Myra King asked this question about The Color Purple:
Did anyone else notice that the timeline is wrong? Sophia goes to jail after having 6 children. That's at least 6 years right there, and on top of that she only came to the family at least three years after Celie did. So we can assume that a decade has passed between the time Nellie visited the family and Sophia works as a maid. And yet Nellie writes that she saw Sophia as a maid only a few weeks after leaving.
Grafton Daniels *Sofia* had 5 kids, the last one being Henrietta. Harpo's 6th child, Suzie Q, is Mary Agnes's aka Squeak. (The novel also indicated that Sofia had her…more*Sofia* had 5 kids, the last one being Henrietta. Harpo's 6th child, Suzie Q, is Mary Agnes's aka Squeak. (The novel also indicated that Sofia had her children back-to-back so 9 months * 5 children = 45 months which is less than 4 years.)

Sofia was in jail for about 12 years and she worked for the white family for about 12 years. When she was released from jail and Nellie saw her, Olivia and Adam (Celie's children) were not toddlers if that's what you're thinking. Nellie did not say that she saw Sofia a few weeks after leaving _Celie_. Nellie said that she saw Sofia a few weeks before leaving _for Africa_ to be a missionary.

There's nothing wrong with the timeline. But if there is, it's not what you're saying it is.(less)
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