Toni Morrison's Sula

A detailed Summary of Toni Morrison's Sula

America has always been regarded as the nation of liberty and freedom. Our founding forefathers have shaped the values of our country according to their strong beliefs of free will and independence. To this day, those values still prevail and often inspire our individualistic ways of thinking. In Toni Morrison's novel Sula, two friends must make the imperative decision in life to follow their boundless dreams or to hold onto their roots in their community of the Bottom. Each faces obstacles, joys, as well as consequences for their decisions. Nel Wright, a woman in search of strength and stability, commits to her role as a member of her community. She follows the valued belief of marriage and becomes the loyal and devoted wife to her husband Jude and a loving mother to her three children. However, Nel's best friend Sula possesses a complete different outlook on life and frees herself from the constricting beliefs of the community. She leaves town in search of the life she desires but most importantly, in search of herself. Their opposing values and judgments eventually tear apart what was once a tightly knitted friendship between the two. The value of freedom versus commitment is portrayed through the choices Sula and Nel mak

The environment and upbringing of a child builds the foundation for her values and beliefs. Nel's mother Helene is a well-respected woman of the Bottom community and an incredible woman who carries the look of sophistication and elegance. She is a woman "who w[ins] all social battles with presence and a conviction of the legitimacy of her authority"(18). Upon the birth of Nel, Helene "rose grandly to the occasion of motherhood"(18) and like a piece of fresh clay, she begins to mold Nel into her desired shape. Helene's "oppressive neatness"(29) and conservatism "dr[ives] her daughter's imagination underground"(18) and transforms Nel's enthusiasm into majestic composure. To Helene's satisfaction, Nel eventually becomes the "obedient and polite" (18) daughter that she hopes for. Admiring her mother's confidence and dignified reputation in the community, Nel looks to her mother for guidance in becoming a distinguishing woman herself.

A mother leaves an everlasting imprint of her own moral values and judgments on her child and eventually the child becomes the blueprint reflecting those ethics in which her mother believes in. Sula Peace grows up in a household without limitations and restrictions. Her mother Hannah is a woman who indulges in casual sex for mere pleasure and entertainment. Settin

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Approximate Word count = 880
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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Toni Morrison's Sula

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