The Color Purple- Religion Theme

In the Color Purple, Celie uses "Dear God" as her salutation to every letter. As told in the beginning of the novel, Mr. ___ told her not to tell anyone that he abused her but only God. Therefore, leading her letters to direct to the only person she could tell, God. However, though the subject of God is not nearly as discussed as other aspects- it is still a very interesting aspect to unfold. 

By being a black abused woman, Celie turned to write her letters to God as the one person she could tell everything to. However, it is not clear if she really does understand and value what/who God really is. That is until she finds out that Mr. ___ never gave her the letters Nettie had written her over the years. Outraged and angered at the fact that most of her life had been a lie, she starts to write letters to Nettie instead. As Shug addresses the change of salutations in the letters to Celie. Celie furiously replies, "...he give me a lynched daddy, a crazy mama, a lowdown dog of a step pa and a sister I probably won't ever see again." (Walker, 192). Celie goes on by saying that God is just like the other men in her life. He possesses the same characteristics of all other men- trifling, forgetful and lowdown. 

Understanding Celie's point of view and her lost of faith, it may be clear that Celie might have never known the real meaning of God or faith. She was instructed not to tell anyone her secrets about Mr. ___ but God, leaving her to never fully grasp the idea of religion. How could God make sense to me during my struggles?- Celie might ask, could be the reason why she started to write letters to Nettie instead. 

The main point I thought that stood out to me was Shug's reaction to Celie's furious reply of why she does not address God anymore: "The thing I believe. God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God. But only them that search for it inside find it. And sometimes it just manifest itself even if you not looking, or don't know what you looking for. Trouble do it for most folks, I think. Sorrow, lord. Feeling like shit." (Walker, 195). Shug's outlook on God could be looked as a pantheistic point of view of religion, meaning that the universe and everything within composes as God. This really interested me because I do not personally put myself into an organized religion until now. The way Shug tells Celie her point of view and how to view God is very touching and inspirational. I can relate to Celie in the moving to more religious aspect. As Celie sees God as genderless and race-less and more of a universe being that wants all beings to enjoy every aspect of life, I began to connect my point of view with this one. As the story begins with Celie barely knowing the true aspect of God- she ends her last letter with a new salutation, "Dear God. Dear stars, dear trees, dear sky, dear peoples. Dear Everything. Dear God." (Walker, 285). Leaving her with a better understanding of her new outlook on faith. I chose to write about this topic because it was very touching and meaningful. With being an unreligious person, I began to connect with a faith- pantheism- and for once, I felt like I belonged to a religion that I fully understood and agreed with. Walker does a very nice way of including different themes in her story without being blunt and straight forward about them.