The Color Purple

  • Cellie Is raped by her father

    Her mother can't give him what he wants so he rapes his daughter. She becomes pregnant.
  • Cellie Gives Birth

    Saying that the baby was God's, she gives birth to a baby girl who she thinks is killed by her father.
  • Cellie Protects Her Sister

    Cellie is beaten by her father for "winking" at a boy at church. She denies it. When their father starts turning his attention to Nettie, Cellie has a change of heart and urges Nettie to go with Mr. so that their father won't do to Nettie what he does to Cellie. She also stops bleeding. This is in reference to her period meaning that she may be pregnant.
  • The Father Denies Mr. Nettie's Hand in Marriage

    Mr. is a widower from church who wants Nettie's Hand in marriage. When Mr. asks for Nettie to marry him, the father says no because she is too inexperienced. Cellie comes across a picture of a woman whom she thinks is the most beautiful woman in the world.
  • Cellie Marries Mr.

    After Marrying Mr., Cellie goes to live with him and his kids. They don't like her and the son hurts her with a rock. At the end of the night, when she is intimate with Mr., she remembers the beautiful woman and tries to enjoy it like she did.
  • Nettie Runs Away

    When Nettie runs away because of her Stepmom and she goes to Cellie.
  • Cellie Is Abused And Used As a Slave

    After marriage, Cellie is beaten by Mr. and is forced to do all of the work in the fields along with his son, Harpo.
  • Harpo's Wife Breaks Tradition

    When Harpo gets a girl pregnant, they marry and she (Sophia) speaks back to him and orders that he help with household duties. These are things that women traditionally do.
  • Cellie and Sofia Bond

    After Cellie feels guilty for telling Harpo to beat Sofia, Sofia confronts Cellie and Cellie confesses her jealousy of Sofia's emotional and physical strength and they become friends, laughing about the incident.
  • The Beautiful Picture Woman is Sick

    Shug Avery, the woman from the picture, falls ill (maybe from an STD) and Mr. Takes her in. She insults Cellie, but even so, Cellie is attracted to her.
  • Sofia Leaves + Shug Gets Better

    Harpo treats Sofia terribly and she leaves with the children. He is secretly very sad. Shug gets better and Cellie finally gets to see her in concert with Mr.
  • Shug and Cellie Get Physical

    Shug and Cellie have sexual relations and then Shug reveals that Mr. has been hiding letters from Nellie, who lives in Africa and is happy.
  • Sofia Goes to Jail

    After an altercation with the Mayor, Sofia is sent to jail where she is beaten and abused. She then is forced to be a maid for the Mayor and his children.
  • Nettie is With Cellie's Children

    Nettie is with Cellie's children and their adoptive parents and intends to reunite them.
  • The Children's Mother Dies

    Nettie watches Cellie's children's adoptive mother die
  • Cellie Finds Peace

    After standing up to Mr and moving to Tennessee with Shug, Cellie blossoms into a beautiful woman.
  • Cellie's Stepfather dies + Sofia Comes Back

    After her abusive step father dies, Cellie inherits the land and moves back to her old house. Harpo takes care of his dad and Mr. becomes a better man. This makes Sofia come back to him.
  • Reunion

    Nettie comes back to America with Cellie's full grown children and there is a reunion of the sisters and the children.