Exploring the Novel Sula By Toni Morrison

A detailed Summary of Exploring the Novel Sula By Toni Morrison

In the novel Sula, by Toni Morrison we follow the life of Sula Peace through out her childhood in the twenties until her death in 1941. The novel surrounds the black community in Medallion, specifically "the bottom". By reading the story of Sula's life, and the life of the community in the bottom, Morrison shows us the important ways in which families and communities can shape a child's identity. Sula not only portrays the way children are shaped, but also the way that a community receives an adult who challenges the very environment that molded them.

Sula's actions and much of her personality is a direct result of her childhood in the bottom. Sula's identity contains many elements of a strong, independent feminist character. However, the people in Medallion do not see Sula in a positive light. When she returns to Medallion as an adult Sula is seen as evil and regarded with much fear.

The reason Sula outcast from the community is specifically due to the fact that she is a woman who refuses to contain herself in the social norms set up for the town. She refuses to marry and frequently sleeps

They absorbed the outrageous, and different actions of Shadrack as part of their lives because he was a male. Sula never did anything so outrageous, but they viewed her as evil. For she was a woman who made no attempt to justify her actions or views on life to any man.

Sula, on the other hand, has a need to feel in control right down to the mechanics of her affairs. "And there was the utmost irony and outrage in lying under someone, in a position of surrender, feeling her own abiding strength and limitless power." (p2048). She not only took sex from men as pleasure, but sought out to claim power over them. "Sula was trying them out and discarding them without any excuse the men could swallow." (p2044). This made the women upset and furthered their hatred for Sula. Sula had power by sleeping with these very same men who held power over submissive wives.

around. The characters that exist around Sula serve as a point to compare the different ways the community treats those who are different. Specifically the way the characters, Shadrack and Hannah are treated by the community can be compared to the way the community treats Sula. In one way or another, Sula, Shadrack, and Hannah are outcast from the community in the bottom. Shadrack and Hannah however are not regarded with near as much fear or resentment the town feels towards Sula.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Sula Sula, Suicide Day, Ajax Sula, Hannah Hannah, Sula Peace, Nel Sula's, Shadrack Shadrack, Hannah Sula's, Medallion Sula, Hannah Sula, outcast community, social norms, shadrack hannah, roach bitch, reason sula, viewed evil, seen evil, people medallion, community bottom, sula's actions,

Approximate Word count = 1617
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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