Sula
By: Toni Morrison
Summary:
The book Sula by Toni Morrison is about two main characters, Nel and Sula that live in a black community called bottom near an all-white community called Medallion. The time period of this book take place in the early 1900’s where discrimination and segregation of whites and blacks were present and a normal characteristic of society. The town of blacks in Ohio called Bottom was originally given to a slave by a white man, believing to trick the slave into thinking the land was worth something. The slave’s land was turned into a community and eventually the whites wanted it back to use as a golf course. Nel and Sula are introduced and their families are contrasted showing the different routes that each takes through events in their lives. The two young girls become very good friends until a tragic accident occurs. A boy named Chicken Little was drowned on accident while Sula and Nel were pushing him on a swing and he fell into the water. Both girls became separated after that and then Sula’s mother dies of a fire. As the girls now are older Nel starts a family and becomes a mother and wife. Sula becomes the opposite of Nel and is very independent and free, having many affairs with white men and even Nel’s husband. Sula is looked at as evil after she returns to bottom from leaving for ten years. Sula and Nel make up with each other soon before Sula dies in 1940, and the harmony that the town had gained from Sula coming back disappears again.
Important Characters:
Sula- Sula is the main character and the protagonist of the novel. Her character begins as an innocent adolescent and then shapes into a woman looked at as evil because of her actions that were not socially acceptable or normal for her time. She was very good friends with Nel until the tragic accident when Chicken Little was drowned from her pushing him on the swing. She became very independent after high school and had many affairs with men, even white men, and even her friend’s husband, causing a huge conflict within their relationship. Sula was looked at as evil within her community because of her social behavior and has a major impact on them when she returns to Bottom after being gone for 10 years. She dies in 1940 and the town is affected again, but negatively this time, and Nel was able to clear things up with her before she died.
Nel- Nel is also a main character and protagonist in the novel who is best friends with Sula. Nel does not want to be anything like her mother and is the daughter of Helene. Nel was great friends with Sula until the accident of Chicken Little drowning and separated from Sula because she wanted to be considered good, and not to be associated with anything evil such as accidentally killing a boy. Nel starts a family after high school and marries Jude. Sula has an affair with Jude and he abandons her soon after this. Nel lives a life more socially acceptable unlike Sula and becomes the opposite of her to show the themes of “right and wrong” and “good and evil”. Nel is not always the good or the right one as roles are switched during the novel and social acceptance is looked at highly by the community that she lives in.
Setting:
The setting of Sula takes place in a black community called Bottom. Bottom was originally given to a slave as a gift by a white man because he did not believe the land was worth anything. It is located on top of a hilly area and the white town called Medallion sits below. The people of Bottom deal with racism and discrimination. Many of the characters are very poor and have a hard time supporting their families. This time period of the early twentieth century was a hard time for blacks with difficult conditions and obstacles. A tunnel is being built at one point during the book and is looked at as a sign of hope, promising to have jobs for the people. The tunnel is never finished and becomes a symbol in their town of the challenges and discrimination that they face in their community. The blacks and whites do not get along at all in the novel and racial tension is very high whenever one encounters another. The town of Bottom is a small town where everyone always knows what’s going on and the latest gossip. Sula and Nel’s houses are like the opposites of each other. Sula’s environment of always having something going on and always having people around make her independent and having to take care of herself, giving her that independence that she experiences later on. Nel’s house is very quiet and collected as she always knows what is going on and there is always someone around watching her to make sure that she is acting properly or doing things right. Sula and Nel both are like the environments that they grew up in.
Conflicts:
Man vs Man- In this novel the two very good friends Sula and Nel have an event that breaks apart their friendship. They both decide to go down different paths in life and choose different lifestyles for themselves than the other. Many conflicts happen between the two girls including Sula having an affair with Nel’s husband. These conflicts between the girls show the main theme of good vs evil and good vs bad.
Man vs Society- Sula is very different from the society and the world around her. She is independent and different than most women around her. She is looked at as an outcast and as evil because of her differences. This conflict against her and society shows what was acceptable and not during this time period.
Themes:
Friendship- Sula and Nel carry the book through their friendship with each other. The characters might not always be friends but friendship is what helps them along and guides the characters through the events and obstacles that each of them face. These girls develop a bond that shows the meaning of what friendship really is and the way it changes as people grow up from children into adults.
