Sula blog post: Please contribute to the blog with your thoughts, questions, and ideas. For each assignment, you must do AT LEAST TWO of the following:
A. Respond to one of the guiding questions (I will post them on the blog for you).
B. Send me an email with a thoughtful question, so I can post it on the blog.
C. Build on someone else’s idea or politely disagree, with a thoughtful alternative opinion.
Please be thoughtful, careful, and diplomatic about your comments. I will be checking the blog regularly and will be contributing as well. Each post should be about one body paragraph long. You must complete the blog post by 10 PM on the night before the assignment is due.
Happy reading!
Guiding Questions and ideas to respond to:
- What is the significance of names and naming in the novel?
- Although Sula contains several male characters, the book is, in many ways, a novel that celebrates women. Sula looms so large in the reader's mind because Morrison strips away the power traditionally given to men. Examine the deficiencies of two male characters that suggest contrasting strengths in female characters.
- Toni Morrison once said, "I know evil preoccupied me in Sula…" Examine the nature of evil in Sula, especially as it occurs in the protagonist. To what extent is Sula evil and how does she manifest this trait? What are the sources of her evil and what is its ultimate significance in terms of her relationship with the Bottom residents?
- Death is a dominant motif in Sula. The text begins, "There was once a neighborhood," signifying that the community no longer exists (3). Morrison portrays death as an event that purifies, renews, and brings freedom to the deceased and/or their family and friends. Death is also an event that is often witnessed in the text; it is a spectacle that demands attention. Consider how this notion of death subverts more traditional depictions and why Morrison uses this strategy.
In Sula, many of the male characters are depicted more briefly than the female characters, and the resulting weaknesses exposed serve as a foil for the girls and women in the story. For example, the boy Plum is coddled and protected by his mother, Eva Peace, but when he returns from war he refuses to grow up, staying in his room or leaving the town for days at a time. Eva’s reaction is to go to his room one night and set him on fire with kerosene. This huge contrast highlights Plum’s deficiency of spirit or determination, since he seems to have lost the will to live, and his dependence on others. Eva, on the other hand, has a strong will, which is exemplified by her resilience in raising her children. She is absolutely ruthless, too, because she kills Plum rather than allowing him to continue being a burden. Sula, her granddaughter, appears to have inherited this ruthlessness when she and her best friend Nel encounter four white boys on the road, who threaten and harass them. Sula cuts off the tip of her own finger with a paring knife to prove to the boys that she will do anything to make them leave her alone. The scene demonstrates that the boys are simply looking for cruel amusement, but that they are unprepared for Sula’s violence. Sula, on the other hand, is able to pinpoint exactly how to make the boys back off and is willing to pay the price to control them. Even if she does not display this character trait regularly, preferring to spend her childhood exploring the world, the scene establishes Sula’s deep resolve.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the four boys bother Sula and Nell as a form of amusement. Ironically Morrison switches the gender roles in Sula. Eva teaches her daughters the importance of men and love, but really it is just a form of manipulation. Normally, in society, men are usually viewed as the manipulative ones who use women to appease their "sexual desires". In contrast to the standard gender role, Hannah, Eva's daughter, uses men to satisfy her need to touch a man everyday to make up for the loss of her husband. In this way, Morrison gives power to women. Instead of being objectified-not to say that they arent- they objectify men. This could be a direct result of Eva's long lived anger to her disloyal ex-husband, Boy-Boy. Instead of losing power to another man. Eva decided to have the upper-hand and taught her daughters to be the powerful ones as well.
DeleteI also agree that Sula shows a strangely strong and unpredictable nature during the scene with the four boys. Most of the time in cinema, television, and literature, male characters are shown as "tough" and "ruthless", and generally are the ones who perform acts of heroism, bravery, and power. However in Sula, the female characters throughout the story show these traits (Eva with the burning of Plum, Sula with the incident including her bullies). This is a powerful and interesting role reversal in the story, as Sula does something considered "insane" by most people who are reading the book, but there is deeper meaning behind it. Rather than allowing herself to be viewed as a weak and easily influenced character by the boys, she shows a courageous and brave act typically seen by males throughout literature. This in turn gives Sula the power that males typically get in the "gender roles" of society. She is able to be in control of any situation she is put in, refusing to believe that because she is female she isn't allowed to do so.
DeleteI also agree that Sula shows a strangely strong and unpredictable nature during the scene with the four boys. Most of the time in cinema, television, and literature, male characters are shown as "tough" and "ruthless", and generally are the ones who perform acts of heroism, bravery, and power. However in Sula, the female characters throughout the story show these traits (Eva with the burning of Plum, Sula with the incident including her bullies). This is a powerful and interesting role reversal in the story, as Sula does something considered "insane" by most people who are reading the book, but there is deeper meaning behind it. Rather than allowing herself to be viewed as a weak and easily influenced character by the boys, she shows a courageous and brave act typically seen by males throughout literature. This in turn gives Sula the power that males typically get in the "gender roles" of society. She is able to be in control of any situation she is put in, refusing to believe that because she is female she isn't allowed to do so.
Delete"She is absolutely ruthless, too, because she kills Plum rather than allowing him to continue being a burden."
DeleteI find this part particularly interesting because I remember reading that part myself and feeling unsure of how to feel to that. In my opinion, I agree that she is ruthless but I just found it interesting and I'm not quite sure if I agree that she killed him because she felt like he was a burden". I would like to bring back the part about Tar Baby where they said since he wasn't a bother and didn't really do much, no one really minded his presence. They later compared Tar baby to Plum and they said that his behavior is the same. So I don't think he was seen as a burden. Perhaps what you meant was that she didn't want him to spiral out of control and going down the wrong path of addiction and destruction.
I believe that Eva has a sense of righteousness in her as part of her maternal love to keep her son from going down a dark path but at the same time, who is she to decide what is best for him especially to the extent of murder.
Death occurs several times in the novel, Sula, by Toni Morrison. For instance, Eva burns her son, Plum, to death after he has returned from war as a lazy, disillusioned and dysfunctional man. Although she may feel saddened by the forced departure of her son, she does not regret the act. She saw the act as necessary to relieve Plum of his useless, nonproductive life. Eva cuddles Plum and rocks him back and forth in her arms before she kills him. Clearly, Eva loved Plum and worked hard to insure his survival as a baby. This just goes to show that Eva saw death as the best option for Plum. His life was a burden to himself and his family; therefore, his death is freedom for both himself and his family. Morrison depicts death in this abstract way, contrary to the accepted view on death, to emphasize the difficulties of life, especially for African Americans. Life is so tiresome and disappointing for African Americans that death is viewed as a sort of relief of that burden. Additionally, Morrison depicts death in this abnormal manner to play on the racist views of whites, in which they believe African Americans are simply "God's curse and terrible burden" that white people have to deal with, thus depicting the death of Blacks as a positive instead of tragic event(Morrison 63).
