Sula by Toni Morrison - 1378 Words

Q. Discuss how many characters describe Sula’s birthmark which looks different to several people in The Bottom. Does the birthmark reflect their fears or dreams? How so? Lots of people see Sula in different lights. Their relationship with her determines what they may see above her brow. Most of her relatives and her best friend Nel see a rose. Shadrack, the town crazy, sees a tadpole. Jude first sees a copperhead snake. How her birthmark ‘shifts’ depends on the mood and notions of the person viewing it. It has nothing at all to do with the content of Sula’s character, which so many folks believe to be evil. Sula’s birthmark is mostly seen as a long-stemmed rose. The rose is commonly a symbol for love and is revered for its†¦show more content†¦He may also see Sula as a temptress, a surefire poison that causes the death of his marriage to Nel. On the next page, Jude changes his tune a bit. â€Å"But thinking that Sula had an odd way of looking at things and that her wide smile took some of the sting from that rattlesnake over her eye. A funny woman, he thought, not bad-looking. But he could see why she wasnâ €™t married; she stirred a man’s mind maybe, but not his body.† (104) This thought process shows Jude coming around to the idea that Sula may not be so bad, after all. She shows intellect and that can be appealing, making her seem more tempting as a whole, regardless of her body. Although†¦thinking this and deciding Sula might be attractive means he’s tempted by her fruit and aroused by her somehow. Nel still sees a rose when she comes to visit a sick Sula, years after their friendship pushed pause. â€Å"For the first time in three years she would be looking at the stemmed rose that hung over the eye of her enemy†¦She would be facing the black rose that Jude had kissed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (138). Nel’s perception of Sula’s birthmark has not changed. She doesn’t see a snake or any other deviant creature. She still thinks of it as a beautiful, pure rose which suggests that Nel still feels there’s a kinship between them. Why else would she bother to visit Sula and see if she needsShow MoreRelated`` Sula `` By Toni Morrison1367 Words   |  6 Pagesand well rounded motif, developed throughout the enlightening 1973 novel, ‘Sula’, by Toni Morrison. As an important motif, sacrifice can be a difficult concept for many people to do themselves and as shown in this novel, the audience is shown how the act of sacrifice has both good and bad consequences. How the act of sacrifice can be done through love and have a positive outcome, but more often than not and most common in ‘Sula’ there are either personal ramifications regarding sacrifice, or outcomesRead MoreSula by Toni Morrison1529 Words   |  7 PagesSula by Toni Morrison, is a book about a black female and the various events throughout her life. The majority of these events were at the fault of Sula, but because of her past she did not know, or could not understand any better. Sula became the woman that she was because of the peopl e and events that were around her during her childhood. When Sula was a child, she grew up faster than most children because of the things that she saw and heard, so it was almost as if she had a loss of childhoodRead MoreTheme Of Sula By Toni Morrison1195 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Potter 5 September 2017 Paper 1 In Toni Morrison’s novel â€Å"Sula†, identity is a theme that is made evident through the struggles and experiences of certain characters. In chapter 1919, Morrison tells the story of World War II veteran Shadrack, through an omniscient narrator point of view. In doing so, the reader is able to clearly see how Shadrack himself processes what is going on around him, and how his identity is being shaped. Morrison introduces the character as the founder of NationalRead MoreEssay on Sula by Toni Morrison1521 Words   |  7 PagesSula 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 aRead MoreThe Novel Sula By Toni Morrison1398 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel Sula was written by Toni Morrison in 1973. The book was written around the time of many controversies including racism and women’s rights. It tells the story of Sula Peace and how she handles the many situations in her life. She has many trials and tribulations when it comes to her family and also her peers. She has many different types of conversations, which all of them basically end with Sula making them mad or even conf used. The novel talks about the battle between good vs evil. ItRead MoreIdentity, By Toni Morrison s Sula1441 Words   |  6 PagesIdentity is a major theme in Toni Morrison’s Sula. Scholars discuss the different identities that the characters possess, but tend to fail to mention character development or lack of character development. Character development or lack thereof is usually an important literary move in most writing. This development provides a deeper understanding of characters in addition to a deeper understanding of themes throughout the literature. Sula focuses mainly on the lives of Sula and Nel, which makes trackingRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Sula980 Words   |  4 Pageswho find themselves questioning. For there are choices and risks in every relationship. There are good and evil in each and everyone. In this time it is the 1900s set in Medallion, Ohio. Toni Morrison s Sula takes readers on a journey through pillars, betrayals and tragedies surround ing two girls; Nel Wright and Sula Peace. The Bottom originated from a master and a slave. After some arduous tasks, the slave was given a piece of land on top of the hills. This is where the black community settle onRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Sula 1631 Words   |  7 PagesFor Sula Peace and Nel Wright, in Sula, defining oneself in a pool of racism and varying moral standards is by no means challenging. Through a vivid and consistent emphasis of color and physical appearance, author Toni Morrison effectively outlines Sula and Nel’s attempts to comprehend and create their personal identities separate from the own mothers’ influences. Based on their situations, it appears that anyone can easily alter their character and self to fit their desires. However, Morrison ultimatelyRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Sula 1906 Words   |  8 PagesSula is written by Noble Prize winner in Literature, Toni Morrison. Morrison’s novels are known for their epic themes, dramatic dialogue, and opulently detailed characters. This novel contains originality and overflows with problematic situations that take place during the time after World War I. Sula opens up in a town called Bottom, which is mostly occupied by African Americans. This town is positioned, in the hills above the mostly white, wealthier community of Medallion, Ohio. This town hasRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Sula1655 Words   |  7 Pagesthe two girls share as a result of their juvenescence--or does it? In Toni Morrison s Sula, this scene, among others, appears at first to be both irrelevant to the novel’s underlying theme and out of place with regard to the rest of the plot. Yet, when analyzed further, the literary devices that Morrison uses in these scenes bring readers to a vastly different conclusion. These scenes serve as windows into the mind of Morrison and even into the larger themes present in the text. So, perhaps two girls