When I started reading “Sula” by Toni Morrison, I felt an overwhelming sense of uncertainty, like I didn’t quite know what was going on or how to feel. We are in a world of black and white, and good and evil, but nothing really is black, white or good and bad in life or in this story. It’s a world of grey, where what may seem evil is not really and vice versa. By the end, we see that this tentative, grey-area theme runs throughout the story and is perfectly demonstrated in the chapters 1921 and 1922.
The most striking events in the chapter 1921 center around Eva and her son nicknamed Plum. Eva saves Plum as a baby when he has an impacted bowel. She could not stand to see him in pain and knew that if she didn’t do something to help, the baby would have died. As any mother would, she did whatever she had to do to save her child. Then later on in 1921 chapter, we see a mirror image of this situation play out years later with Plum and his mother Eva. Plum is now back from war, and he is a broken man. He is mentally and physically suffering, and this is no way to live. Eva sees this and once again comes to the rescue, but in a different way. Eva kills her son by setting him on fire. It’s a shocking act that at first glance seems heartless and evil. But it is an act committed because of Eva’s intense love of Plum. She can’t bear to see him suffer and commits an “evil” act for his own good, knowing it will save him from himself. He is a man but he is also her child and as a mother, she needs to help him. We would see it as horrific and bad, but it is in this situation, selfless and completely done out of love and goodness. A quote from “Sula” I think relates to both the scenarios is from when Plum is suffering from the impacted bowel, “She managed to soothe him, but when he took up crying again that night, she resolved it once and for all.” (Morrison 34). This quote relates to both times Eva would help her son and stop his suffering and I believe is almost a precursor for what is to come later in 1921. The line between what is right and what is wrong is blurred and it’s all grey.
In 1922, we see this theme of things not being definitive, black and white again. This time it involves Sula and Nel. Sula represents all things bad; her family is disjointed, unorganized, not the socially acceptable norm. Nel, on the other hand, comes from a stable family that is structured and seen as good. In an absolutely horrifying scene, they are playing with a neighborhood boy, Chicken Little. Sula and the boy begin to play together, and she is spinning him around in a circle by the hands. He accidentally slips from her grip, falls into the river and drowns. The two girls do nothing. In this scene, both the “good” and “bad” characters take no action to save this child, nor do they own up to the accident. I think this is actually a major significant event in the story that will haunt both characters throughout their lives although at the time, they are emotionless and actionless. They are, in a sense, in the grey zone where there is no action, no emotion, no right and no wrong. And the girl from the good family Nel, did the same as the girl from the “bad” family, Sula. You also see themes of grey area in 1922 with this quote “He dragged the sack away and hooked it over the side, so that the Chicken’s body was half in half out of the water.” (Morrison 64). Again, the theme of that grey area, its not in or out of the water its half in and half out.
The overarching theme of white and black, and good versus evil appears throughout “Sula”. But it is the realization that things really are not just black and white in the world that is most the interesting point. We all have the tendency to identify something as good or bad and not see what lies in between. As children, we are taught good and bad exists. But we are not taught that there is also this grey area. And the older I get, the more I realize that most of life really is lived in this grey area, where the line between what is right and what is wrong is blurred and not so easily discernable. The story “Sula” has a lot of references to black and white and we see them reversed and jumbled (where the best land is at the bottom and the “Bottom” is on the top) and, in the end, nothing is what it seems. But in addition to this inversion throughout the story is the awareness that what one thinks is right and good – the stable family, saving a child’s life – is just as right and good as the unstable family and ending a life out of mercy. And the “good” girl Nel was happy that young Chicken Little drowned whereas the girl from the unstable “bad” home Sula carried that guilt with her for her whole life. There is not always a right and a wrong and most of life lies somewhere in between the two, even linking two opposing sides together and creating this grey, blurred ambiguity that is real life.
Sources:
- Morrison, Toni. 1st Vintage International ed. New York, Vintage International, 2004.
Discussion Questions:
- How would things be different if Sula and Nel had confessed to accidentally dropping Chicken Little in the river? Would they have turned against each other and would Sula have been the one to take the blame because she is from the “bad” family?
- What other actions in life can fall in that grey, ambiguous space or do you believe there is always a right and wrong side?