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteAdditionally, I think one of the greatest reasons why Eva was driven to kill her son is because she wanted Plum to be freed from the unexpected nature of death by ensuring his death. Strangely, this action shows Eva's unconditional love for Plum. By killing him, she saves him from his out-of-control life. Rather than allowing her son to suffer a long, drawn-out, and unpredictable death, she kills him to quickly put his soul at ease. This act of salvation is shown when Plum reacted to Eva pouring kerosene over his body as "some kind of baptism, some kind of blessing" (Morrison 47). Not only was Plum purified and was free from losing any remnants of himself any further, but his family were also freed from the burden of not knowing when he will die. It may be immoral for a mother to kill her own child, but Eva thought that it would be the best choice. To her, It would be better for her child to rest in peace rather than suffer for a prolonged period of time. Plum would finally be free from a world that is especially cruel to African-Americans. Perhaps death IS depicted as positive in this novel.
I agree!
DeleteI believe Morrison depicts death in a very interesting way. Instead of death being something that is feared, it is something that is accepted and looked to for asylum from a difficult segregated life. I agree that, Morrison shows the true difficulty of this time period being an African American and how death is used for relief. Like, Sula putting her child out of its misery. Also with the situation with Chicken Little. The bargeman said that, "he never shoulda taken it out in the first place" (Morrison 64). He was acting like death is something that can be taken lightly because he was colored. This shows that in this society death was not a big deal, and it was something of normalcy.
To elaborate on your point that death is seen as a freeing act from the burdens of life: This seems to vary depending on who has died and how they were valued by the people around them. Contrary to Eva's perception of Plum's death, Chicken Little's mother reacts more typically to how we'd expect a mother to react to the death of her son. This is perhaps because Chicken Little still had potential and capacity to live a fulfilling life, whereas Plum did not. When Helene's grandmother dies, her reaction is surprisingly nonchalant, reflecting neither grief nor happiness that she is no longer bound by the suffering of this world. Perhaps this is because Helene didn't know her grandmother well enough to understand what her death means in her specific case. Each death faced by the residents of Medallion seems to be faced in a different way, yet there seems to be a common thread of the reaction not being about what was lost and what the person was like, but rather a sense of what this death means for the person and for the community. It's almost as if they aren't really gone, or perhaps more that the fact that they're gone doesn't matter.
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DeleteI agree with both Zena and Isabella.
DeleteI also believe that Eva, as a mother, tried her best to do what is right for her child even if it meant to do something immoral such as killing Plum. Even though Eva and Hannah hadn’t seen him for 3 years he had changed a lot which reminded Eva of Tar Baby’s. Eva seemed to notice that her baby born wasn’t the same because “His habits were much like Tar Baby’s but there were no bottles” (Morrison, 45). I believe that Eva didn’t want her son to have a slow and painful death like Tar Baby had died. I guess, Eva wanted to know when Plum was going to die to be ready and not make it as painful. As Plum was being burnt in flames, Hannah realizes what her mother does but doesn’t hate her but I don’t feel like she agreed with her either.
Morrison probably tried to show us that not every time someone kills someone is bad. Sometimes it's good to ends one's life then seeing them suffer.
I also agree!
DeleteMorrison's depictions of death throughout the text doesn't immediately catch your attention just because they're so sudden, which forces you to focus more on them. For example, she doesn't come right out and describe Plum's death as being lit on fire by his own mother to rid him of his misery. Rather, Morrison describes that Plum saw his mother pouring kerosene all over him as "the great wing of an eagle pouring a wet lightness over him" (47). When Hannah bumps into Eva while informing her of Plum's critical condition, she knows just by looking into her mother's eyes that she was the one who set the fire, but Hannah seems to accept that Eva was acting as an "angel of death". Thus, she doesn't confront or argue with her mother because she feels that Plum's death is something that, while being extremely tragic, will also relieve a burden for everyone living in that house. However, Chicken Little's death doesn't seem to have much do to with "renewal" or "bringing peace to family or friends", but it seems to be more of an accident that will have tainted Sula's and Nel's lives indefinitely. This, in turn, is kind of a metaphor to how the aftermath of segregation and racism follows a person throughout his or her life.
I also agree with the idea of death not being something to fear within Sula. When Eva is pouring the kerosene on Plum he is unaware of what is actually happening to him and thought of his experience as "some kind of baptism, some kind of blessing"(morrison 47). I interpreted his thoughts as him being at peace and prepared to die since he felt that everything was going to be alright. Eva knew that he was not strong enough to continue to live and therefore she relieved him of a life of pain and suffering. Although Plum's death may have been unnecessarily violent, Eva's reasoning stemmed from love and a commitment to ensure her child's well being.
DeleteI agree on the way death is presented in the novel. Everyone in the community seems to be very relaxed about how various characters talk about death. One of the oddities about the people's reactions is that they have a holiday for people who want death in the community called National Suicide Day. Aside from that, there is one character seem to want to commit a slow suicide and everyone else in the community seems accepting of the person's wants. The community sees death as relief from the suffering that they feel while they are alive due to the segregation and harsh living conditions.
DeleteYou make an interesting point Zena, one I have to agree with. It is true that within Sula death is thought of as a way out of the pain for a lot of characters. You mentioned Eva’s murder of Plum which I too see as a form of euthanization, but although Eva sees this as a necessary evil to free Plum from what he has become, we are unsure as to if Plum truly would have wanted his life to end this way stating “I’m alright”(47) multiple times which does not help with the point that death is a relief from the burden of life.
Delete-Evan Klang
I also agree that Eva's actions came from love instead of hatred. Since Plum was not in tuned with world after the war, and was a drug addict he lived miserably. For Eva to see her much loved son so troubled and deteriorated must have hurt her as well, and as a mother wanted to care for him and take away the pain. By killing Plum, she is freeing him from life's burdens and for him that is his "blessing" (47).
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ReplyDeleteSula in many ways highlights the characters of the female gender rather than the characters of the opposite gender. In the novel, the male characters are barely more than background or supporting characters rather than the central focal point of the reader's’ attention. One example of this is the male character Plum who just returned from World War One but he’s suffering from his war experience and is also suffering from a crippling heroin addiction.This also showcases Plum’s deficiency in his spirit and will due to the war crippling him because before he was just a waste of space and weak in the eyes of Eva. He also constantly locks himself up in room when he is at home or leaves town for days at time making himself a constant burden and nuisance to Eva. Her response to all of his annoyances is to cradle him in her arms to comfort him at first and then to burn him alive with kerosene. This highlights Eva’s strong will and cold indifference with killing Plum and even more so when she doesn’t even bother to help Heather in trying to save Plum. Eva’s strong will and ruthlessness also manifests in her granddaughter Sula. Sula inherited this type of attitude and is no more apparent when her friend Nel is being bullied by four white children. Sula at first decides to help Nel by choosing different routes that avoid direct confrontation from the boys, but that quickly goes south as they both encounter the boys again. Sula’s response to this is to calmly and cooly grab one of her fingers and cut off the tip of her finger. This demonstrates the boys weak resolve at the unnerving sight of Sula’s action and this in turn highlights Sula’s stronger resolve at protecting her friends and the lengths she’s willing to go to protect them. Also, the death of Chicken Little exemplifies Sula’s cold indifference similar to her grandmother Eva when she felt no guilt towards killing Plum.
