You still bothering Sofia? I ast.
She my wife, he say.
That don’t mean you got to keep on bothering her, I say. Sofia love you, she a good wife. Good to the children and good looking. Hardworking. Godfearing and clean. I don’t know what more you want.
Harpo sniffle.
I want her to do what I say, like you do for Pa.
Oh, Lord, I say.
When Pa tell you to do something, you do it, he say. When he say not to, you don’t. You don’t do what he say, he beat you.
Sometime beat me anyhow, I say, whether I do what he say or not.
That’s right, say Harpo. But not Sofia. She do what she want, don’t pay me no mind at all. I try to beat her, she black my eyes. Oh, booo-hoo, he cry. Boo-hoo-hoo. (29.5-13)
To Harpo, a good marriage is one in which the woman is totally submissive. To Celie, a good marriage is one in which there is love and respect.
Quote 17
He beat me today cause he say I winked at a boy in church. I may have got somethin in my eye but I didn’t wink. I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them. Maybe cause my mama cuss me you think I kept mad at her. But I ain’t. I felt sorry for mama. Trying to believe his story kilt her. (5.1)
The first evidence that Celie may not be at all interested in males: She is afraid of men. Besides, the men she knows (a.k.a. Pa) are liars. The only man in Celie’s life is her Pa, and he abuses her terribly and lies to her mother. Ultimately, Celie blames Pa for her mother’s death.
Quote 18
He love looking at Shug. I love looking at Shug.
But Shug don’t love looking at but one of us. Him.
But that the way it spose to be. I know that. But if that so, why my heart hurt me so? (33.24-26)
Celie battles with whether or not her feelings for Shug are OK. On one hand, Celie thinks that it’s right and natural for people to be attracted to the opposite sex. On the other hand, Celie can’t deny her feelings for Shug and is jealous of Mr.__.