Sofia realizes that life with Harpo is a dead-end situation; she needs a vacation. Old indolent Albert, on the other hand, doesn't have to go away to restore his soul because Shug is with him. Because Shug is his mistress and because he loves her, he can allow himself the freedom to "reach over and pick something out her hair." Harpo cannot do this with Sofia because he still thinks that, somehow, he must be dominant and exhibit power and authority.
Harpo is crying as Sofia leaves, wiping his eyes with a baby diaper. Sofia's sisters have rescued her. Harpo has no brothers to rescue him.
Celie, remember, once tried to rescue Nettie when Nettie fled from Fonso and came to live with Celie. But eventually, Nettie had to flee from Albert's lust and brutality. At present, Nettie is only a precious, painful memory to Celie. Neither one of them can rescue the other. In childhood, each had been a haven for the other. No longer.
Sofia, Celie realizes, is lucky to have her sisters. And perhaps that is why Celie gives Sofia the quilt that they made together, the "Sister's Choice" quilt. It is Celie's choice to give it to Sofia. Rarely does Celie have a choice about anything. Once, she planned to give the quilt to Shug if it were perfect, or keep it herself if it were imperfect. At the critical moment of choice, however, neither perfect nor imperfect makes any difference. What makes the difference is that Celie chooses to make Sofia even more of a sister and so, spontaneously, she gives her the quilt out of love and sisterhood.