ReplyDeleteQuestion from Sabrina:
ReplyDeleteDoes Eva set Plum on fire as a way to renew/purify him because he is not living the life he is supposed to live?
Question from Kristoff:
ReplyDeleteAre there any similarities between Shadrack and Plum that help highlight and push the women in the novel to the reader? If so, what characteristics can you draw from the men that help exemplify the women in the book?
Both Shadrack and Plum leave their homes to fight in a war and both return home as shells of their former selves. Both men abuse different things to help them forget such as Shadrack using alcohol and Plum using heroin which could cause the reader to have a dislike to the men. The reader may move to the women that have more redeeming qualities such as honor or family values.
Delete-Kaitlyn Dyer
In the novel Sula, the male characters are briefly described, compared to the female characters. For example, when Sula, Nel and Chicken Little were playing together, Chicken exhibited an awkward, scared, childish and hesitant personality, hardly speaking a word. Nel's reactions to his behavior is that she slightly teases him about picking his nose, by saying things like, "You scared we gone take your bugger away?"(Morrison 59)Sula's reaction to Chicken's behavior is more kind and defensive telling Nel to "Leave him 'lone, I said. Come on Chicken. Look. I'll help you climb an tree"(Morrison 59). This shows that Nel has more of a fun and playful personality and Sula has a spontaneous, adventurous, confident and insisting personality, contrasting Chicken's awkward and scared persona. Similarly, Sula and Nel run into four white Irish boys. In the past they would push Nel around causing her and Sula to take a different route home from school to avoid those kids. But one day, the boys found them. Sula, being the confident girl she is, got tired of the bullying, pulled out her grandmother's paring knife and sliced off the tip of her finger scaring the boys. During the incident, Sula kept her confidence and aggressive composure, while the boys caught off guard with the violence, looked scared and apprehensive.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! This book, so far, really celebrates and focuses on women specifically Nel and Sula. They are perceived to be really strong and independent female characters, which was something astonishlingly different at the time period of this book. The males portrayed in the book seem to be weak in their personalities since Morrison describes them as ones who "have nothing in the world on their minds but the gray sky (Morrison 54)." Sala and Nel think for themselves and are smart enough to think for themselves and each other despite what their mother's might tell them or what society depicts of them. Sula shows a new sense of pride and confidence when she cuts her finger, like the example you provided. She feels confident to stand up to a group of white boys, which is something that was not acceptable at the time, displaying that she is very strong-willed character. Shamrock is a male who is the opposite of the stereotype of men being strong. Being unstable from his continuos drinking problem shows that men at this era were weak, seeing no future and being permanently scarred by war, they consume their lives into a life of darkness. Similarly, just like Shamrock, Boyboy looks weak because he runs away from his responsibilities. When he visited Eva he completely avoids the existence and idea of his children, making him look like a coward, but adds a more positive look towards Eva where she was independent enough to live on her own without the guidance of a man. Overall the book Sula really emphasizes the power of women and their fortitude over men.
DeleteQuestion from Isabella:
ReplyDeleteIronically, when Eva had two legs, she was unable to support herself and her children. When she only had one, she was suddenly stronger and capable of providing for children. What is the significance of her disability and why did Morrison decide to include this?
In my opinion, Eva's depiction as a crippled woman only exemplified how complex of a character she is. While there are many theories as to why and how she had her leg amputated, Eva's main priority, as a single mother of three, was taking care of her children and knowing that they had enough to eat. She was seen as a motherly figure that exerted control in her household to not only Hannah, Plum, Pearl, and Sula, but also to the three Deweys, Tar Baby, and many newlyweds. In addition, Eva's stump was also a symbol of protection, in a way, because she used it to her advantage to maneuver herself when Hannah was on fire. Even though she was disabled, her approach to dealing with her amputation was much more positive than how others tackled burdens in their lives; Plum and Shadrack, who suffered from extreme PTSD, turned to alcohol. Overall, her disability served to show that being crippled doesn't make you weak, but it makes you stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally, but also an inspiration to others.
DeleteQuestion from Cassandra:
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about the similarity between the conversation Sula overhears, where her mother says she loves Sula but doesn't like her, and the scene in Fences when Troy tells Cory he doesn't have to like his son? Why does this come up in both works? Knowing what you know about Fences, how might this connect to a theme in Sula?
Question from Antonio:
ReplyDeleteWhen Sula encounters the four boys who torment her and Nell, she retaliates by cutting her finger to send a bold statement about her level of control in that situation. However, when Nell and Sula witness the drowning of Chicken Little, Sula does not make any attempt to save the child whom she had mistakingly thrown into the river and essentially shows a lack of control over the situation. Why do the two situations draw such different responses from Sula?
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ReplyDeleteIn Sula, many of the characters names hold some kind of significance in the way they are characterized. Nel's family, for example, has the last name Wright- read as "right"- and is very fitting because her mother is an exemplary straight-shooting pillar of her community. Also, Nel is less devious than her friend Sula and seems to be following her mother's path. On the other hand, Sula Peace, her best friend seems like a troublemaker, always picking fights and causing accidents. So why is her last name Peace? This obvious irony is telling us something about Sula's playful, dangerous, and unpredictable character. What kind of child in their right mind would cut off the tip of their finger and act like they did it on purpose to scare someone, or play affectionately with a little boy, accidentally throw a him into a river and not tell anyone when they drowned? Plum is also a character whose name holds significance to his role in the novel and in his relationship with his mother. Plums are an interesting fruit because they are both sweet and sour and Plum proves to be both. Plum is the baby of the Peace family and the apple of his mother's eye (sweet) before he leaves to fight in the war (sour). He comes back from it a changed man- disturbed and addicted to drugs (sour). However, despite his flaws, his mother still adores him so much that she cannot bear to see him suffering. She rocks him in her arms, crying, before setting him on fire. Plum’s life and relationship with his mother is obviously confusing and complicated like the conflicting flavors of a plum.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I would also like to point out the irony in Eva Peace's name. The name Eva traditionally comes from the name Eve (as in Adam and Eve) meaning "Life" or "Living One." Eva's name meaning what it does, points to the idea that being alive should be peaceful, or at least end in peace. She saw that her son was not feeling this way and after rocking him as she did when he was a baby, and crying, she threw kerosene on him as to baptize him, then set him on fire. She believed that his death would bring him the peace she wanted him to have.
DeleteI agree with you on the names of the characters, but I'd also like to point out the irony of the location names, for example "the bottom" and "medallion". A lot of the irony of "the bottom" is explained in the novel, but the name "medallion" is also an interesting choice, since medallions are more associated with beauty and victory/medals. It really emphasizes just how ugly the place really is.
DeleteQuestion from Annamae:
ReplyDeleteWhy did Eva leave her children with Mrs. Sugg saying she will be back the next day but didn't return until eighteen months later? Why did she return with only one leg?
