Just before a church meeting at a Negro church in Heard County, Georgia

Just before a church meeting at a Negro church in Heard County, Georgia

Jack Delano

1941

This photo was published around 42 years before the publication of the novel 'The Color Purple'. The picture includes a church and a few black people standing in front of it next to a motor car on a road. The church is simple and resembles the architecture of a basic house. This can be connected to the story as Celie attends a black church in her area Georgia, where the picture is from.

The Church is one of the most significant places in the novel. Early in the story, Celie used to attend church on a regular basis and continued to do so. The Church seems to provide order in the mostly chaotic atmosphere in the story; when Mr. Albert tries to rape Nettie, she runs to the reverend for shelter. It is also the focal point in the community - townsfolk gather here to offer their prayers. When Celie becomes pregnant, the people inside the church do not speak to Celie. Later in the story, when Shug and Celie talk about the people in the church and their perception of God, Shug tells Celie that even though people come to church hoping to find God, they really share God between each other since God lives inside people. This conversation really influences Celie as her perception of God slowly starts to change after this.

Md. Ashraf Ansary

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [reproduction number LC-USF34-043925-D]

Original document identified in the originating depository (see “source” field) as free of publication restrictions. For further information, please see the “about” page.

Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C

Still image