The Color Purple

Celie:
Shug like honey. And now I's just like a bee.

Celie:
I'm poor, black; I may even be ugly. But dear God! I'm here! I'm here!

Celie:
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Celie:
[to Albert] The jail you planned for me is the one you're gonna rot in.

Shug Avery:
See Daddy, sinners have soul too.

Shug Avery:
I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it.

Shug Avery:
[to Celie] You sho' is ugly!

Sofia:
All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I had to fight my brothers. A girl child ain't safe in a family of mens, but I ain't never thought I'd have to fight in my own house!! I loves Harpo, God knows I do. But I'll kill him dead 'fo I let him beat me.

Sofia:
I done had enough bad luck to keep me laughin' the rest of my life. Sat in that jail. I sat in that jail til I nearby done rot to death. I know what it like, Ms. Celie, to wanna go somewhere and cain't. I know what it like to wanna sing... and have it beat outch'ya. I want to thank you, Miss Celie, 'fo everything you done for me. I 'members that day I was in the store with Miss Millie - I's feelin' real down. I's feelin' mighty bad. And when I see'd you - I knowed there is a God. I knowed there is a God. And one day I was gonna get to come home.

Old Mister:
[to Albert] Boy, you goin' let this ol' nappy-headed girl cuss you out like that? You sittin' at the head of your own dinner table and actin' like a waiter.

Old Mister:
Celie, you has my sympathy. Ain't many women allow they husband's ho to lay up in they house.

Old Mister:
[Sofia begins to laugh after years of silence] My God, the dead has arisen.

Young Celie:
Nettie. Write.

Young Nettie:
What?

Young Celie:
Write.

Young Nettie:
Nothing but death can keep me from it.

Celie:
He beat me when you ain't here.

Shug:
Who do? Albert?

Celie:
Mister.

Shug:
Why he do that?

Celie:
He beat me for not being you.

Shug:
More than anything God loves admiration.

Celie:
You saying God is vain?

Shug:
No, not vain, just wanting to share a good thing. I think it pisses God off when you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice it.

Celie:
You saying it just wanna be loved like it say in the Bible?

Shug:
Yeah, Celie. Everything wanna be loved. Us sing and dance and holla just wanting to be loved. Look at them trees. Notice how the trees do everything people do to get attention... except walk? [they laugh] Oh, yeah, this field feels like singing! Oh Miss Celie, I feels like singing!

Shug:
Celie is coming with us.

Albert:
What?

Shug:
Celie is coming with us to Memphis.

Albert:
Over my dead body.

Shug:
You satisfied? That what you want?

Albert:
[to Celie] NOW what's wrong with you?

Celie:
You a low down dirty dog, that's what's wrong. Time for me to get away from you and enter into Creation. And your dead body'd be just the welcome mat I need.

Celie:
[lunging towards Albert with a knife] I curse you. Until you do right by me everything you think about is gonna crumble!

Sofia:
Don't do it Miss Celie. Don't trade places with what I been through.

Shug:
Come on, Celie, let's go to the car.

Sofia:
He ain't worth it, he ain't worth it.

Albert:
Who you think you is? You can't curse nobody. Look at you. Your black, you're poor, you're ugly, you're a woman, you're nothing at all!

Celie:
Until you do right by me, everything you even think about gonna fail!

Grady:
It's been a pleasure meeting all of you. Good-bye.

It's about life. It's about love. It's about us.

Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize Winning Story.