Question from Griffen:
ReplyDeleteMorrison is not subtle when it comes to describing often taboo topics such as racism, death, sex, and mental illness. Why do you think she does this, and how does it help characterize the residents of Medallion?
Question from Princess:
ReplyDeleteWhile Sula and Nel feel a slight pressure for feeling responsible for the death of Chicken little, the Bargeman simply glosses over it like it was a normal thing. The bargemen also says that he should have left the body in there. Do you think that Sula and Nel would have still been worried of the body was never found? And why do you think the Bargemen acted so normal to seeing a dead body in the water?
I think Sula and Nel would have still been worried even if the body was never found because this is the first time they ever killed someone, specifically Sula. I feel like they both would live with that guilt and always think that they were the cause of a little boy's death. Especially since both of them are children, that horrifying memory will stick to them forever because of how terrible it was. Although both Nel and Sula never mention that event again, I feel that somehow they fear death because they avoid bringing it up. I think the Bargemen acted so normal to seeing a dead body in the water because during this time period most African-Americans lived in poverty and in slums. With such high poverty in their community death is most often common and maybe also violence because majority of them may take their stress off through this way, considering the fact that they are black Americans living in the 1950s, so they often dealt with racism, unequal treatment, and discrimination. Overall, death was common in the black community, so it didn't surprise anyone.
DeleteQuestion from Sharon:
ReplyDeleteWhy do Sula and Nel watch Chicken Little drown? Is there any correlation or significance to the town's name: Bottom?
Question from Britta:
ReplyDeleteWhat events in the book emphasize the differences between Sula and Nel and what do they imply about the qualities of each one's personality?
Question from Jahziel:
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think Shadrack meant when he told Sula "Always"? What do you think the question Sula was thinking of when Shadrack said this word to her?
ReplyDeleteA protagonist is often perceived as a “hero” or the “good guy” in the story; however, Sula demonstrates an astonishing level of “evil” within her actions in the story. Furthermore, many of her actions could be seen as controversial. When discussing her “evilness” we should first try to figure out where she got it from. Sula is the daughter of Eva, who has also portrayed many controversial traits. Children often take on traits from their parents based on observations or just by some mysterious family passing down traits. Eva mercilessly killed her own son when she found out about his drug addiction. Defenders might say that she did that because of love, that she didn’t want her child to continue down a path of destruction. However, it is very questionable as to why she didn’t confront him first and try to help in with rehabilitation. I digress. The point is, even as a child Sula killed a neighborhood boy without feeling much guilt (although she does cry for him) even though she didn’t mean to. In addition to that, we could already see the aggression in her when she confronts the boys who harasses her and her best friend Nel by violently cutting off a piece of her own meat on her finger to scare them off. She also said “if I can do this to myself, what do you suppose I’ll do to you?”. She isn’t afraid to use force to solve a situation. Perhaps because of this, the people in the town could respect who she is and therefore she holds a respectful position in the society even though her house isn’t exactly the poster for a “good family”.
In the beginning of the novel Sula by Toni Morrison, there are many characters that are introduced but the female characters seem to stand out more than the male ones do. The characteristics of the female characters are described more in-depth and seems to have more of the modern-day "masculine," qualities. They are able to take care of themselves and are able to get themselves into and out of trouble. BoyBoy, Eva Peace's ex-husband, acts as sort of a foil for Eva. They have 3 children together and then he leaves for many years; during which Eva grows stronger and more independent for not only herself but for her young children. Eva's strength is shown in Sula who is able to stand up for her friend Nel who was being bullied by some boys. One day on their way home the boys stopped them when Sula proceeded to cut the tip of her finger and claim, "'If I can do that to myself, what you suppose I'll do you you?'" (Morrison 55). Showing that Sula is just as tough or fearless as society shows the men/ boys to be.
ReplyDeleteIn Sula, names are used by Toni Morrison to illustrate many of her different ideas for example the protagonist Sula has a last name of Peace, which is ironic because she rarely brings peace to where she goes. For example as a kid Sula lived in a bustling home and wanted peace which she found in Nel’s quiet home. This relates to her name because Sula desires her last name, Peace but can’t seem to find it in most of her situations. It is also strange how a character who reconciles with quiet and calm environments is able to cut off the end of her finger in order to stand up to boys, an act that surely goes against her last name. Sula’s last name shows how although on the surface she may seem reckless and loud she is really a peaceful person who just wants a calming environment. Other than the naming of the protagonist naming is also prevalent in the setting. The bottom is where the black people live which symbolized how they are seen as being at the bottom of the social pyramid at this time, but also the bottom is up in the hills showing they are at the bottom of heaven. These are just a few of the many ways that names are used to symbolize the ideas of Morrison’s novel.
ReplyDelete-Evan Klang
In Sula, many of the male characters only have brief appearances or have short descriptions compared to the presence of the female characters. The weaknesses of the male characters are also the focus of their roles rather than the strengths of the female characters. Plum returns from World War I and his main role upon returning to his home is to be a burden on everyone else. Eva is then presented as being a strong character when she burns Plum alive with little reaction to the act. The ruthlessness shown in Eva is also passed down to her granddaughter Sula. When a group of four white boys repeatedly harass Sula and Nel on their way home, Sula eventually brings a knife to the confrontation and the four boys, described as lacking toughness, leave in fear of Sula’s threat. The boys are shown as being not tough and easily frightened by Sula, who cuts her own finger to show how serious she was about her threat. Later, Sula is also shown as very indifferent to Chicken Little’s death and feels no guilt despite her friend Nel feeling a heavy sense of guilt as they were both present for Chicken’s death.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel Sula by Toni Morrison, the female and male role seems to be reversed. Women in the novel are more independent, compared to the societal stereotype of woman having to depend on a man. They are also characterized more in depth, and are able to make their own decisions. An example of this, is the character Eva Peace. Eva and her children were abandoned by Boyboy, who in societal terms should be the "man" of the family and should be able to support and care for them. Instead of not knowing what to do, Eva went ahead to take the initiative to get her leg cut off in order to earn the money she needed in order for her and her children to survive, and thus taking the "male" role. Eva also decides to lights Plum on fire when he was found with a drug addiction. Although it may be looked at as cruel, Eva believes that lighting Plum on fire is the right decision by giving him a worthy death. These two acts show Eva's loyalty and devotion to her children. The fearlessness, determination, and strength in Eva show that women are not as weak as they are made out to be in society.