Hi Conor! I really enjoyed reading your insightful blog post. I particularly enjoyed reading about your interpretation of Eva burning her son as an act of goodness. Initially, while reading this section, I honestly was extremely confused and it made me look at Eva in such a negative light; I never thought to see it as an act of love. It certainly took a lot of courage for her to be able to watch her son die in order to set him free from suffering. To answer your first question, I do think that things would be different if Sula and Nel had confessed to accidentally dropping Chicken Little in the river, killing him. I think this confession would have destroyed their friendship. Secrets often bond people, especially big traumatic secrets like this one. With a confession, the two’s friendship would decline almost instantly, with each trying to place blame on the other to avoid as much punishment as possible. I think their friendship and lives would never be the same if a confession were to be made, not only to legal authorities but really to anyone. I do think that Sula would be blamed for the death because she is considered more rebellious or “bad” in her family. I also think that Nel would be more likely to place the blame on Sula because Sula was the one to convince Chicken Little to climb up the tree. As stated by the book, “Y’all better come on down before you break your neck,” Nel hollered” (Sula 60). This quote clearly proves that Sula is extremely responsible and tried to convince the two to come down, however, they chose not to. I think that Sula could support her innocence based on the fact that she told them to come down and knew something terrible could happen. Meanwhile, Sula, being more ambitious and rebellious, turned a blind eye to the possibilities of something bad happening.
Nice job with this comment, Giulia! Moving forward, see if you can select quotes where Morrison is doing something interesting and unusual with language–something that requires interpretation, close reading, and analysis.
Also, please review MLA-style citations. The quote should read:
Morrison writes, “Y’all better come on down before you break your neck,” Nel hollered” (60).
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Hi Connor, I really enjoyed your interpretation of the reading and the sense of “grey areas” within life. I agree that the book has lots of up’s, downs and lots of confusion within the commotion but I think you did a really good job at identifying the main points within the few chapters. I think another quote shows the selflessness and sadness that Eva felt within the chapter 1922, in the acts of burning Plum is, “Eva lifted her tongue to the edge of her lip to stop the tears from running into her mouth. Rocking, rocking. Later she laid him down and looked at him a long time.” (Morrison 47.) This quote illustrates clearly that she did not want to pursue these actions but she knew her son would be living in brutal pain and die a slow death. Eva was looking out for her son but it is definitely hard for the reader to grasp that concept when first reading this part of the book. You did a good job at identifying both sides. To answer one of your discussion questions I think that if Sula and Nel had taken the blame for the accident involving Chicken Little, Nel would have been rejected from her family due to being from a more formal and put together household, whereas Sula would’ve been the one dealing with more consequences within law because she as seen as a “bad child” due to her surroundings. Overall I think they would both be affected but in dramatically different ways which would end up brutalizing their friendship.
Nice job with this comment, Grace!
Score: 5 out of 5
Hi Conor, I enjoyed reading your blog post and it truly helped to put things into perspective for me. I have felt like there is so much going on throughout the story thus far, that it is hard to take the time and truly think about what you had just read. I was very shocked to read about Eva deliberately lighting her so on fire, but you took that seen and transformed it into something meaningful, that I hadn’t thought of on my own. To answer your first question; How would things be different if Sula and Nel had confessed to accidentally dropping Chicken Little in the river? Would they have turned against each other, and would Sula have been the one to take the blame because she is from the “bad” family?; I believe things would have played out very different. I think that they would stick together through it. The two girls are best friends, and the only friend of each other to be exact. However, Sula really proved her worthiness as she went to Shadrack’s house, searching for the answer that no one saw. A quote from the book I find to be interesting is, “Sula covered her mouth as they walked down the hill. Always. He had answered a question she had not asked, and its promise licked at her feet.” (63). Even after Sula had learned that someone had saw, the girls still stuck together, Nel comforting Sula. I believe that no matter what, these girls would stick together through anything.
Nice job with this comment, Ashleigh! Moving forward, just make sure to proofread your writing. Here you have “so” instead of “son” and “seen” instead of “scene.”
Score: 4.75 out of 5
Hi Conor! I really enjoyed reading your post. The concept of seeing the world in black and white is something that I also noticed in the readings we have done so far. The scene where Eva burns her son is horrific and we see it as very disturbing. But in her point of view, she was showing him mercy. By killing him, she was letting him know that it was okay, and he didn’t need to worry about upsetting his family. He must have seen a lot when he was fighting in the war, and he most likely saw things that he could never get over. To answer your question about how things would have been different if the two girls had confessed, I think it would have turned them against each other. In the text it says “Nel’s legs had turned to granite and she expected the sheriff or Reverend Deal’s pointing finger at any moment.”(Sula 64-65). During the funeral, both girls are very nervous about what might happen to them. I feel like if they had confessed, they might try to blame the other person. Although they technically didn’t do anything wrong, they still should have tried to help or told someone about what had happened. In not doing so they created the idea that they were at fault and the most human reaction is to protect yourself from punishment. In keeping this secret between the two of them, they formed a bond of trust as well as their friendship.
