who stayed behind are getting sick and dying because they can’t grow yams anymore. Yams are important for treating the blood disease that Henrietta also has in America.
Nettie and Samuel are worried about the Olinkans. They try to find comfort by looking for God in nature, like in the trees, to cope with the terrible things happening around them. Nettie wonders how the Olinkans would react if they knew that in America, black people are treated badly and face discrimination everywhere. She also notes that the Olinkans still see her and Samuel as outsiders, no matter how long they stay.
Nettie finishes the letter by saying that Adam is missing. She and Samuel think he went into the jungle to find Tashi and live with the mbeles.
Letter 87:
Celie writes a letter to Nettie, still believing that Nettie is alive even though she hasn’t heard from her recently. The last letter Celie got from Nettie was sent before Nettie’s ship was said to have sunk, so it’s not a recent letter. Sometimes, Celie gets postcards from Shug with news about Germaine, but this makes Celie upset. She wonders how Shug ever found her attractive and loved her.
Albert, who used to be Mr. ____, tries to talk to Celie. He apologizes for keeping Nettie’s letters from her. Celie tells Albert that she doesn’t hate him because Shug still loves him and he loves Shug. She also shares with Albert that her children were fathered by her stepfather, which shocks Albert and makes him feel even more sorry for how he treated Celie.
Sofia tells Celie and Albert about Eleanor Jane. Eleanor is married to Stanley Earl and has a child named Reynolds. Eleanor wants Sofia to say how cute Reynolds is, but Sofia speaks up, saying that as a black maid, she was forced to care for Eleanor. She explains that she never wanted to do that job, and she doesn’t see Eleanor or Reynolds as family. Eleanor is hurt by this, and she leaves crying.
Shug writes to Celie, saying she now lives in Arizona with Germaine, who teaches at an Indian reservation. The Native Americans there treat Germaine with indifference, which makes him upset. He wants to help them, but they don’t seem to care much.
Celie and Albert talk about how much they both loved Shug. They discuss how Shug has run away and pursued her own interests, even though it hurt their feelings. They both reflect on their love for her.
Celie teaches Albert how to sew, and while they work on pants together, Celie tells him an African myth she learned from Nettie. In this myth, black people are the first people on Earth, and they began having white children. Many of these children were considered strange and were killed. Adam was the first white child to survive.
Celie continues the story, saying that when white Christian missionaries told the Africans about Adam and Eve, the Africans laughed because the words for “white” and “naked” are the same in their language. So, Adam and Eve were kicked out of Paradise for being “white” and “naked,” while black people are “clothed” by their color.
Celie ends the story by explaining that the Olinkans believe white people are angry and want to hurt black people because they were kicked out of Paradise by black people. White people then try to hurt black people to get back at them. Albert comments that the Olinkans have a lot of time to think about these things.
Letter 88:
Nettie writes to Celie, telling her that Adam and Tashi have come back from the mbeles. The mbeles are groups of Africans from different tribes who are living together and trying to resist English rule.
Nettie and Samuel decide to go back to America because the Olinkan village has become very small. Most of the people left the village to join the mbeles in their fight. Adam wants to marry Tashi, and to show how serious he is, he goes through the same facial scarification ritual that Tashi did. Tashi is happy with this and agrees to marry him. They celebrate their marriage together.
Now, Nettie, Samuel, Olivia, Adam, and Tashi are preparing to return to the United States.
Letter 89:
Celie has hired Sofia to work in her shop as a clerk. Sofia and Eleanor have made up, and Sofia tells Eleanor how she was once the family’s servant. Eleanor is shocked by how her parents treated Sofia and starts helping Henrietta more by cooking special yam dishes to help with her illness.
Celie talks with Mr. ____ (now called Albert), who has become a good man. Albert thinks about all the suffering he caused Celie and others, but he also sees the love he has from Shug, Celie, Sofia, and the children. He feels that it is his duty to appreciate the beauty in the world and the wonders of God’s creation.
Shug comes back and tells Celie that Germaine has left her to go to college. Celie shows Shug her new home, which is painted in purple and red. She also shows Shug a purple frog that Albert carved for her. This frog is a reminder of what Celie once said—that all men look like frogs to her. Celie tells Shug that both she and Albert love her and that they will take care of her as part of their big family.
Letter 90:
Celie writes her last letter to a new “God” who is part of the trees, the land, and everything she loves. One quiet day at her new house, Celie and her family see a car driving up quickly. They wonder who it could be, and Celie can hardly believe her eyes—it’s Nettie, Samuel, Adam, Tashi, and Olivia!
Celie and Nettie are so surprised and happy to see each other again that they don’t know what to say. After a big hug, everyone introduces themselves, and Celie spends time with her grown children. Everyone is so joyful that the moment feels very peaceful and full of happiness.
On July 4th, they have a big barbecue to celebrate the reunion. Mary Agnes has come back after leaving Grady, so nearly all the characters from the story are together for the first time. At the barbecue, Celie notes that the African family, especially Tashi, Adam, and Olivia, speak a little differently, but everyone feels like they belong.
Celie ends her letter by saying that even though she is getting older and has had many hard times over the past thirty years, seeing her children makes her feel young. In fact, on this day, she feels the youngest she has ever felt in her whole life.
The analysis includes a detailed summary of The Color Purple: plot and key events emphasizing the central plot and significant events throughout the story.
The analysis includes a detailed summary of The Color Purple, emphasizing the central plot and significant events throughout the story.
