The pain of hearing Shug confirm Celie's ugliness, however, isn't as painful to Celie as is the fact that Celie can't tell Shug to come in; she doesn't feel free to offer to take care of Shug. Celie doesn't feel that she has the right to offer help — "It not my house." Celie feels like Mr._______'s slave; she doesn't even feel as though she is permitted to speak unless given permission to do so by Mr. ________. And from what Celie tells God regarding Shugs statement that Celie sure is ugly, we gather that Mr. ________ has already told Shug that Celie is ugly, and that Shug had doubted that Celie really could be as ugly as Mr. ________ said she was. Now that Shug sees Celie, she is ready to agree with Mr. ________: Celie sure is ugly.
While Shug recovers at Mr.______'s house, there are several matters that one should consider.
First, realize how Celie loves Shug — she loves her as one human being might love another, and she loves her as a Christian might love another human being. When Mr. _______ gives Shug to Celie to care for, it is no chore for Celie. Instead, it is a source of pleasure and excitement. Celie innocently looks at Shug and confesses to God that she thought she had been turned "into a man." Shug's naked body is that exciting to Celie.
At the same time, in a spiritual sense, Celie feels as though she is performing a sacred rite when she is bathing Shug's naked body. This two-edged feeling is in keeping with Celie's attitude toward Shug and toward herself — both with Celie's idea of herself as a lowly servant (waiting on Shug the queen), while in a spiritual sense, Celie feels as though she is performing God's work. By her own admission, she says that when she is washing Shug, "It feel like I'm praying."
