In the second sentence of the first chapter, Celie scratches out "I am" and then writes, "I have always been a good girl." Why?
The novel begins with a very clear self-reassessment by the writer when she strikes out the words “I am.” Although she is still unsure of who she is now, her letters will provide a canvas on which she can openly explore this and many other subjects, painting herself into her surroundings in new ways. At this point, the opening few diary entries give a very bleak picture of Celie’s life. Still, her self-affermation that she is a "good girl" tells us that she has come to an important self-realization.
She feels as if she used to be a good girl, but isn't any longer due to the things she'd had to endure, and the things she has done in response to what she's had to endure.
Aslan is correct...... forget that.
