Introduction
Toni Morrison's "Sula" is a powerful exploration of friendship, identity, and the complexities of African American life in the early 20th century. Set in a small Ohio town called Medallion, the novel follows the lives of two women, Sula Peace and Nel Wright, from their childhood friendship to their diverging paths as adults. Through their story, Morrison delves into themes of love, betrayal, community, and the search for self in a world shaped by racism and societal expectations.
The Bottom: A Community in Transition
The story begins in the Bottom, an African American neighborhood perched above the town of Medallion. The community is undergoing a significant transformation, with old buildings being torn down to make way for a golf course that will primarily serve the white residents of Medallion. This change sets the stage for the novel's exploration of identity and loss.
The Bottom itself has a history rooted in racism. Its name comes from a deceptive promise made by a white farmer to his black slave: if the slave worked hard, he would be given fertile "bottom land" in the valley. Instead, the slave received a plot in the hills, a challenging area to farm. This backstory introduces the theme of deception and the complex relationship between appearance and reality that runs throughout the novel.
Helene Wright and Nel's Journey
We are introduced to Helene Wright, a respectable woman who was married off at 16 to Wiley Wright. After nine years of marriage, Helene gives birth to a daughter, Nel. In 1920, Helene receives news that her grandmother is gravely ill, prompting her to take a train journey to New Orleans with Nel.
During this journey, Nel experiences firsthand the harsh reality of racial prejudice in the segregated South. A white conductor rudely questions their presence in a whites-only carriage, and Helene's attempt to appease him deeply affects Nel. This incident serves as a pivotal moment in Nel's young life, etching into her mind the lived reality of institutional racism.
Upon arriving in New Orleans, they discover that Helene's grandmother has already passed away. Nel meets her own grandmother, Rochelle, for the first time. Rochelle's bright yellow dress and intense perfume strike Nel as vastly different from her mother, introducing the idea of contrasting identities within families.
The Birth of a Friendship
After returning to the Bottom, Nel meets Sula Peace, a girl with a striking birthmark over one of her eyes. Despite never having met before, both girls feel as if they've known each other from dreams. This instant connection marks the beginning of a deep and complex friendship that will shape both their lives.
The contrast between Nel and Sula is immediately apparent. Nel comes from a structured, traditional household, while Sula's upbringing is more chaotic and unconventional. This difference in their backgrounds sets the stage for the diverging paths they will take in life, while also highlighting the strength of their bond despite their differences.
Eva Peace: A Pillar of the Community
The narrative then introduces us to Sula's grandmother, Eva Peace, a formidable figure in the Bottom. Eva's story is one of sacrifice and resilience. After her husband BoyBoy abandoned her, she made the difficult decision to leave her three children with a neighbor to ensure their survival. When she returned 18 months later, she had only one leg, sparking rumors that she had sacrificed it for insurance money.
Eva's house becomes a haven for those in need, cementing her position as a central figure in the community. Her strength and willingness to help others, even at great personal cost, make her a complex and compelling character.
Hannah and Plum: Eva's Children
Eva's children, Hannah and Plum, represent different aspects of independence and dependence. Hannah asserts her independence through short-lived romantic affairs with various men in the Bottom. Her approach to relationships challenges societal norms and introduces themes of sexual autonomy that will be further explored through Sula's character.
Plum's story, on the other hand, is one of tragic dependence. After returning from war, he becomes addicted to heroin, transforming from a vibrant young man into a shell of his former self. Eva, in an act that blurs the line between love and cruelty, decides to end his suffering by setting his room on fire. This shocking act of euthanasia leaves deep scars on the family and the community, raising questions about the nature of love and the lengths one might go to protect those they care about.
Sula and Nel: A Friendship Tested
As Sula and Nel's friendship deepens, they spend their days roaming the woods of the Bottom, sharing dreams and fears. Their bond seems unbreakable until a tragic incident occurs. While playing near a river with a young boy named Chicken Little, Sula accidentally loses her grip while swinging him around, causing him to fall into the river and drown.
The girls decide to keep the incident a secret, but it casts a long shadow over their friendship. Their reactions to the tragedy reveal fundamental differences in their characters. Nel feels guilty, while Sula exhibits more complex emotions, seeming to detach herself from the incident. This moment foreshadows the diverging paths their lives will take and the different ways they will cope with life's challenges.
A Community in Crisis
The Bottom is struck by a sweltering heatwave, which leads to another tragedy. Hannah, Sula's mother, accidentally sets herself on fire while cooking in the yard. Eva, witnessing the event, tries to save her daughter by jumping out of a window but falls short and injures herself. The community's attempts to help only worsen the situation, creating steam that further injures Hannah.
Sula's reaction to her mother's death is pivotal. Her silent observation while others try to help cements her reputation as an outsider in the community. This event, coupled with her growing skepticism about marriage and traditional gender roles, leads Sula to make the decision to leave the Bottom.
