Ken Burns, in a recent interview, asserted that “[h]eroism is not perfection, but a deep negotiation between human strength and weakness.” This quote applies to The Color Purple’s protagonist, Celie, who is a hero in that she is able to drastically improve her life in spite of the difficult circumstances she faces. At the beginning of the book, Celie is an abused and unloved woman who lacks self-confidence. The love and care she gives out to others is seldom returned, and her sister Nettie, her only friend, runs away to escape from Celie’s husband. However, as the story progresses, Celie, with the guidance of Shug Avery, slowly comes to the realization that she has a choice in life, and her relationship with God changes as she embraces the
