Sula, written by Toni Morrison, explores the concepts of uncertainty, good and evil, human emotions, and relationships. The novel challenges societal conventions and highlights the more important aspects of life. In this philosophical work, Morrison delves into the ambiguity, beauty, and fear of life. Through the lives of the two main characters, Sula and Nel, Morrison presents both good and evil, showcasing the complexities of their friendship. Set in the predominantly black community of Bottom in Ohio, the novel follows their unique bond as they navigate through different levels of society. While Nel conforms to societal expectations, Sula questions and challenges them. Nel's doubts about her conservative upbringing are heightened when she meets her grandmother Rochelle.In her household, Sula is the only unconventional adult female, as she was once a prostitute. Her
...household is different from Nel's, as Sula lives with her grandmother Eva and her mother Hannah, who are seen as strange and promiscuous by the people. Their house also accommodates three informally adopted boys, all named Dewey, and a constant presence of boundaries. Despite their differences, Sula and Nel become close during their teenage years until a tragic accident changes everything. Sula accidentally drops a boy named Chicken Little into a river, causing him to drown when she loses her grip on him while swinging him around. They keep this incident a secret, with no intention of harming the child. As a result, they drift apart over time. Nel eventually marries and settles into the traditional role of wife and mother, while Sula takes a different path, embracing independence and dismissing societal norms. After leaving her community, Sula has affairs with several men
including some who are white. However, she becomes bored when she realizes others are engaged in the same routine and returns to the Bottom and her friend Nel after a decade. Due to her past behavior, the town sees Sula as an embodiment of evil for disregarding social conventions. Soon, Sula develops an affair with Nel's husband Jude, who later abandons Nel.The dissolution of the friendly relationship between the two characters occurred, partly due to Sula's evilness. However, this evilness paradoxically improved the lives of people in the community by inspiring them to live harmoniously with each other. Eventually, Sula and Nel were able to reconcile their friendship before Sula's death. Throughout the novel, a variety of vibrant characters are introduced, including Cecile, Helene's strict and religious grandmother, who raised Helene and arranged her marriage to Wiley Wright, her own grandnephew. Nel, Helene's daughter, forms a deep friendship with Sula during their teenage years and later marries Jude, who eventually abandons her. Additional characters include Chicken Little, a neighborhood boy who tragically drowns in the river when Sula accidentally swings him by his hands; Eva's three adopted children, collectively named Dewey, who appear similar despite looking different from one another and never fully reach adult size; Old Willy Fields, an elderly resident of the local hospital; Mr. Finley, a resident of the Bottom who chokes to death on a chicken bone shortly after Sula's return to the community; Jude Greene, Nel's husband and a server at the Hotel Medallion; and Ajax, the oldest of seven siblings who only truly loved his mother.A conjure adult female and airplanes. He had a distinct way of infusing the
most ordinary words with power. BoyBoy Prunus persica was Eva’s husband who abandoned her when the three kids were still little. Eva worked so hard to keep her family away from hunger. She later became the energetic matriarch over a busy family, which included Hannah, Sula, Ralph, Tar Baby, the Deweys, among others. Hannah Peace is Eva’s eldest child. She moved back in with her mother after her husband, Rekus, died when their daughter, Sula, was three years old. Like her mother, Hannah loves "maleness." She has frequent, brief affairs with the men who take her fancy. Many women resent her but they don't hate her. Men don't gossip about her because she is a kind and generous woman. They often defend her against the harsh words of their wives. Pearl is Eva’s second child who married at the tender age of 14 and moved to Flint, Michigan. Ralph, nicknamed Plum, is Eva’s youngest and favorite child who fought in the First World War and returned home with disturbing memories and an addiction to heroin. Rekus was Hannah’s husband and Sula’s father who died when Sula was just three years old. The novel is an interesting read. Anyone can easily relate to the characters presented. Good and evil may appear different, but as Morrison (2002) emphasized, the two may also appear similar. We can look at it the way we view life.The presence of evil serves as a lesson, pushing us to become stronger individuals. It presents itself as challenges that we must face. Without these challenges, we may not be able to achieve the ultimate goodness.
Work Cited:
Morrison, Toni. Sula. Plume; Oprah edition
(April 5, 2002).
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