ReplyDeleteToni Morrison use male characters that show undesirable traits as to demonstrate that women characters are capable in doing such things. The character BoyBoy is one of the males that possesses many negative traits. He beats his wife, leaves her, comes back with a new girlfriend, and “didn’t ask to see the children” (Morison 36). In contrast with BoyBoy, Eva is very loving towards her children. Even though she leaves them, she returns with enough to provide for them. It is even rumored that “she stuck [her leg] under a train and made them pay off” (Morrison 31).This might not be true, it adds to the fact that Eva would do something so drastic to provide for her children. BoyBoy, on the other hand, does nothing for his children, even though he was full of “prosperity and good will” (Morrison 35). Another male character portrayed as weak is Tar Baby. He bothers no one and is “intent solely on drinking himself to death” (Morrison 40). He lives his life only to die and does not even try to hide it. On the other hand, there is Hannah, who cannot “live without the attentions of a man” (Morrison 42). Her dependence on this attention contrasts greatly with Tar Baby, who does not seek any attention at all. Even though Hannah may act promiscuously, men always stop gossip about her from surfacing because of her kindness and generosity. These two characters contrast Eva and Hannah to help portray them in a better way.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you mention the men having "undesirable" and "negative" traits, when the women of the novel aren't really any better. I mean, sure, BoyBoy didn't do much to support his kids, but at least he didn't kill any of them. I, honestly, fail to see many positive traits in the female leads of the story.
DeleteNaming plays a very large role in the novel Sula by Toni Morrison, both in relation to the characters and the setting. The novel began with the irony of calling the part of town located up in the hills "the bottom". The name serves to express just how low public opinion is of those living there. Names are used throughout the book to get points such as this across. Another good example of names being used ironically is Eva's last name. Though her name is "peace" which means calm and tranquil and has an overwhelmingly good connotation, she does some things, such as killing Plum, which are anything but. The usage of names ironically throughout the book works to get the reader thinking and, from what I've seen, does a really good job of emphasizing the actual characteristics of the people and places named.
ReplyDeleteIn the Novel Sula, by Toni Marrison depicts death and the symbols related to it in a rather unconventional manner. Death or anything that relates to it is depicted in a mostly positive light, as some characters accept it (and are in-turn indifferent), and others see it as something that takes away awful burdens. Nonetheless as impacting as death is, it reveals one's true character, which further heightens ambiguity and rises questions.
ReplyDeleteDeath in the novel fleshes out the characters, ironically, giving them life in way. One example of the topic of death being shed in a positive light is quiet blatantly the celebration of National Suicide Day, already mentioned very early in the book, setting up the novel's most common and important theme. No one celebrates it more enthusiastically than Shadrack, the founder of the Bottom, (which could be foreshadowing an event that maybe significant to Suicide Day.) Shadrack whose mind was destroyed by World War I, finds meaning in respecting National Suicide Day. Death is ever-present in everyone's mind in the Bottom as one character, Tar Baby simply wants to die, but doesn't want to die all alone, and everyone seems to respect that. Though death in the novel as a "terrible loss," but reasonably when Plum came back, broken from World War I, and became a drug addict who is now dependent on his mother, Eva Peace, who then sets him aflame. Yet as Plum becomes engulfed by the flames he saw, "the great wing of an eagle pouring a wet lightness over him. Some kind of baptism, some kind of blessing" (Morrison 47). Though fire is usually depicted in literature as something that destroys and leaves chaos. However, Morrison uses the intensity of fire to illustrates an entirely different meaning, literally switching the roles of fire and water. Fire, giving Plum relief from suffering; and water, drowning Chicken Little that negatively impacted Sula and Nel.
Thus far in the fascinating novel death is represented in an utterly reverse manner that further adds on the complexity of each character.
Death is a topic that keeps rearing its ugly head in this novel. We first see this when Sula arrives back at bottom accompanied by robins. “Accompanied by a plague of robins" When I think of a “plague” of any kind of thing I think of death or disease. These omens of death come to a reality when Sula sends Eva to a bad mental hospital. In event Sula becomes the grim reaper in two ways. One is that she kills Eva’s way of life. Eva the Captain of her home becomes a beggar to the hospital’s employees. Second is the relationship with her mother. As the chapter progresses Sula death trail continues, as she becomes the grim reaper of her friend Nel’s relationship with her husband. When Nel is in shock of this event she realizes why ChickenLittles family was grieving in such a way. Nel says, “a simple obligation to say something, do something, feel something about the dead” This talk of these abrupt deaths reminded me of Shadrock and his Suicide Day. Shadrock created the day so people can get death out of their systems on one predetermined day; so all 364 days are free of such feelings. Obviously no one has listen or took Shadrock seriously and their lives are plagued with constant deaths. Chapter 1939 continues the death theme when the town starts to blame Sula for the death of Mr. Finley, who chokes on a chicken bone after just looking at her. Sula has apparently become the death whisper in the town, and the townspeople take notice. They reevaluate Sula’s birthmark of the ashes of Hannah. Now death is physically ingrained into Sula. The most obvious proof this when Shadrock becomes friendly with Sula. Shadrock is considered himself the coordinator of Suicide day, which equals death. So essentially in his mind he controls death. The fact that he’s so friendly with Sula heightened the point that Sula also create and controls death.
ReplyDelete(chapter 1937-1939)
DeleteI like that way you interpreted that part of the book because I was thinking the same thing. Also, when Sula came back Nel felt a change in the air as if it was "magic" and I was thinking that this magic might be black magic, or evil. When Sula returns everything changes for her and those around her. She seems to have no remorse for her actions so I believe that something might have happened at college that changed her outlook on things. She seems as if she enjoys having the power to destroy things at the tip of her fingers (her mothers life, her friendship, and Nel's marriage).
DeleteSula Blog Post #2
ReplyDeleteIn these last few sections, we start to see the emergence of Sula's evil. I think the nature of evil in Sula relates to one of her character traits of being confident. But now her confidence has gone to far, to the point where she walks around like she can do whatever she wants, says cold, harsh things, and talks back to her mother Eva. For example, when they are arguing at Eva's house, Sula completely loses her poise and tells Eva, "But not you. I ain't never going to need you. And you know what? Maybe one night when you dozing in that wagon flicking flies and swallowing spit, maybe I'll just tip on up here with some kerosene and - who knows- you may make the bright flame of them all'" (Morrison 94). This shows Sula's new found evil in her because, you are supposed to love you family unconditionally because they are always going to be there for you, but when Sula says that she wants to set Eva on fire, it shows us that she is not only evil but she is also selfish. This act of killing Eva can show that she doesn't care about Eva and all the things Eva has done for her, so by killing her means that she didn't think she was important to her anymore.
I agree that Sula's evil comes from her confidence. However, I think that her manner towards Eva, as well as the fact that she forced her grandmother out of the house, proves that Sula is full of fear and the determination to project an aura of power. When she was growing up, Sula was constantly under Eva's thumb and watched her exert her influence over an entire community. Eva was perhaps the strongest woman in her life, but Sula managed to develop a wild, free spirit in spite of this. Then she drifted from city to city for ten years, finding nothing fulfilling except for her independence. Returning to Medallion was a risk for Sula, because Eva was the one person who had the possibility of challenging her lifestyle; despite their familial ties, Eva was clearly a threat. During their intense confrontation, Eva tries to stuff Sula into the life which all women are expected to leave: "When you gone to get married?... I'm a tell you what you need" (Morrison 92). This causes Sula to feel like her autonomy is being attacked, so she fights back viciously. It is interesting that, while thoroughly opposing traditional women's roles and the rules of society, Sula is painted as an evil character. I don't have an answer for this, but perhaps Morrison is trying to say that some values society holds are valid, even if there are clearly inequalities, or that anyone who breaks the rules is immediately feared and seen as a pariah.
