Celie, Shug, and Mister are characters from which novel?

In the beginning, Celie is a poor, uneducated black woman with a sad personal history. She survives a stepfather who rapes her and steals her babies. She is also forced to survive an abusive husband, Mister. By the end of the novel, "The Color Purple" (1982), Celie becomes a happy, independent, and self-confident woman. She has a completely new persona.

Mister (Albert), Celie's husband, is a jerk for most of the book, but he changes. He is one of the only male characters in this novel capable of reflection and personal growth. In the end, he and Celie become pretty good friends. The impetus for his growth is Celie leaving him. Celie joins Shug in Memphis, TN. Mister has to face harsh facts: His wife left him for his lover. His lover (Shug) chose his wife over him.

Unlike the big protagonist (Celie) in "The Color Purple", Shug does not accept imposed definitions of herself, nor does she allow anyone to control her. Instead, she is compassionate toward others and allows herself the freedom to enjoy love wherever she finds it—even in the arms of another woman, Celie for example.

"The Color Purple" is a novel that documents the traumas and gradual triumph of Celie, an African American teenager raised in rural isolation in Georgia, as she comes to resist the paralyzing self-concept forced on her by others. Celie narrates her life through painfully honest letters to God.