The Color Purple
The color purple
Symbolism of the rose and shells
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As Celie explores her body in letter thirty-five, we read that it is like "a wet rose." Later as Shug sits back and tells Celie that "God is everything," Shug is described as "a big rose." Therefore, in both cases the symbol of the rose stands for growth and blossoming, whether that is sexual or religious.
Important page references: 69 and 167
The shell itself was traditionally a symbol of the female uterus, and put in the context of Mr. _______ previous attitudes towards women, in handling the shell we get the sense of him getting to know ‘his feminine side.’
Important page references: 213
