Our Shared Shelf discussion

I am kind of confused. Also who is Mr.____?

Shug is a singer also Celie 'husband love her,could've been married her.All the male characters in this book is Mr.__,it's something author chose to do,ignore their family name .It's my thoughts.

I wonder how she says Mr. _____ in the audio book.

I've bought audiobook too. Will listen to it after read the e-book

I've always thought Mister was Celie's husband and Shug was the great love of his live. She's glamourous and sings in juke joints and drinks & carries on. She is everything that Celie is not. Correct me if I'm wrong...

Mr. _____ marries Celie instead of her more beautiful sister Nettie. Shug becomes Mr.'s mistress but forges a friendship and relationship with Celie as the novel goes on. She is an unusual character for the time period that Walker was writing in because she does not fit into a specific sexual arena. Her sexuality is fluid. She is one of the more powerful women in the book because she is not afraid to take chances and she encourages Celie as the story progresses.
She is also a character that fits into the appearance vs. reality motif. When we first meet her, many readers do not like her and she is labeled a whore. However as the novel progresses, Shug becomes a protector to Celie and also empowers her to start her own business. If Walker didn't write such a strong female character, Celie's progress as the protagonist would have failed. Both women need each other.

One thing that's being left out here is that Shug becomes not only Celie's friend and protector but also her lover.

In the audiobook (read by Alice Walker herself) he's called "Mister", the blank space isn't indicated in any way.

Cat wrote: "One thing that's being left out here is that Shug becomes not only Celie's friend and protector but also her lover."

Probably at the time of the original post (and responses), that may have been considered a spoiler, although most people are probably far enough into the book now to have gotten to that. I assumed that the OP was confused about mentions of Shug from before she physically arrived in the story.

I saw Shug's character as a catalyst for all the other characters involved with her. She predates Celie in Mister's life and post dated him in Celie's. She was the beginning and the end for all.

I like the character of Shug Avery since Celie I feel admires her when she first hears about who she is and when she sees her the first time.

I definitely have to read that book again, simply for Shug Avery.

Yes she's awesome! (I finally finished the book haha)
Has Alice Walker mentioned whether Shug was meant to be bisexual?
I see various possibilities, like for example homoromantic heterosexual.