Celie

African American woman, bisexual, married

housewife, step-mother, religious

The book opens up with Celie being raped at the early age of fourteen by her so-called
father at the time. “I am fourteen years old...first he put his thing up gainst my hip…”
(Walker 1); the story ends by the time she’s around her sixties. Around her early twenties
she expresses her sexuality as lesbian although she herself doesn’t fully acknowledge what
it means yet; “Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more,” (Walker 112). Celie,
although having been through so much, is a strong and resilient woman of color. She writes
to God everyday in hopes of feeling better about her troubled life; “Dear God, Harpo ast his
daddy why he beat me,” (Walker 22). Being a step-mother and housewife, she cleans and
deals with her step-children who don’t like her, everyday. “Mr__ children all bright but they
mean,” (Walker 18).
Medical History
Celie was never mentioned to have any serious physical health issues in the past
besides an early pregnancy. This early pregnancy could’ve caused STDs or
infections. “And now I feels sick every time I be the one to cook,” (Walker 1). Her
mother passed away when Celie was a young teen, “She got sicker an sicker...my
mama dead,” (Walker 2). Her “daddy lynch” and her mama “crazy, meaning her
father was lynched and her mother committed suicide. She doesn’t seem to drink
or smoke unless she goes to Harpo’s bar or when Grady introduces marijuana to
her. “I smoke when I want to talk to God,” (Walker 219). Celie’s mental health is
definitely a possible red flag, and she suffers from physical abuse so she probably
has a few injuries as well.
Physiological History
Forced by her father to marry Mr___ at a young age, Celie is constantly physically and
sexually abused. “She ugly. All women good for-he don’t finish,” (Walker 8/22). The book
implies that her education was extremely limited (partly because of her father), so she doesn’t
have a job and talks improperly. All the characters are considered poor and reside in Georgia
where Celie was raised. Although she’s a good housewife, she doesn’t stand up for herself
and is depressed with low self-esteem. She’s constantly in numb, survival mode, and doesn’t
hold value to herself at all; “Harpo no better at fighting his daddy back than me. She bout ten
thousand times prettier than me,” (Walker 6/27). She also often feels a longing to know where
her two children, Adam and Olivia, are but eventually forms a friendship with Grady and
Squeak as support.
Presenting Problem:
Androphobia
Androphobia is defined as the fear of men. Anyone can have androphobia but the term
came from the feminist movement. Symptoms include panic when you see or think of
men, avoidance of men, sweating and trouble breathing, or awareness that your fear is
irrational. It is long lasting and can affected daily activities such as work and relationships.
Possible causes include past negative experiences with men, changes in brain function,
or genetics and your environment. Those at higher risk are children and people with
anxiety. I think it’s unfortunate that such phobias exist based on genders but it’s also a call
to action for our society to improve. I don’t know anyone who is clinically diagnosed with
androphobia but I do know too many who either despise men or have had bad
experiences with them (and despise them as a result).
Diagnosis
The author doesn’t directly claim that Celie has androphobia, but as a reader, we know it
is definitely a possibility. We see symptoms arise since the very beginning when Celie
confesses, “I don’t even look at mens. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of
them,” (Walker 5). Her androphobia is clearly linked to the ongoing abuse she has
experienced from men since her early years; that is all she knows of men (evil). She
doesn’t love anyone and feels that no one loves her back, until Shug shows her what love
is; “Yeah, because don’t nobody love me. I love you,” (Walker ). Celie doesn’t seek any
interaction whatsoever with men and is confused herself for a bit when she realizes this. I
would say her androphobia improves as she grows older even if it’s on a small scale. “He
ain’t no Shug, but he (Mr.__) begin to be somebody I can talk to,” (Walker 274).
Intervention
Mental health support during these historical times and in Celie’s life was very limited.
She didn’t have access to doctors (even when she was pregnant which is pretty bad) and
no family or friends to support her. She was completely alone until Shug and Sofia came
into her life and provided some mental health support in their own ways. “I won’t leave,
she say, until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you,2 (Walker 74). “I loves
Harpo, she say. But I’ll kill him dead before I let him beat me,” (Walker 39). By the end of
the book, I don’t think Celie has completely healthy mental health, but she has come a
long way. Primary treatment for androphobia is psychotherapy with exposure therapy and
cognitive behavioral therapy. Medication can also be used such as beta blockers and
sedatives (she herself used weed in this case).
Works Cited
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple: a Novel. Penguin Books, 2019.

“Androphobia: The Fear of Men.” Exploring Your Mind, 1 Dec. 2019,

exploringyourmind.com/androphobia-the-fear-of-men/.

Higuera, Valencia. “Everything You Want to Know About Depression.” Healthline, 11

Feb. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/depression.

“Effects of Sexual Violence.” RAINN, www.rainn.org/effects-sexual-violence.

Erica Cirino. “Androphobia.” Healthline, 18 Sept. 2018,

https://www.healthline.com/health/androphobia.