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Toni Morrison's Sula Study guide
Amber Montez
Acacia Group Meeting
10 August 2003
Overview:
The novel begins with the background life of both girls, Sula Peace and Nel Wright. Both girls coming from opposite backgrounds, Nel's from a peacefully and orderly home and Sula's a loud and chaotic home. They become inseparable the moment they meet. They are connected by the loneliness they feel within their family and the desire to be loved by another person. As they grow older each girl takes on the attitude that they were surrounded in. Nel grew up to be a member of the community, marrying a man of the community and becoming the wife and mother that her mother was; whereas Sula, rebelled from the community and left as soon as she could. Leaving the Bottom to pursue a college education, Sula enjoy the city life. Once Sula return to her hometown, she continued to rebel against the community ways and became a "wanton seductress". The book follows the outcome of both girls choices life. Nel, who remains a quaint little wife and remain in community was abandoned by her husband, leaving her to raise their children and soak in her own misery. Sula's city life style caught up with as the community as a whole did not approve or liked her as a person. Once she died the community was happy and returned to their normal state of being.
Themes:
Loneliness/abandonment---both children and even into adulthood had no one (parents, husbands, etc…) but each other.
Love---various types and expression. Do they communicate onto the person? Is there only one type throughout this novel?
Sex---how is it used as a form of communication or expression?
Women---is a woman complete without a man?
Pain---both internal and external pain. The pain is never release or ending. Is a person able to move on with pain as part of their life?
Real vs observation---Shadrack and/or the drowning of the chicken.
Bottom and Medallion---the land that surrounds them gets left behind, while the other grows with the people and society.
Morrison, Toni. Sula. N.Y.: Plume. 1982
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