#wcw

In the novel, The Color Purple, Shug Avery serves a goddess-like icon to Celie. Celie finds herself with an instant crush on this women before even meeting her. After meeting Shug, Celie is especially captivated by Shug's confidence and sexuality. With Celie's past of being raped, she had never thought of sex as a pleasurable experience. She was so used to being used like an object for men's pleasure to the point where sex wasn't believed to be for the women's benefit at all. When she was introduced to a new perspective of sex from Shug, not only did this shift her mindset on the act but also introduced different feelings towards Shug. Throughout the novel, there are several indications that Celie may even be a lesbian because of the way she describes Shug. Celie even experiences masturbation for the first time to the thought of her (77). I personally do believe Celie is a lesbian. This demonstrates the first time in which Celie feels an attraction or an indication of love towards another person. These two women share a relationship that is much more than just sex. The connect deep with each other and Celie describes how comfortable she is with Shug. She gives Celie a feeling of worth and also makes her feel sexually and emotionally more comfortable. Although some may argue that Celie is not a lesbian and is just experiencing something new, I argue that because of Celie's traumatic experiences in the past it pushed her away from men and towards women.