Good job with this comment, Ava! Moving forward, please review the rules of MLA-style citations. The quote should read:
Morrison writes, “Nel’s legs had turned to granite and she expected the sheriff or Reverend Deal’s pointing finger at any moment” (64-65).
Score: 4.5 out of 5
Hi Coner, I enjoyed reading your blog post and I agree with a lot of points you hit in the book. There were many grey areas in the story where you couldn’t fully decipher if it was right or wrong. I believe that that’s very accurate in society as a whole when it comes to small things such as eating a healthy meal versus and nonhealthy meal for certain people healthy might mean two different things depending on lifestyle. Or it can be as big as war you could argue that when America had to fight for their freedom and for American this was a great thing to fight for their freedom but from the British Perspective they may have seen it as betrayal from their own kind they may have felt we came over to spread the culture of Great Britain and the now Americans have decided to turn their backs on us. What I’m trying to explain is there is always two sides to every story no matter how bad or good the opposite side may seem there is always a story both sides have that justifies their actions in their eyes but maybe not in your own and whether that is right or wrong in a grey area for different people and cultures. In the story when “she was close to the three little steps that led to his porch, fear crawled into her stomach” this is a perfect example of not having a grey area when you get this feeling you know you are in the wrong its like when you eat an unhealthy meal on a diet and you know it’s unhealthy there is no grey area and you feel the guilt or if you just lied to someone about something big.
Interesting ideas here, Jaylin. Moving forward, make sure you interpret and analyze whatever quote you decide to include. What is interesting and unusual about it? How is Morrison using language to make the reader think, feel, and imagine in particular ways? This is the skill of close reading that we’ve been practicing all semester.
Please also proofread your writing, especially to catch run-on sentences like this one: “Or it can be as big as war you could argue that when America had to fight for their freedom and for American this was a great thing to fight for their freedom but from the British Perspective they may have seen it as betrayal from their own kind they may have felt we came over to spread the culture of Great Britain and the now Americans have decided to turn their backs on us.” Reading your writing aloud can help.
Also keep in mind that all quotes require a page number.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
Hi Conor. I enjoy reading your blog post! If Sula and Nel confessed, their friendship might get stronger or weaker. It could deepen trust between them, or the guilt might cause problems. The people in their town might treat them differently. Sula, from a troubled family, might get blamed more, while Nel might be treated better because of her family background. Sula’s family being seen as “bad” could affect how people view the situation. People might assume Sula was to blame, adding to the prejudice against her family. Confessing could lead to legal problems, causing more stress and possibly damaging their reputations. Confessing could also help Sula and Nel grow as individuals. Facing the truth might help them learn from their mistakes and become better people. confessing could have changed their friendship, how people see them, and even lead to legal issues. But it could also help them grow as people in the long run. Life often presents situations where it’s not always clear what the right or wrong choice is. Sometimes, you might have to choose between two important values, like honesty and kindness. It’s not always easy to know which one should take priority. People see things differently based on their beliefs and experiences. What seems right to one person might seem wrong to another. life is full of situations where there’s no clear right or wrong answer. People have to use their judgment and values to make the best decision they can. “ The nurse reached under the cover for Shadrack’s wrist to pull out the monstrous hand. Shadrack jerked it back and over turned the tray. In panic he raised himself to his knees and tried to fling off and away his terrible fingers, but succeeded only in knocking the nurse into the next bed” (Sula 9). The quote describes a scene where a nurse attempts to assist Shadrack, but he reacts violently in panic. When the nurse tries to reach for Shadrack’s wrist, he reacts suddenly and violently, overturning a tray and inadvertently knocking the nurse into another bed. This scene illustrates Shadrack’s extreme fear and distress, likely stemming from his mental health struggles or past traumatic experiences. His reaction is involuntary and demonstrates his inability to control his actions at that moment due to his overwhelming panic.
Interesting ideas here, Juliana. I’m not sure I see the connection between the first half of your comment (about moral ambiguity) and the second half (an analysis of the character Shadrack). Make sure that your comment has a main point that you’re making, which is supported by analysis of a quote from the reading. Also, I recommend reading your writing aloud to catch moments where you say the same idea multiple times. Please also review the rules of MLA-style citations. The quote should appear like this:
Morrison writes, “The nurse reached under the cover for Shadrack’s wrist to pull out the monstrous hand. Shadrack jerked it back and over turned the tray. In panic he raised himself to his knees and tried to fling off and away his terrible fingers, but succeeded only in knocking the nurse into the next bed” (9).
