One thing that stood out to me throughout the first section of the book was the way that Celie referred to men. Whenever she talked about a man, she called him Mr. ______, even if the man was her husband. If she was talking about a woman, Celie would call her by her first and last name. I think this shows what the culture was like at that time. Women were supposed to respect men, and treat them as if they were in a position of authority. Maybe women were also supposed to be afraid of men, because they couldn't speak to them as one would talk to a friend. If they spoke to the man like a friend, the boundary of respect would be crossed and the relationship would not be right.
I also noticed how Celie only refers to her dad as "He". The only other time I have heard a man called "He" in place of his name is in the Bible, when talking about God. If Celie is talking about her father the same way she would about God, it shows that she thinks men are the most powerful. I call my father "Dad", and I still respect him. Celie's relationship with her dad goes beyond respect; she is living in fear of him. I wish Celie would respect herself, and realize that she is just as hard-working and strong as the men around her, even if her society doesn't respect her.