DeleteI don't necessarily think Sula's "evil", but I agree that her actions are rather impulsive and makes me question her morals and ethics. However, we have to remember that Sula's childhood and the way she was raised might have influenced her to act so irrationally. For example, when she and Jude are having sex, she explicitly states that she "had no intention of hurting Nel" because as a child, she often witnessed her mother, Hannah, having sex with multiple partners, including married men. Because of that, she didn't even realize that what she was doing was wrong in many ways, and we even see some signs of remorse and guilt as she thinks more about what she'd done and as she gets closer to Ajax both physically and emotionally. Moreover, I feel like the people in Medallion are blowing her "evilness" out of proportion, and the more Sula becomes surrounded by other people's opinions, the more she sort of plays into their perception of her being deceitful.
DeleteI agree with Sharon. Sula grew up learning from several bad influences around her and had events impact her that shaped her perspective of right and wrong in the world. Since Sula has been so misguided throughout her life she does not see the damage she causes in peoples lives. However she does manage to realize that would she and Jude did was wrong because she saw the hurt that it caused someone so special to her and finally felt guilty for doing something. I don't believe Sula is evil, but I do believe that she experienced severe emotional trauma growing up that prevented her from fully understanding the pain she unintentionally inflicts on others. Also when Chicken Little was killed Sula felt guilty and began to cry or at least show some form of emotion that allowed her to see the severity of what she had just done. If Sula was "evil" then she would have not felt any emotion to just killing a little boy and would not have reacted in the way she did.
DeleteI agree that Sula’s evil comes through her confidence. We have some similar points too! I do think that most of her anger towards Eva was due to the differences in their lifestyles. As you already know, Sula is a much more free spirited person and by no means lives the same lifestyle as Eva. In addition, I also think the torment that Eva cause in her life is also a factor. The fact that Sula saw Her own Mother burn to death and hear of Plum succumbing to the same fate must have brought fear into Sula’s eyes even though she didn’t show it. All in all i think the main reason why Sula controlled the fat of Eva was because of their differences in lifestyle and the craziness Sula has seen in her life.
DeleteIn the past sections of the book the idea of death seems to emerge through different aspects, the death of relationships for example. When Sula returns to the Bottom she seems to destroy the relationships that are supposed to be closest to her. She sends her mother to a mental hospital by lying and stating that her mother frightens her. Then while catching up with Nel, Sula ends up sleeping with her husband Jude when Nel walks in on them. After ruining these two relationships Sula does not seem remorseful about her actions one bit. Sula is changing into more of a cold hearted person as she loses the people who she should be keeping close.
ReplyDeleteToni Morrison projects power onto the female characters in the story by taking it away from the male characters. One instance in which this occurs is the depiction of Ajax, a man who Sula is romantically/sexually involved with. Sula views Ajax as her best option for finding "real" romance and sexual pleasure, yet even he remains very deficient in many areas. Morrison detracts from Sula's image of him by mentioning who he is obsesses with airplanes, and even thinks about them during sex (instead of focusing on the pleasure of the moment and on Sula). This shows how, even though he is one of the most emotionally deep men in The Bottom, he is still occupied with worldly, tangible matters instead of the more philosophical or social pursuits of the women. This elevates the women to a sort of higher intellectual plane than the men, and empowers them mentally and socially, where they cannot be in society and culture. Sula is also depicted as disempowering men by using them as sex objects, a role traditionally reserved for women in society. Morrison mentions that she sleeps with every married man in the town once, as a way of aggravating the women. In this act, the men are portrayed more as the property of the wives than the other way around; it also shows Sula using sex to advance her own position, taking advantage of the mens' weaknesses for her own gain. Sula also is noted to have considered boys to be for "sharing" with Nel in their youth; this once again flips the traditional gender roles, with the man now being placed as the sex object and the women being the people taking advantage of them.
ReplyDeleteDeath plays a very active and prominent role in Sula, acknowledging the passionate murder of Plum and the manslaughter of Chicken Little. The killing of Plum comes from a very deep part of Eva, who has adored his presence as her son, more than any of her other children. By killing her son, it’s like she is liberating him of his physical sickness and his mental struggle against addiction. When Eva kills her ‘favorite’, she makes a great sacrifice by choosing to end her own son’s life, in exchange for watching him drown in constant suffering. While Eva’s actions may look strange and evil , her motive in his death seems justified, as the slight burn of the kerosene fueled fire imply that Plum must first experience Hell before he reaches Heaven. Eva’s choice to kill Plum is proof that freedom doesn’t always mean experiencing happiness, but finding relief through death.Chicken Little's death clearly goes against the traditional reactions of death. After, he falls into the river, Sula and Nel's next actions are only matter in the way that they show calm. They witness death, they go off to Shadrack, and then they continue on with their lives.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you describe Eva's reasoning behind killing Plum. However, that decision was as selfish as it was a sacrifice. Eva believed death to be better than addiction, which Plum was suffering from before she burned him alive. She thought his life was hers to do with as she pleased, but the decision to kill him, even if she did it out of love, was not hers to make. Eva seems to view death as an afterthought, an event less remarkable than the reasons surrounding it. In Hannah's death, she focuses less on the event or on honoring her and more on the significance of the events preceding it, perhaps to distract her from the awful consequences and finality of death. I interpret Plum's death as a way to characterize Eva and her view on love: it is selfless enough to sacrifice the life of one's child to "free" them from suffering, and selfish enough to preform the killing act and feel no guilt, believing that if one has good intentions, the outcome does not matter.
DeleteSula is not a truly evil character, because she never acts out of spite or vengeance. She simply follows her own whims and has a very different worldview from the rest of the town. It also seems that Sula has great difficulty in forming attachments to other people, no matter what the type of relationship, and that she does not have a great talent for empathy. A good example of this is when Sula sleeps with Jude, with "no thought at all of causing Nel pain" (Morrison 119) because she assumes that Nel is exactly like her and is not truly possessive of her husband. Her evil comes from the unintended consequences of her actions, and her indifference or scorn towards the members of her community. Sula also cannot be called an outcast because she performs an important function for Medallion residents: she is the pariah, the scapegoat, the wicked character. The town needs her wild nature to polarize against, so they "band together against the devil in their midst" (Morrison 117-118), proving to themselves that they are better and more orderly than her. Thus far, a more accurate term to describe Sula is chaotic, because her life and personality are not very consistent or attached, and she takes away the security of people she gets close to - Eva's position in her own house, and Nel's family structure. However, the amount of chaos that she causes is counteracted overall by the community's response, continuing the balance of nature; after all, even those who despise Sula most allow her to stay because she is part of the natural order of things.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it will be interesting to see if Sula starts to conform more to society, as she felt possessiveness and heartbreak for the first time after meeting Ajax; and, if Sula becomes more orderly, whether there will be a corresponding increase in the disorder of Medallion's residents.