Score: 3 out of 5
Hello Conor, I believe the blog post that you have made is great. It allowed me to see the text from a different point of view. I am usually able to agree with everyone’s perspective. I did today, but the difference is in how you were able to interpret it. At first, I did not understand what you meant by there is not any black or white in the story. I thought there was but when you pointed out that it is a world of grey it gave me a different approach to the story, however, I do believe there is a right and wrong side. Especially what had happened in the ending chapter of 1921. The quote that caught my attention the most is on page 46 where it states the following, “Quickly, as the woosh of flames engulfed him, she shut the door and made her slow and painful journey back to the top of the house” (Morrison 46). This is essential because Plum had just been sleeping believing everything would be alright and the love she has for him allows her to do an action like this. This is a form of expression or is seen as one. That is where it is wrong. Although Plum is not perfect like every human being does not mean that you set someone on fire based on the fact you do not want to see someone who you care and love suffer as time continues. His time in the war did change him but everyone has a chance to correct themselves.
Nice job with this comment, Alex! This insight is especially strong: “Although Plum is not perfect like every human being does not mean that you set someone on fire based on the fact you do not want to see someone who you care and love suffer as time continues.”
One way you can cut unnecessary words from your writing is in the way you introduce quotes. You have this:
The quote that caught my attention the most is on page 46 where it states the following, “Quickly, as the woosh of flames engulfed him, she shut the door and made her slow and painful journey back to the top of the house” (Morrison 46).
But you could convey the same idea with fewer words (lean, concise writing is the goal):
Morrison writes, “Quickly, as the woosh of flames engulfed him, she shut the door and made her slow and painful journey back to the top of the house” (46).
Score: 5 out of 5
Good Morning Conor, I enjoyed reading your blog post about Sula. It was very thoughtful and well done. To answer your first question of what would have happened to each of them, Sula and Nel, if they were to confess about dropping chicken little. I think there would have definitely been an inequality, but I don’t think anyone would have immediately turned on anyone. This quote “Nel’s call floated up and into the window, pulling her [Sula] away from dark thoughts and back into the bright, hot daylight.” (57) This shows their relationship in action. When one feels weak, the other one is still there for support no matter what happens. But there still is the other side of the argument that might say otherwise. Because of their different outlooks on racism, they are more likely to be on the both sides because they will both have relatively the same consequences.
Nice job with this comment, Josh! I wonder, can you further analyze and interpret that quote you’ve included? It’s rich with figurative language (the image of Nel’s voice floating into Sula’s window, returning her from “dark thoughts” (of what?) to “the bright, hot daylight”). What do we learn about the two characters through this description?
Keep in mind that you should use “Morrison writes” or “According to Morrison” to introduce your quotes:
Morrison writes, “Nel’s call floated up and into the window, pulling her [Sula] away from dark thoughts and back into the bright, hot daylight” (57).
Score: 4.75 out of 5
Hi Conor, I really enjoyed your discussion about how things may appear black and white but aren’t so. By avoiding confronting the fact that they are at fault for chicken little’s death, they are causing a rift in their own friendship, created by guilt. The best way to rid guilt is to own up to the accident, but it is unknown what the outcome would be for the two of them, so it is understandable that they are fearful. If they had admitted to the death of chicken little, then they would also spare the family of this child from never knowing how their child died. They can both be at fault, and not blame one another for the family life they have. This can also tie into the idea of the harm of stories, as Nel’s mother sees Sula’s family as worse off, not giving Sula’s family a good light. The final words of the chapter can visualize the growing distance between the girls, saying “At first, as they stood there, their hands were clenched together. They relaxed slowly until during the walk back home their fingers were laced in as gentle a clasp as that of any two young girlfriends trotting up the road on a summer day wondering what happened to butterflies in the winter.”. This visualizes the closeness they used to have, only for the rift of chicken little’s death to slowly break them apart, everything they’ve worked for together and bonded over is undone by their own doing. The death of chicken little is not black and white, both girls were with him, playing with him before he died, there is not a clear blame to shift, and this is why the girls fall apart.
That’s a great quote you’ve selected, Derek! Can you say more about it? How do you interpret the slow relaxation? What is implied by the verb “trotting”? What can we infer from that image of young girls wondering about butterflies? Make sure you analyze and interpret whatever quote you include. Also, include page numbers for all quotes.
Score: 4.5 out of 5