The Color Purple Lesson Plan

Why does Celie end her letters with "Amen"?

Celie has begun to write to Nettie, instead of God. Since she has always thought of God as a male figure, she feels that God has let her down, like all the other men in her life. The love she has for Nettie is stronger than that she has for God, so Nettie replaces God in her letters. Furthermore, Celie has begun to think of God differently in light of the conversation she had with Shug. She sees God in all living things, and not as a "he or a she, but a It." So when Celie is writing to Nettie, whose love fulfills her in a spiritual and all-encompassing way, she feels she is saying a prayer or letter of devotion to Nettie, and...