Celie’s and Nettie’s Comparison Essay
Celie and Nettie are indeed very different people They are looked upon as sisters, but sisterhood does not simply mean that they have everything in common. If it did, Celie and Nettie would be a perfect example for an counter argument. Celie and Nettie differ in many different areas, but the main three that are the most important are religion, inequality, and personality. First of all Celie’s and Nettie’s belief in religion are ranked in different categories, Celie a little higher than Nettie. They also have inequalities in their life even though they share the same blood and share a similar childhood; also their personality differs greatly. Celie has no courage, while Nettie has courage. the difference between them in Religion, Inequality, and Personality are what make Celie and Nettie stand out from any other siblings.
Religion plays an important role in Celie’s and Nettie’s relationship.Both sisters believe in god and in the past went to church, but their level of belief has changed as they grew up. Celie believes in god,because god is the only one that Celie can believe in, in the beginning. God to Celie is a person who listens to her, helps her, and someone who she wants to answer her. In the first part of the book she states, “Dear God, I am fourteen years old. I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me (pg.1).” In this quote Celie expresses a little of how she’s feeling to god, fear. Celie plans to keep on writing to god, in hope that God reads her letters and helps her find herself. Nettie on the other hand, doesn't have much belief in god as to write to him daily basis. Instead, Nettie, shows her belief in god in her travels with a missionary. This is where Nettie gets her belief in religion from as she grows up. As to say she’s from a missionary, Nettie’s experience is unlikes Celie’s and is more on a separate plane of belief. In one of Nettie’s letters she says, “The reason I am in Africa is because one of the missionaries that was supposed to go with setting up a school suddenly married a man who was afraid to let her go, and refused to come to Africa with her (pg. 130). This quote doesn't tell if Nettie actually volunteered to go, so not much information of Nettie’s personalty can be extracted, but it does say that Nettie was very exited to go (not from her own will though). Nettie’s belief in Christianity is also portrayed as she is a teacher in these subjects as well. One difference between Nettie and Celie is belief.
Nettie and Celie are both the same gender, but the way they are treated is dramatically different. First off, Celie is treated like a rag doll because of Albert, and worst of all she doesn't know how to fight back. Everyone treats Celie like an alien, except for a special few people who respect her, Nettie, Shug, and Sofia. This show the difference between them. In the quote, “That’s it, say shug, pack your stuff. You coming back to Tennessee with me.” Here Shug shows her concern for Celie. Celie also differs from Nettie in knowledge. Celie didn’t attend school while Nettie did. Celie’s foster father didn’t believe that Celie needed education, because he believed that she was useless. Nettie, on the other hand had the chance to be educated. An example of Nettie’s chance of education is shown here, “But only if they would teach me everything they knew to make me useful as a missionary and someone they would not be ashamed to call a friend. They agreed to this condition, and my real education began at that time (pg.132).” Here, Nettie received a chance to education that Celie never had. Celie’s life was decided by her father while Nettie made her own decisions. Nettie even had the chance to continue her education in a missionary and continue on to become a teacher. Nettie’s range of education is way higher than Celie’s even though they are sisters.
The last and most important comparison to Nettie and Celie is their personality. If they were together as one person, they would have no flaws. Their personalities differ greatly even thought they are born with the same blood. Celie is a shy girl with no courage whatsoever. All Celie does is follow what other people say. If someone tells her to do something, she does it with no questions, better yet she’s too scared to ask questions. This is not entirely her fault, but she still should stand up for herself sometimes to show that she’s not some robot. Her feelings are portrayed here,”But I don’t know how to fight. All I know how to do is stay alive (pg. 17).” This shows that Celie has no courage. She should think about the other ways of how she would stay alive first, and that is to fight back. If she doesn't let the kids get to know who has the upper hand first, they could play with her too much that her life would be worse than dying. If she could control the kids, she would not only survive but have a better life. Nettie, though, is different. She also believes that Celie should fight back, and gain the courage to do so. “Don’t let them run over you, Nettie say. You got to let them know who has the upper hand. They got it, I say. But she keep on, You got to fight, You got to fight. (pg 17).” Here Nettie tries to persuade Celie to fight, but Celie thinks differently. Celie believes that the only way to live is to follow orders, of what?, of children. They’re little kids, what could they do? If Nettie and Celie were the same person, Celie would be fear, and Nettie would be courage. Nettie and Celie differ in personality.
Overall, Celie and Nettie have many things that they are different in. Celie’s and Nettie’s belief in religion are ranked in different categories, Celie a little higher than Nettie. They also have inequalities in their life even thought they share the same blood and share a similar childhood. Last but not least, their personality differs greatly. If Celie has Nettie’s courage, Celie’s life may have been way better. These three differences are what Celie and Nettie stand out from one another, but also what brings them together. The both need each other.
