Celie is a fourteen-year-old African American girl living in rural Georgia who serves as the novel's protagonist and narrator. Shy, uneducated, and abused by her stepfather, she survives her trauma by writing letters to God. At the start of the story, she is pregnant for the second time and terrified of losing her beloved sister, Nettie.

Nettie is Celie’s intelligent and spirited younger sister who is deeply devoted to Celie's well-being. Encouraged by her teachers to seek a better life, she serves as Celie's primary emotional anchor. She promises to maintain contact through letters if she is ever forced to leave their abusive home.

Mr. ______ is a cruel and violent local farmer who marries Celie to secure a caretaker for his unruly children rather than for love. He dominates his household through fear and treats Celie like a servant while pining for his former lover, Shug Avery.

Alphonso is a successful farmer and businessman who Celie believes is her father. Behind a facade of community respectability, he is a manipulative predator who abuses Celie and eventually forces her into a loveless marriage.

Olivia is Celie’s biological daughter who is taken away shortly after birth by Celie's stepfather. She is subsequently raised by Reverend Samuel and his wife Corrine, growing up observant and intelligent within their family.

Adam is Celie’s biological son who, like his sister Olivia, is taken away by Alphonso. He is adopted by Samuel and Corrine and raised in a loving environment, unaware of his true parentage during his early life.

Harpo is Mr. ______’s sensitive eldest son who struggles to gain his father’s respect. He falls in love with the strong-willed Sofia but feels conflicted by societal expectations to control his wife, often turning to Celie for advice.

Shug is a glamorous blues singer and Mr. ______'s long-time mistress, known for her beauty and provocative lifestyle. Though initially distant, she represents freedom and self-expression in a community that judges her. She is the only person Mr. ______ truly loves.

Sofia is Harpo’s physically strong and fiercely independent wife who refuses to submit to any authority. Entering the story pregnant and determined to live on her own terms, her refusal to be dominated creates immediate friction with Harpo and his father.

Squeak is a timid waitress with a tiny, high-pitched voice who becomes Harpo’s girlfriend after his marriage struggles. Of mixed-race heritage, she dreams of being a singer but struggles to assert herself against stronger personalities.

Samuel is a compassionate, educated minister and missionary who unknowingly adopts Celie's biological children. Dedicated to his work in Africa, he is a gentle and respectful man who serves as a moral protector for his family and Nettie.

Corrine is Samuel’s wife and a missionary-minded woman who becomes the adoptive mother to Olivia and Adam. While initially welcoming to Nettie, she grows suspicious and jealous, fearing an affair between Nettie and her husband.