Good vs Evil- The theme of good vs evil is present throughout the whole novel. Sula becomes the prime example of evil in the community of Bottom as her way of living is different and Nel becomes seen as good. Their roles switch sometimes during the story as both try and decide the right and wrong thing to do. During this time period right and wrong is also hard to determine because of what is accepted as right and wrong. The moral decisions affect all of the characters and shape who they are and their part in the story.
Suffering- Suffering is present from the beginning of the novel. Bottom is a very poor black town where many people suffer because of the conditions as well as poor economy. The discrimination played a major part in the theme of suffering. The two town of Bottom and Medallion were very different socially and economically. The suffering between characters is also present as seen between Sula and Nel with all of their conflicts and eventually Sula’s death.
Symbols:
Birds- Birds are seen throughout the novel and are associated with different characters. Some characters are described using bird’s names such as Rochelle when she is described as wearing a “canary-yellow dress”. The birds also are a symbol for flight such as when characters run away or freedom from something. Birds also represent different ideas such as the robin that represents spring or rebirth.
Flowers- Sula and Rochelle show the using of the symbolism of flowers. The smell of flowers and the different types are used to describe characters and their personalities. Sula’s birthmark is also shaped like a flower “the rose tattoo” and a rose is said to be intoxicating and beautiful like Sula attracting many men. Flowers do not last long when they are picked and soon die, like Sula in the novel who will not be present for very long.
Fire- Fire is what kills two characters, Hannah and Plum. Fire can mean cleansing or destruction. In the novel kerosene is poured on a character named Plum and is compared to a baptism in which the character undergoes. Sula’s mother Hannah dies from a fire and is also like a cleansing experience because now Sula does not have a mother who disapproves of her and even doesn’t like her.
Image:
(above)
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Zgu2hrs2k
Sources:
"Sula (novel)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sula_(novel)>.
"Sula." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/sula/characters.html>.
"Sula Setting." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://www.shmoop.com/sula/setting.html>.
"Invalid Lot." Heritage Auctions. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://historical.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=6038>.
"Toni Morrison Talks About Her Motivation For Writing." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Dec. 2008. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Zgu2hrs2k>.
By: Toni Morrison
Summary:
The book Sula by Toni Morrison is about two main characters, Nel and Sula that live in a black community called bottom near an all-white community called Medallion. The time period of this book take place in the early 1900’s where discrimination and segregation of whites and blacks were present and a normal characteristic of society. The town of blacks in Ohio called Bottom was originally given to a slave by a white man, believing to trick the slave into thinking the land was worth something. The slave’s land was turned into a community and eventually the whites wanted it back to use as a golf course. Nel and Sula are introduced and their families are contrasted showing the different routes that each takes through events in their lives. The two young girls become very good friends until a tragic accident occurs. A boy named Chicken Little was drowned on accident while Sula and Nel were pushing him on a swing and he fell into the water. Both girls became separated after that and then Sula’s mother dies of a fire. As the girls now are older Nel starts a family and becomes a mother and wife. Sula becomes the opposite of Nel and is very independent and free, having many affairs with white men and even Nel’s husband. Sula is looked at as evil after she returns to bottom from leaving for ten years. Sula and Nel make up with each other soon before Sula dies in 1940, and the harmony that the town had gained from Sula coming back disappears again.
Important Characters:
Sula- Sula is the main character and the protagonist of the novel. Her character begins as an innocent adolescent and then shapes into a woman looked at as evil because of her actions that were not socially acceptable or normal for her time. She was very good friends with Nel until the tragic accident when Chicken Little was drowned from her pushing him on the swing. She became very independent after high school and had many affairs with men, even white men, and even her friend’s husband, causing a huge conflict within their relationship. Sula was looked at as evil within her community because of her social behavior and has a major impact on them when she returns to Bottom after being gone for 10 years. She dies in 1940 and the town is affected again, but negatively this time, and Nel was able to clear things up with her before she died.
Nel- Nel is also a main character and protagonist in the novel who is best friends with Sula. Nel does not want to be anything like her mother and is the daughter of Helene. Nel was great friends with Sula until the accident of Chicken Little drowning and separated from Sula because she wanted to be considered good, and not to be associated with anything evil such as accidentally killing a boy. Nel starts a family after high school and marries Jude. Sula has an affair with Jude and he abandons her soon after this. Nel lives a life more socially acceptable unlike Sula and becomes the opposite of her to show the themes of “right and wrong” and “good and evil”. Nel is not always the good or the right one as roles are switched during the novel and social acceptance is looked at highly by the community that she lives in.