Sula's Departure and Return
Sula's journey takes her to Nashville, where she attends university and is exposed to new ideas and lifestyles that contrast sharply with those of the Bottom. Her embrace of sexual autonomy and rejection of traditional values sets her on a collision course with her hometown community.
Ten years later, in 1937, Sula returns to the Bottom a changed woman. Her homecoming coincides with a "plague of robins," which the superstitious townspeople attribute to her arrival. The community is horrified to learn that she has slept with white men, an act considered unthinkable by many. Random accidents in the town are blamed on Sula, further solidifying her position as an outsider and scapegoat.
Friendship Rekindled and Betrayed
Initially, it seems that Sula's friendship with Nel has withstood the test of time. They reminisce about their shared past and express hope for the future. However, their renewed connection is short-lived.
One night, Nel's husband Jude returns home frustrated about his job. Sula's playful teasing irritates him, but her free-spirited response draws him in, offering an escape from his constrained life. Sula and Jude begin an affair, which Nel soon discovers. The betrayal shatters Nel, especially when Jude abandons her and their children.
This event marks a turning point in Sula and Nel's relationship, highlighting the tension between individual desires and societal expectations. Sula's actions, while devastating to Nel, can be seen as an assertion of her independence and refusal to be confined by conventional notions of loyalty and morality.
Sula and Eva: A Power Struggle
Sula's return also leads to conflict with her grandmother, Eva. Tensions escalate when Sula accuses Eva of murdering Plum, and Eva retaliates by accusing Sula of passive complicity in Hannah's death. In a shocking turn of events, Sula assumes guardianship over Eva and has her committed to a nursing home.
This act sends shockwaves through the community and raises questions about power, control, and the nature of care. Sula's decision can be seen as both an act of liberation from her grandmother's expectations and an assertion of control over Eva's fate. It highlights the complex dynamics of intergenerational relationships and the sometimes blurry line between care and dominance.
Sula's Quest for Connection
In the years following her return, Sula engages in numerous fleeting affairs, seeking physical connection as a way to escape her isolation. When she meets Ajax, however, something changes. Unlike her other lovers, Ajax is intrigued by Sula's unpredictability, and they begin a passionate relationship.
For the first time in her life, Sula experiences a desire for monogamy and domesticity. This unexpected shift in her desires reveals a vulnerability in Sula's character that we haven't seen before. However, Ajax senses this change and abandons the relationship, leaving Sula devastated.
This experience underscores the tragic irony of Sula's life: her quest for freedom and independence often leads to deeper isolation. It also raises questions about the nature of love and connection in a world that values conformity over individuality.
Sula's Illness and Final Conversation with Nel
As Sula falls seriously ill, Nel, sensing that the end may be near, decides to visit her former best friend. Their final conversation is a poignant exploration of morality, obligation, and the choices they've made in life.
Nel finally asks the question that has been haunting her for years: why did Sula betray her by sleeping with Jude? Sula's response challenges Nel's beliefs about loyalty and the role of Black women in society. She rejects the idea that Black women can't afford to be alone or independent, asserting her right to live life on her own terms.
When pressed further, Sula admits that she slept with Jude simply to fill a void in her psyche. She had no desire to betray Nel and no love for Jude – it was merely "something to do." This revelation shakes Nel to her core, forcing her to question the moral judgments she's held onto for years.
As Nel prepares to leave, Sula, now delirious with fever, asks a haunting question: "How do you know that I wasn't the good one?" This question lingers in the air as Nel exits, leaving their once-strong friendship unresolved.
Sula's Death and Legacy
In her final moments, Sula reflects on her life, wondering if all her experiences were simply "something to do." As she feels her heart stop and her breath leave her body, she is not filled with regret. Instead, she thinks of Nel and smiles, eager to tell her former friend that death, like life, is just another experience – another "something to do."
Sula's death is met with relief by most of the Bottom's inhabitants, who view her passing as the end of a troublesome presence. Her funeral is sparsely attended, but it prompts Nel to contemplate her own life choices and values. Nel begins to question whether she should continue living within the confines of societal norms, suggesting that Sula's influence continues even after her death.
The Bottom's Transformation
In the years following Sula's death, the Bottom undergoes significant changes. A long-discussed tunnel project finally begins construction, signaling potential economic opportunities for the community. However, this progress also raises questions about how it will impact the traditional way of life in the Bottom.
The transformation of the Bottom serves as a metaphor for the broader themes of change and progress explored throughout the novel. It highlights the tension between preserving community identity and embracing new opportunities, a struggle that mirrors the personal journeys of Sula and Nel.
Themes and Analysis
Identity and Autonomy
One of the central themes of "Sula" is the search for identity and personal autonomy in a world that often demands conformity. This is most clearly embodied in Sula's character, who consistently challenges societal norms and expectations. Her journey is not just a physical one from the Bottom to Nashville and back, but an exploration of selfhood beyond the ideological boundaries of her upbringing.
