What would you have done differently in Nettie's situation?

[Randy]

In The Color Purple, Corrine gets jealous of Nettie because she thinks that her husband Samuel is having an affair with Nettie. Corrine thinks that the children that Samuel and her adopted, Adam and Olivia, are actually Nettie’s children and that Samuel’s the father. Corrine said to Nettie, “Why do my children look like you… When did you first meet my husband?” (172). Nettie decides to keep it a secret. Suspecting that Adam and Olivia are Nettie’s children and that Samuel’s the father, Corrine decides to mistreat Adam and Olivia. When Corrine’s illness became worse, Nettie finally told Corrine the truth that Adam and Olivia are actually her niece and nephew, and that they’re Celie’s children, but Corrine doesn't believe her until in the middle of the night, Corrine woke up, turned to Samuel, and her last words before she died were “I believe” (187).

My question is, if you were in Nettie's situation, what would you have done differently and why?

[Emilee]

If I were Nettie I wouldn't have even told her. I feel that it wasn't her right place to tell her but because of circumstances she had to. If Corrine was still alive then it should have been Celie or Samuel's place tell Corrine, after all they are Celie's. Corrine had no right to mistreat Adam and Olivia though, it's just cruel to put it on the kids when they didn't even know themselves and it's also sort of Corrines's fault for not believing Nettie.

[Chia Lia]

What I would have done differently in Nettie's situation is, I would have just told her the truth from the beginning. Since it was bothering Corrine so much, save her from the suspicion and assuming and just tell the truth.

[Michelle]

If I were in Nettie situation I would have tell Corrine the truth and don't lie to her because keeping a secret is like lying to myself in my whole life. Corrine was so suspicious that she want to know everything that Nettie is hiding. She shouldn't have treat Adam and Olivia in that way. They both don't deserve that because they both look up at Corrine and Adam as their real parents. Adam and Olivia don't understand anything because they're little kid. Kids don't understand what adults go through.

[Laura]

If I were Nettie I would have probably told Corrine and Samuel straight up that the children were my sisters kids, but that I was not there to steal them away, just be by their side and to help the Olinkas.