Setting:
The setting of Sula takes place in a black community called Bottom. Bottom was originally given to a slave as a gift by a white man because he did not believe the land was worth anything. It is located on top of a hilly area and the white town called Medallion sits below. The people of Bottom deal with racism and discrimination. Many of the characters are very poor and have a hard time supporting their families. This time period of the early twentieth century was a hard time for blacks with difficult conditions and obstacles. A tunnel is being built at one point during the book and is looked at as a sign of hope, promising to have jobs for the people. The tunnel is never finished and becomes a symbol in their town of the challenges and discrimination that they face in their community. The blacks and whites do not get along at all in the novel and racial tension is very high whenever one encounters another. The town of Bottom is a small town where everyone always knows what’s going on and the latest gossip. Sula and Nel’s houses are like the opposites of each other. Sula’s environment of always having something going on and always having people around make her independent and having to take care of herself, giving her that independence that she experiences later on. Nel’s house is very quiet and collected as she always knows what is going on and there is always someone around watching her to make sure that she is acting properly or doing things right. Sula and Nel both are like the environments that they grew up in.
Conflicts:
Man vs Man- In this novel the two very good friends Sula and Nel have an event that breaks apart their friendship. They both decide to go down different paths in life and choose different lifestyles for themselves than the other. Many conflicts happen between the two girls including Sula having an affair with Nel’s husband. These conflicts between the girls show the main theme of good vs evil and good vs bad.
Man vs Society- Sula is very different from the society and the world around her. She is independent and different than most women around her. She is looked at as an outcast and as evil because of her differences. This conflict against her and society shows what was acceptable and not during this time period.
Themes:
Friendship- Sula and Nel carry the book through their friendship with each other. The characters might not always be friends but friendship is what helps them along and guides the characters through the events and obstacles that each of them face. These girls develop a bond that shows the meaning of what friendship really is and the way it changes as people grow up from children into adults.
Good vs Evil- The theme of good vs evil is present throughout the whole novel. Sula becomes the prime example of evil in the community of Bottom as her way of living is different and Nel becomes seen as good. Their roles switch sometimes during the story as both try and decide the right and wrong thing to do. During this time period right and wrong is also hard to determine because of what is accepted as right and wrong. The moral decisions affect all of the characters and shape who they are and their part in the story.
Suffering- Suffering is present from the beginning of the novel. Bottom is a very poor black town where many people suffer because of the conditions as well as poor economy. The discrimination played a major part in the theme of suffering. The two town of Bottom and Medallion were very different socially and economically. The suffering between characters is also present as seen between Sula and Nel with all of their conflicts and eventually Sula’s death.
Symbols:
Birds- Birds are seen throughout the novel and are associated with different characters. Some characters are described using bird’s names such as Rochelle when she is described as wearing a “canary-yellow dress”. The birds also are a symbol for flight such as when characters run away or freedom from something. Birds also represent different ideas such as the robin that represents spring or rebirth.
Flowers- Sula and Rochelle show the using of the symbolism of flowers. The smell of flowers and the different types are used to describe characters and their personalities. Sula’s birthmark is also shaped like a flower “the rose tattoo” and a rose is said to be intoxicating and beautiful like Sula attracting many men. Flowers do not last long when they are picked and soon die, like Sula in the novel who will not be present for very long.
Fire- Fire is what kills two characters, Hannah and Plum. Fire can mean cleansing or destruction. In the novel kerosene is poured on a character named Plum and is compared to a baptism in which the character undergoes. Sula’s mother Hannah dies from a fire and is also like a cleansing experience because now Sula does not have a mother who disapproves of her and even doesn’t like her.
Image:
(above)
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Zgu2hrs2k
Sources:
"Sula (novel)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sula_(novel)>.
"Sula." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/sula/characters.html>.
"Sula Setting." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://www.shmoop.com/sula/setting.html>.
"Invalid Lot." Heritage Auctions. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://historical.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=6038>.
"Toni Morrison Talks About Her Motivation For Writing." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Dec. 2008. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Zgu2hrs2k>.