Celie and Nettie Compare Contrast

Celie and Nettie are two sisters sharing the same love while having distinct personalities and characteristics. In the novel, “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker, contains a theme of struggles rises throughout the plot. The book is about a girl named Celie as she grows and lives in a surrounding that make an effect to her and shapes her world, while her sister Nettie works and spends her life and time in Africa teaching young children. Celie is a weak woman who realized the actions she made working to make sufficient changes for herself to grow and become stronger. Nettie the other sister, a woman from the beginning that knew her position and life and would not allow anything less for herself working hard for her life. Nettie and Celie share string points with and partially with religion but differ greatly in the points of education and gender inequalities.   

Religion and spirituality affect Celie and Nettie Greatly. Celie begins the book by appreciating emotions towards her faith in God. Celie directly wrote letters to God. Celie stood where her belief soon began to change. The changes in Celie were swift, changing her position in religion.

“He gave you life good health and a good woman the love you to death”“Yeah I say and he give me a lynch daddy a crazy mama and a low down dog of and a                 sister I wont ever see again.” (Page 192)

Celie found the point in which exactly she learned God’s a role in her life. Celie grew courage to become strong and began to her faith. Nettie’s position of her job made a decision towards her faith. “Saying good-bye to our church group was hard. But happy too Everyone has such high hopes for what can be done in Africa.”(Page 134). While in Africa Nettie worked along side the children, taught, and translated her points and thoughts to them in education while preaching religion. “Well now I know what you meant. And whether God will read letter or no I will go on writing them; which is guidance enough for me. “Nettie never exactly established her position of god clearly. Nettie took influence in the position of Celie to back her claims in her faith. Even though, Nettie was not clear in her point of religion change her faith.

Celie based her actions upon men her life. While at home along with her family, Celie based her decision on what would benefit them. Celie never thought on how to approach her situation to benefit her, it was the highly the opposite. Celie’s mother fought back and resisted which led to her father seeking Celie.

Celie was taken advantage on many occasions, but never fought. Celie never reflected the situation to understand it clearly. Celie’s decisions were made rather than making them for her. Celie needed the support and help of Shug Avery another woman.
“My life stop when I left home, I think. But then I think again, It stop with Mr.____ maybe, but it start up again with Shug.”Celie took Shug to increase her knowledge and grow courage.
Nettie on the other hand understood the positions of people in her life including herself. When her father harassed her, she fought attempted to avoid the situation. Nettie moved from the situation heading to Celie to build a better life. Nettie never placed herself in a situation where her father would hurt her.

“When we was well out of sight… started trying talk. You know he do, You sure is looking fine Miss Nettie and stuff like that. I tried to ignore him and walk faster… Well I started to fight him, and with Gods help, I hurt him bad enough to leave me alone.”  (Page 127)

Nettie also found herself being a strong woman when forced to by Mr._____ she did not allow him to take advantage of her.

            Education stands strong in a person’s position life. Celie never found herself in a position where she could decide about studying. Celie used the struggles of life to build herself to a point where she was literate. Never was Celie granted the opportunity to further herself becoming a stronger woman in reading and writing.

“By the time I git back from the well, the water be warm. By the time I the tray ready for the food it be cold. By the time I git all the children ready for school it be dinner time. He don’t say nothing. He set there by the bed..” (Page 2)

Celie had to work hard under the teachings of her sister Nettie, hiding her knowledge and obvious of what she was learned from Mr.______. Celie was harassed told to stop learning, but strived to become a stronger person, kept fighting Mr.______ not letting him to get in the way of her. Nettie never faced struggles in building a life with education and knowledge. Celie found herself taking care of the house while Nettie was at school. Even though, Nettie never faced the problem of not being allowed to go to school, she found herself driven to earn an education.Nettie never allowed distractions of others to get in the way of her learning. Nettie fought in own unique ways. Nettie could have stopped learning and help her sister Nettie around the house. As Mr.____ approached her and asked her to follow him and go with him, making the choice to go to school. Nettie Never allowed herself to get off track.

Strong points and similarities rose throughout siblings through the story between Nettie and Celie in education, gender inequalities, and faith. Both Celie and Nettie faced struggles for a goal and point they wished to seek, but both found different themselves with a different outcome of their problems. The problems, which Nettie and Celie faced, only help to demonstrate the ways and struggles of a person to a person and how it leads to success in a specific point. Celie and Nettie are two sisters sharing the same love while having distinct personalities and characteristics.