MovieChat Forums > The Color Purple (1986) Discussion > Hey Mister, would it have killed you to ...

Hey Mister, would it have killed you to be nice to Celie?

posted 12 years ago by vcl3-1
3 replies | jump to latest

His life would've been much nicer if he treated his wife Celie with kindness and respect. But being who he was, he probably was too ignorant to realize that. Also, he must've seen his father when he was a boy treat his own mother that same way and thought that is how you act towards women. Also, in 1909, when the movie began, it was a mere 44 years since the Emancipation Proclamation. Many blacks 50 or older were probably former slaves who knew nothing of compassion and benevolence. This must've been passed on down to their children. Your thoughts?

[–] SmokyBrownEyes 12 years ago

She wasn't his first choice? and he wasn't really attracted to her to begin with. He needed someone to keep the house up and other "wifely" duties so he was pretty much stuck with her. At least he came around towards the end.

But not tonight

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] fiatlux-1 11 years ago

I don't think Mister would have treated Nettie much better than Celie. His treatment of his wife had less to do with Celie herself as it did his own personality.
We see Mister try to rape Nettie, and that isn't kind or gentlemanly at all.

I think Mister treated Shug better because she wouldn't put up with any of his crap, and he knew it. She had her choice of men in those days, and would have left him.
Look how she treated the meal he tried to fix her, awful as it looked.
She dominated HIM.

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."