The novel begins and the reader is presented with a girl who is writing to God because she feels that she has nobody else to turn to, she cannot even pray for fear of somebody hearing her. Too insecure to even give her name, we soon learn through the mouth of another that her name is Celie. While her mother is away Alphonso, presumed to be her ‘Pa’ rapes Celie, later intimating to her that this will be the first of many.
One year later, Celie having already given birth to Alphonso’s child, later known as Olivia, is pregnant again. On both occasions ‘Pa’ has taken the children away leaving Celie to believe that they may have been killed. Meanwhile, Celie’s mother is ill and dies "screaming and cussing" at the sight of what has happened.
Months later and Celie finally finds out that Alphonso had not killed her two children but had instead sold them to a childless couple. Alphonso, hungry for sex begins to have his eyes on Nettie, Celie’s younger sister. Soon, Alphonso returns with a second wife, May Ellen. At the same time, Nettie has a boyfriend known only as Mr. _______.
Celie reveals her love for women as early as letter five, as she is beaten by Alphonso for winking at a boy in church. Celie also soon changes her opinion of Mr. _______ seeing him as a way in which Nettie may get away from the sadistic Alphonso. Now sterile, she does not expect to become pregnant again. One letter later and Mr. _______ consults Alphonso, asking for Nettie’s hand in marriage. Pa refuses, conscious of the stigma surrounding Mr. _______’s wife’s death and the presence of Shug Avery. Following this up, Celie accesses a picture of Shug Avery, and marvels at her effrontery: she is "dressed to kill" with one leg upon a motor car.
In letter seven Celie sacrifices herself to Alphonso in order to protect Nettie. Later on, Mr. _______ returns and wishes to marry Nettie. Pa refuses again but as a replacement, offers Celie as well as a dowry consisting of a cow and linen. While maintaining the idea that Celie is ugly he strengthens her credentials by telling Mr. _______ that she is a good worker, and is sterile, so Mr. _______ will be absolved from being made to "feed" or "clothe" any more children. Mr. _______ is left to think on this offer.
Mr. _______ decides to marry Celie, while the two girls plot to run away by reading Nettie’s schoolbooks. Though not as clever as Nettie we read that Celie was never given the chance to excel at school. Mr. _______ visits Alphonso, inspecting Celie for the final time before matrimony. He promises to take Celie only if the dowry is included. Celie later marries him, finding out that Mr. _______ has four not three children. While lying in bed with him, Celie remembers Shug Avery.
While in town Celie follows what she deems to be her child into a store. While talking with her foster-mother, Celie finds out that Olivia’s new father is a clergyman. While buying cloth in the store the shopkeeper speaks to both of them scornfully. As the two women talk outside waiting for the Reverend Mr. _______, Corrine tells Celie that Mr. _______ is an attractive man. The scene ends when Mr. _______ returns angry at the sight of Celie’s laughter.