The Color Purple is one of those books that has such an intriguing title, you can't help but pick it up and figure out what it's all about. The title refers to a moment when Shug Avery asks Celie if she takes the time to notice what little things that God does to show us that it (remember, God is neither he nor she in this book) loves us—a different way of reminding Celie to stop and smell the roses. "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it," Shug says.
Celie is forced to admit that she has, in fact, never observed these things. This admission changes her life—and ours.