DeleteI agree! Sula is definitely not the average community member of medallion, which is what makes her "part of the natural order of things". In other words, her unique, passive, conflicting personality(ies) etc. are exactly what make her essential to the community. Although she is a pariah, she brings excitement to the town and makes everyone feel important. Without her, everyone would be dull and they wouldn't have anyone to look down on.
DeleteI agree with you Cassandra. I do not see Sula as an evil character but rather a unique individual with many setbacks that she must fight through such as her lack of empathy and carelessness with her body as seen through her finger earlier in the story. She is definitely a character that can be interpreted in many ways and I could see how some could see her as evil, but looking deeply into her motives I can't see her being truly evil at heart.
DeleteI agree with you! "Evil" is not the best word to describe her, but her actions are questionable. With the example you gave with Sula sleeping with Jude, yes, she was going based off the idea that they have shared men before and that in many aspects her and Nel are similar, but she lacked the ability to recognized that in this aspect that they aren't the same. While Sula does not want to have tight holds on her men, Nel does, that is why she married Jude and started a family with him. Unlike Sula who isn't married and doesn't have family of her own. Maybe this way of realizing boundaries and differences is easy for me to see, but it was definitely something that Sula was highly capable of seeing with the different variables that were involved in this situation.
DeleteThe idea of Sula being evil is an interesting one when taken into account the superstitions that pervade the community of the Bottom, and could be a reasonable conclusion when she acts so unnecessarily cruel, but ultimately, it simplifies a character that acts like a real person who must deal with life's struggles the best that she can, and therefore, could not be evil. Sula has good reason to act in the sometimes cruel way that she does: she has been thrown into a racist, unforgiving society with no way to understand the consequences of her actions. When Sula threatened to burn Eva alive like she did Plum, she was obviously not serious and did not contemplate the gravity of her words, but rather, she was driven by her emotions, which are what make her such an important character. Nel is a perfect foil to her, as she was raised in a strict, traditional household and has sacrificed her aspirations and emotions for practicality and conforming to society's expectations, while Sula pursued her ambitions throughout her life. Sula learned what not to do by watching how her mother and grandmother interacted and how they, in a way, conformed to society's expectations of getting married and being unhappy as a consequence. Sula then wanted to be as far in personality and actions as possible from her family and did not learn morality as a consequence. Therefore, Sula could not be evil, as she follows her own, personal moral code influenced by the need to be separate from her family and society in general.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
ReplyDeleteI do not think that Sual truly intends to be evil. She just does what she has learned worked the best for her throughout the years. But withe her terrifying life experiences i do not think anyone really has a right to judge her, because she has been through so much its who she is. She is like Hester Prynne, she is mysterious to all, and everyone is judging her and isolating her. Her life experiences of being chaotic, unexpecting, and difficult are all characteristics that she has herself. I dont think its her fault, but she is the easiest person to blame. Although she does sleep with Jude its positive human attention that she does not get from a lot of people because people think she is evil. So maybe its be ause shes lonely that she acts out so much. I dont think she truly intends to be evil though.
Princess, you are absolutely right about Sula's life and how it s unfair for everyone to blame her; however I do not believe she can justify sleeping with her best friend's husband. She really her Nell, even though Nell deeply loves Sula. One could argue that Sula was helping Nell get rid of Jude, but even that is a poor excuse, since Sula could have done so in another way. On the other hand, Sula is definitely a "Hester Prynn", because even though she is ultimately helping the town without anyone realizing, she is still targeted and viewed as the Devil. It's funny because the townspeople judge her for sins that they most likely commit themselves, just like the townspeople targeted Hester Prynn. Ironically, the women target her the most because they blame her for their husband's adultery. Society works in a word way and it take Morrison's odd book to show you the complete Irony in the way we function.
DeleteSula is overall not an evil character, however her impulsive and unconventional lifestyle makes her stand out from the rest. Her label of "evil" stems from fear of the people living in the Bottom since they don't understand her. Sucks breaks away from gender stereotypes, living by herself by choice and having affairs to whom ever she desires, and most importantly going to college. When Sula goes back to her home, she presents herself confidently, "She dressed in manner that was as close to a movie stars anyone would ever see" (Morrison 90). The residents of the Bottom were taken by surprise by her presence, combined with her confident/distant nature allows her to become an ideal scapegoat.
ReplyDeleteshe scaredher grandmother Eva, who attempts to "reason" with her to go on the "right" path. Telling her to marry and have children going as far to say, "Ain't no women got no business floatin' around without no men" (Morrison 92). The conversation between Eva and Sula highlights, old traditions against the new. Sula's actions are very self-centered and does not take into consideration to what her grandmother. Making things worse by talking back to her, which goes against the notion of respecting elders. Her actions often leads to others, like her grandma to believe her confidence and lack of understanding to old traditions is "evil." She even questions the existance of god, which is very taboo, especially in a superstitious town like the Bottom.
Sula by Toni Morrison is largely a book that celebrates women and cherishes them for all they do for people. The protagonist Sula portrays the strength of women. Sula is strong because she stands up to Eva and threatens to set Eva on fire she states that she's going to be starting any more fires, therefore threatening Eva. Plum is seen as a weak male character who has to rely on his mother to take care of him, leaving Eva to take the role of putting him out of his misery, this shows a lot of strength in Eva’s character because it is extremely painful for a parent to lose a child and that pain is especially amplified when they are the ones responsible for the death, proving that Eva knows what she deems necessary for her son and is not afraid to take his life. The little boy Teapot is shown to need help from Sula after tripping and falling off of a porch showing his weakness in the moment that must be cared for by a female figure like Sula. In this moment Teapot looks to Sula who he sees as stronger than him in this situation. Sulas portrays females as the focus and main characters while men are more to the side and needy which is against the status quo typically seen in literature.
ReplyDelete- Evan
I agree that Sula is much more independent than Plum. Also, I find it interesting how you connected Teapot to this guiding question. When reading I seemed to have only looked at him as a child and took that he needed help for granted. I seemed to have forgotten about the fact that he is a male. After reading this, I see that there are many male figures in Sula that rely on the support of women.
DeleteMorrison truly does strip the power away from men. At first It was Hannah who successfully switched the role of men and women by objectifying men and using them for her own pleasure. Noe its Sula who does so. Sula sleeps with any many she desires and then refuses to give him the time of day. She makes him feel inferior and unworthy of her attention. Ironically, the women blame Sula for their husbands infidelities. All the women and men target Sula and although her actions may be uncalled for at time, they perceive her to be devilish. Ironically, they give her power by hating her so much. The fact that she is able to evoke such hatred and animosity toward her serves as proof of her power and ability to influence others. Strangely, Sula makes the town a better place. The women decide to take better care of their children and treat their husband better, in order to protect them from Sula. It is just like Morrison to altar the meaning of good and evil, because something greatly positive came out of Sula's "evil".