Sula's refusal to conform comes at a high cost – she is ostracized by her community and experiences deep isolation. However, Morrison doesn't portray Sula as a villain. Instead, she's presented as a complex figure struggling to define herself in a world that seems to demand uniformity.
Nel's journey, while less dramatic, also explores questions of identity. Her encounter with racism on the train journey to New Orleans and her later questioning of her life choices after Sula's death show her grappling with her place in society and her own sense of self.
The Nature of Friendship
The friendship between Sula and Nel forms the emotional core of the novel. Their bond, forged in childhood, is tested by tragedy, separation, and betrayal. Morrison uses their relationship to explore the complexities of female friendship and the ways in which societal expectations can strain even the closest bonds.
The incident with Chicken Little serves as a turning point in their friendship. Their different reactions to the tragedy – Nel's guilt and Sula's detachment – foreshadow the diverging paths their lives will take. Yet even as their lives move in different directions, there remains a connection between them that persists until Sula's death.
The betrayal involving Jude further complicates their relationship. Sula's affair with Nel's husband can be seen as both a betrayal of their friendship and an assertion of Sula's independence. It raises questions about the nature of loyalty and the conflict between individual desires and social obligations.
Love and Sacrifice
Morrison presents a complex and often painful view of love throughout the novel. This is perhaps most starkly illustrated in Eva's decision to end Plum's life. Her act, born out of a mother's love and a desire to end her son's suffering, challenges traditional notions of love as purely benevolent. Instead, Morrison shows love as a force capable of both selflessness and destruction.
Sula's relationships with men, particularly her affair with Ajax, also explore different facets of love. Her desire for monogamy and domesticity with Ajax reveals a vulnerability in her character and suggests that even the most fiercely independent individuals may long for connection and stability.
Community and Individuality
The tension between community expectations and individual desires is a recurring theme in "Sula." The Bottom itself serves as a microcosm of African American community life, with its own norms, superstitions, and judgments. Sula's rejection of these norms makes her an outcast, highlighting the often high cost of individuality in a close-knit community.
Morrison doesn't present a simple dichotomy between community and individuality, however. While Sula's independence comes at the cost of isolation, Nel's adherence to community norms doesn't necessarily bring her happiness. The novel suggests that true fulfillment might lie in finding a balance between individual expression and community belonging.
Racism and Its Impact
While not always at the forefront of the narrative, the impact of racism is a constant undercurrent in "Sula." From the origin story of the Bottom to Nel's experience on the train to New Orleans, Morrison shows how systemic racism shapes the lives and opportunities of her characters.
The planned destruction of the Bottom to make way for a golf course at the beginning of the novel serves as a powerful metaphor for the displacement and erasure of Black communities. It underscores the precarious position of African Americans in a society that often views them as expendable.
The Ambiguity of Morality
Throughout "Sula," Morrison challenges simplistic notions of good and evil. Sula, despite being viewed as a pariah by her community, is not presented as a villain. Her actions, while often harmful to others, stem from a desire for self-realization and a rejection of societal constraints.
Similarly, characters like Eva, who are respected within the community, make morally ambiguous choices. Eva's decision to end Plum's life and Sula's decision to institutionalize Eva both blur the lines between care and control, love and dominance.
This moral ambiguity is perhaps best encapsulated in Sula's final question to Nel: "How do you know that I wasn't the good one?" It forces both Nel and the reader to reconsider their judgments and to recognize the complexity of human nature.
Conclusion
Toni Morrison's "Sula" is a rich and complex exploration of friendship, identity, and community in the face of societal constraints and historical injustices. Through the intertwined stories of Sula and Nel, Morrison challenges readers to reconsider their notions of morality, loyalty, and personal freedom.
The novel doesn't offer easy answers to the questions it raises. Instead, it presents a nuanced view of human relationships and the search for self in a world that often demands conformity. It shows how the quest for personal autonomy can lead to isolation, but also how adherence to societal norms can stifle individual growth and happiness.
Ultimately, "Sula" is a powerful testament to the complexities of the African American experience in the early 20th century. It's a story about the bonds that tie us together and the forces that pull us apart, about the weight of history and the possibility of change. Through its vivid characters and richly drawn setting, it offers a profound meditation on what it means to be true to oneself in a world that often demands otherwise.
As we close the book on Sula and Nel's story, we're left with lingering questions about our own lives and choices. How do we balance our individual desires with our obligations to others? What is the true nature of friendship and love? And how do we find our authentic selves in a world that often seeks to define us?
These are questions that Morrison doesn't answer definitively, but rather invites us to ponder long after we've turned the final page. In doing so, she ensures that the story of Sula, Nel, and the Bottom continues to resonate, challenging us to look deeper into ourselves and the communities we inhabit.