When she first came to stay at Celie and Albert's, they said she was sick. And later Albert's father said she had 'that nasty woman's disease'.
Was he referring to an STD? And if so, how did she get rid of it? They didn't have treatments for it back then, did they?
"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."
Yes, he was referring to an STD. She may have had syphilis, which in the second stage can exhibit fever, malaise, weight loss, rashes, and hair loss.This flu-like group of symptoms seems to match the problems Shug was having.
This resolves on its own in about three to six weeks. Without treatment, the disease is not cured; it just becomes what is known as "latent stage." Generally there are no noticeable symptoms during this time, which lasts anywhere from three to fifteen years after the initial infection. After that, the tertiary stage occurs, which is often very serious, affecting the heart and nervous system.
good question. in the book & movie she just recovers & never gets sick again, & it must have just been a rumor, albert & later grady didn't seem affected by it.
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Hubba Hubba, my name is Bubba.
When Albert's father said "that nasty woman's disease, he was referring to "Lesbianism." There had been rumors that Shug had messed with females. As far as her coming to Celie and Albert's house out of it and sweaty, she was drunk.
shareI always assumed that she had been abusing drugs and alcohol and had to go thru detox and withdrawl. If you notice in the movie as wild as shug was I don't remember seeing her drinking even in the juke joint.
shareI think it could have been anything.
When Mister's father accuses Shug of having a nasty disease, I assumed he was just speculating on rumors but not necessarily the truth. He'd rather believe she had a nasty STD than just a regular virus or cold.
I know it was never said outright but I think all the clues makes drug abuse a safe assumption.
1. Shug was a touring blues singer and in that time period a large number of Blues and Jazz musicians were abusing heroin.
2. When she shows up at the house she's obviously on something probably both drunk and high.
3. The first 3 or 4 days she was there she exhibited classic withdrawal symptoms.
- Little to no appetite and she was not able to keep food down.
- She was extremely irritable.
- She made comments to Mister that she needed a "real man" meaning he could not supply her with what she needed and that was drugs.
Agreed. I think she had crashed and burned and needed a place to get the dragon off her back. Her symptoms in the movie mirror withdrawal. Also, penicillin isn't mentioned nor is a doctor so I don't think it was syphilis.
Heroin was very common among jazz musicians back in those days. Shug probably puffed on joints too between sips of gin. She had lived hard and it caught up with her. I think that's why she was so sick.
I read the book about 10 years ago and try as I might I cannot remember what exactly was wrong with Shug. Or even if it's mentioned specifically. The novel is after all a series of letters by Celie who is in the dark about Shug for a while.
Penicillin wasn't 'found' just yet I believe. It was discovered in 1928.
Shug arrived sooner didn't she? I thought it was 1922.
But I agree, no doctor was mentioned. It could very well have been her detoxing.
Or a simple virus combined with rumors.
"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."
No, I believe the scene is around 1935.
It was around 1922. I remembering reading it and seeing it in the movie. She left Albert around 1937. I think 1935 was around the time she was gaining her strength and identify and before Shug showed up with her new husband. I haven't read the book in about 8 years so some of it is vague.
shareI believe that STD's were treated somewhat successfully with silver nitrate in New Orleans, around the time of the Civil War. That is what I always took "nasty women's disease" to be, was an STD. But i agree she was drunk or high or both when she originally came to Albert's to recuperate.
shareShe was definitely detoxing at mister's house. When his dad referred to her as having that "womans disease" he was referring to her sleeping with women.
I think this is the episode of Three's Company where there is some kind of misunderstanding.
God knows, she's a complete bitch any how at the start. Calling Celia a thing and calling her ugly.
*beep* shrug was no oil painting, ugly disgusting skinny bitch that couldn't sing any way
kellymariekitty, your post is hilarious! I agree, Shug was a serious bitch at the start of the film.
Calling Celie ugly startled me too! I never saw what was so lovely about Shug at all! Her teeth were rodent-like, she was skinny as a rod, her speaking voice was annoying as anything.
I did like some of her songs, but I didn't see what was so wonderful about her singing voice either. I think her appeal to everyone (including Albert) was her spiciness, her zest for life...which was much-needed in those parts.
"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."
in the book it was never mentioned that she used hard drugs, I can't remember if Shug smoked marijuana,but Celie had started smoking it. & I forgot, Shug is clearly drunk when Albert 1st brings her home.
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he left u NAKED in a DITCH!
Agreed, MrsCollado,
Shug didn't suffer from any disease other than a hangover. She was a free spirit, a liberated woman who did what she wanted to. There was no minister father or guilt in the novel, something invented for the film which I felt diminished the character. She was an unapologetic hedonist and the most intriguing character in the novel but not in the film.