ReplyDeleteThrough the past readings, one can clearly see the emergence of evil within the book. This evil is in the form of the character, Sula. It is easy to say that Sula is quite different than the rest of the women in the Bottom and this is mainly due to her personality. Sula is not afraid to express herself; she, unlike other characters, has the audacity to humiliate and disrespect others who disrespect her. It is this attitude that reveals her evil. This attitude is shown when Sula disrespects her mother stating, “‘I need you to shut your mouth… Just ‘cause you was bad enough to cut off your own leg you think you got a right to kick everybody with the stump’” (Morrison 92-93)? In addition, her willingness to only look out for her needs is what makes her evil. Her self centered mind is what caused her to sleep with Jude. At this moment she was not thinking about the repercussions that may happen, and the effect her actions might cause to her friend Nel.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see how the community reacts to her actions. It is almost as though the community hates her existence, but feed off her daring and strange personality. This is seen when many of the community members speak badly about her, but when she appears they give her all of her attention. An example of this is displayed when rumors spread about how she sleeps with white men. The makes of the community see it as a sin to sleep with the opposite race, but once they come within her presence their mouths fill with saliva.
In chapter 1937 and 1939, we see more of the nature of Sula's "evilness." Sula is looked at as "evil" because she fails to match up with society's ideals. Although her moral code may be different, it does not mean that her intentions are evil. For example, when sleeping with Jude, Sula was accustomed to sharing her men with Nel. When thinking of her actions, she "had no thought at all of causing Nel pain when she bedded down with Jude"(119). Sula was brought up thinking that sex was commonly thought as a casual event and that it was normal to sleep with married men. When doing her actions she never has ill intentions, she simply follows her own morals which is not necessarily evil. Also, Sula acts out a lot on impulse and does not think about the residual effects of her actions. Such as, telling Eva that she was going to light her on fire. Although it may not have seemed that serious to Sula, to Eva it gave her great discomfort. Instead of Sula being labeled as "evil," she should instead be thought of as human. Similar to Frankenstein, Sula's intentions are never negative, but instead to her it is what she believes is the correct decision due to her upbringing and past experiences.
ReplyDeleteI disagree about how Sula isn't "evil" just because her intentions aren't. Just because a person doesn't believe what they are doing is not evil, doesn't mean that the actual actions commit are not evil as well. Even though Sula doesn't see her affair with Jude as evil, Nel clearly sees the act to be so.
DeleteI think as this book progresses, the idea that Sula is evil is a lot more difficult to cement. In the beginning of the book, it is easy to say that she is evil because we are so bombarded with "evil" actions. We see her killing a little boy, we see her not feeling remorse, we see her watching her mother die without helping, we see her putting her grandmother in the nursing home, and the list goes on. However, we have to keep in mind that those things happened when she was merely a child. Although she was a grown child, there is a lot of things that we dont fully understand even as a pre-teen. Her actions as an adult are quite morally questionable such as sleeping with her best friend's husband, or talking back to her grandmother, or sleeping around. However, you have to understand that she lives in a rigid society and she never wanted to conform to it. She has always been her own person. As a girl in the 21st century, although I choose not to sleep around, I know that although it is not socially acceptable I wouldn't be as condemned as Sula is being and I feel like all females or anybody for that matter should have the right to do whatever they like with their body.
ReplyDeleteFemale power is a very clear theme in Sula, and we see this manifest in almost every page of the novel, even in Nel's children. When all her children went to the movie theater to see a scary movie, they came back scared and asked her to sleep with them. However, "the two boys ... loved it, but the girl did not"(Morrison 109). This detail demonstrates the dependence of male characters in the novel and highlights the independent nature of her daughter, who felt hindered by the comfort her mother was giving her. Another example of the Male deficiency displayed in the novel was when Jude came home from work complaining about the discrimination he faced. He was looking for comfort, but with Sula, he found no pity. He was fascinated by her rant and her eccentric looks and realized why she wasn't married. He found that "she stirred a man's mind maybe, but not his body", which I think is really two-dimensional. However, he still had an affair with her and left his wife because of her. I think that demonstrated the power Sula holds over men as a woman as well as the confusing yet simple nature of how men are portrayed in the book.
ReplyDeleteThe nature of evil is Sula is manifested in Sula herself. Sula does a large list of things that could be considered evil. The way she acts throughout the novel makes her seem like a sociopath. Sula watches people die with little reaction. She felt no guilt at Chicken Little's death and did not seem particularly shocked by her mother's death. She also seems to be unable to empathize with those around her including her friend Nel. She quickly seduces Nel's husband without thinking about how it would affect Nel. Prior to Ajax, she was also unable to establish a lasting romantic relationship with anyone. Eventually, her actions cause the entire community to perceive her as evil as well. She is considered to be the source of evil within the community.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Question 9:
ReplyDeleteThe creation of National Suicide Day has definitely made the people of the Medallion more accepting towards death. In addition, I would say that the creation of National Suicide Day has has only lessened the grimness of death to a point because there are still parts in the book that shows that death is still a grim aspect of life. Ever since the creation of National Suicide Day, many people of the community began to see death as a blessing, as a way to escape, and as way to have control over how and when their lives would end. This ideology was especially accepted by the Peace family, whom, throughout the entire book has witnessed death several times. Not wanting to see her son go down a wretched path, Eva Peace instilled the ideas of National Suicide Day when she took the life of her son Plum. In addition, Sula’s mother also committed suicide. Witnessing death at an early age, these experiences caused Sula to be more accepting of death. This is shown when she, without any regret, committed suicide after being hospitalized for a period of time. Sula and her death is a great example of how National Suicide Day has influenced the lives of the people to see death as an opportunity to take control of the inevitable. However, although death is more accepted, the grimness of death is still present. This grimness is shown by how the death of Plum and her mother has affected Sula. In the last blogpost reading, Eva and Sula had an emotional argument that really showed that the death of Plum and her mother casted a great shadow on Sula’s life. She wasn’t able to find a space in her heart to forgive Eva after her actions. In addition it led to her being in fear of what Eva might do to her. Speaking to Nel about Eva’s actions, Sula states “‘I’m scared of her, Nellie. That’s why…What should I do Nellie take her back and sleep with my door locked again’” (Morrison 100-101)? Through Sula’s experience it, shows that the influence of National Suicide Day’s ideas has done little to take away from the grimness of death because of the way continued distraught of deaths that occurred years ago.
Evil is very prevalent in Sula by Toni Morrison, it is all over the book and evil forms within many of the novel's characters, particularly the protagonist Sula. The evil within Sula can be seen in several key points throughout the story, at one point it can be seen when she cuts off a part of her finger to stand up for herself against a group of boys. Sula and Nel's friendship can also be seen as a sort of yin and yang relationship with Sula being the balance of evil and Nel being the balance of good, Nel is viewed as the good one and Sula was always the bad one. Sula carries evil within her all the time being seemingly unfazed by the phenomenon of death. She is a witness to all the evil in the book and can be seen as the most evil character in the strory because of all the evil she becomes exposed to.
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