1. Sula
Toni Morrison's Sula chronicles the unlikely friendship of two very different women. Nel Wright represents the archetypal mother and wife, a conformer who never leaves her hometown. Sula refuses the bonds of marriage and children, and sets out into the world, refusing tradition's version of woman. Despite their differences, the two women have a deep affection for each, but their very natures conspire to rip them apart. In the last chapter of the novel, Nel finds herself surrounded by a new and changing world that she is not familiar with; it is a world that Sula, the consummate rebel, would be more at home in. In the final pages of Morrison's book, Nel decides to accept and understand how Sula chooses to interpellate herself.
The title of the final chapter, 1965, is significant for a few reasons. It represents a leap of twenty-six years from the preceding chapter, a noteworthy amount considering that previously the largest time gap between chapters was just ten years. This immediately indicates to the reader that this chapter is going to be distinct from the others, and indeed the novel concludes itself here. Because of this large time gap, the question arises as to why Morrison specifically chose to resume the story in 1965 - why not 1964 or 1966, for example? While this question is suggested by the text, it clearly does not answer it (Hermeneutic Code, Course Pack 102). Considering that the work concerns itself with black America, it would follow to look to history to understand what was happening in black America in 1965. One of the most significant events of that year took place in Alabama and has come to be known as Bloody Sunday (Ashkinaze). State troopers attacked a peaceful march of black protesters, causing not only unjust bloodshed, but also enabled national exposure to the plight of black Americans everywhere. Another important event of 1965 was the Vietnam War. Blacks in the military were subject to "unequal punishment, offensive and inflammatory language, prejudice in assignment of details, [ ] harassment by security police under orders to break up five or more blacks in a group and double standards in enforcement of regulation" (Jackson).
Sula by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison's Sula is a novel that has a theme about the nature of evil. ... She is especially offended by Sula's behavior, because Sula sleeps with her husband. ... Nel's outrage at Sula's actions is similar to the town's anger at Sula and we see the personal hurt that Sula's inconsiderate actions have caused. ... Nel had just gotten married, while Sula left for the city. ... Ignoring her opinion about Sula's actions with Jude, she longs for the Sula saying, "We was girls together. ...
Nel and Sula as a Dual Self In her novel, Sula, Toni Morrison uses the archetype of the dual self through the friendship of Sula and Nel: the two characters are a part of each other. ... Sula blamed herself fully for Chicken Little's accident and Nel made no attempt to change Sula's thinking. ... Sula's motive for sleeping with Jude can be explained because Nel was Sula's other half. ... Sula is very attached to Nel. ... After Sula's death, in a sense, Nel "woke up". ...
Sula "Sula" by Tony Morrison is the story of a friendship between Nel Wright and Sula Peace, who are opposites in the way of relating to other people, to the world around them, and to themselves. ... Sula is an irrational and transient character. ... Sula overhears her mother, Hannah, say, "I love her [Sula]. ... She loses her true unique self after Sula is gone. ... Nel is Sula's connection to other people, while Sula is Nel's connection to herself. ...
In "Sula," Toni Morrison gives us two such individuals, Nel and Sula. ... (p.29) Nel is confined, Sula is free. ... Nel was as wild and excited as Sula was. ... Nel and Sula would not speak again until three years later when Sula was on her deathbed. ... Nel and Sula gain a b...
The novel Sula written by Toni Morrison is structured around the development of friendship. ... Sula grows up feeling very excluded, guilty and very much unloved. ... Sula in the novel, only cross this line two different time. ... After encountering all the episodes Sula had in the community and having her friendship with Nel fail; the single most important person in her life, Sula feels totally isolated. ... Nel on the other hand is the very direct opposite of Sula. ...
Sula Peace is one of Nel's good friends. ... Nel assures Sula that it was just an accident, but Sula feels terrible. ... Nel is Sula's opposite in many respects. ... Sula grows up feeling guilty and unloved. ... Sula is a novel about ambiguity. ...
This is the meaning of friendship, a theme central to Sula. ... From Sula, the book, we learn the importance of friendship, the pain of betrayal, and the pain of loss. ... From Sula, we watch the girls, Nel and Sula throughout their friendship. ... Take sleeping with your best friend's husband for example, that one act, committed out of ignorance on Sula's part of Nel's feelings. Sula did not realize how she would hurt Nel, by sleeping with Jude. ...
In the end, Sula dies alone in her bed. ... A perfect example is Sula's grandmother Eva. ... Sula acted like anyone would expect. ... Sula may have thrown him, but Nel's apathy was far more evil than Sula's accident. ... (Sula)" "Did he see?...