Death In Sula Death Theme

960 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Theme of life and death in literature

Aaliyah Hutton
Professor Rudy
Introduction to Literature
April 30, 2017
Word Count:960
Death by Fire and Water
Death is something that is hard to deal with. Death takes a toll on a person’s mind, body, and soul. The many characters in the novel have some connection with death one way or another. In Sula by Toni Morrison, the theme of death is present throughout the book. Death is presented in either fire or water.
The theme of death is something that is talked about from the prologue and so on throughout the book. The audience can say that the theme of death starts with Shadrack creating the holiday of National Suicide Day. And him walking around the town with a “hangman’s rope” (Gyetvai 10) and a cowbell that he would ring on January 3rd …show more content…

It all starts from when she came back to the Bottom after leaving for ten years. Sula went to talk to Eva after all these years about Plum and Hannah’s death. Sula knew everything about how Plum died even though she wasn’t even there for it. Sula threatens Eva by saying, “maybe I’ll just tip-on up here with some kerosene and-who knows-you may make the brightest flame of them all.” Then Sula went over to visit her best friend at the time Nel. While visiting, Sula asks for a drink with lots of ice because she was “burning up.” This is a way of Sula foreshadowing her death because she dies from a fever that was soon described as “kind of burning” (148). However, before Sula dies, it is said that she awakes from a dream, where she is “gagging and overwhelmed with the smell of smoke” (Morrison 148). Whereas there is nothing on fire in her house but when she dies she says that she was experiencing “liquid pain” (148).
In conclusion, the novel Sula by Toni Morrison, death comes in two forms; fire and water. However, traditionally death by fire is a masculine element but the women in Sula died by fire or something like fire. Whereas the men in the novel died by water which is a feminine element. So, this book speaks about the tradition of women being the stay at home wife/mother and they take care of things around the house even though they have a masculine death. Whereas for the men who are the head of the household and do all the work for the family they are sought a female way of

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Two Thoughts Of Death By Countee Cullen

    444 Words  | 1 Pages

    Death is pictured at the beginning of the poem as a pretty women. Suddenly the picture changes and the narrator explains seeing death coming for him from out far, moving like the wind and cutting down the flowers in her path. Somehow the picture of the grim reaper appears, death is clearly the main topic

    Read More

  • Close Reading of the Two Holes Passage of Toni Morrison's Sula

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    Toni Morrison’s novel Sula is rich with paradox and contradiction from the name of a community on top of a hill called "Bottom" to a family full of discord named "Peace." There are no clear distinctions in the novel, and this is most apparent in the meaning of the relationship between the two main characters, Sula and Nel. Although they are characterized differently, they also have many similarities. Literary critics have interpreted the girls in several different ways: as lesbians (Smith 8), as the two halves of a single person (Coleman 145), and as representations of the dichotomy between good and evil (Bergenholtz 4 of 9). The ambiguity of these two characters allows for infinite speculation, but regardless of how the reader interprets the relationship their bond is undeniable. The most striking example of their connection occurs right before the accidental death of Chicken Little. In the passage preceding his death, Nel and Sula conduct an almost ceremonial commitment to one another that is sealed permanently when "the water darkened and closed quickly over the place where Chicken Little sank" (Morrison 61):

    Read More

  • Defying Social Norms In Toni Morrison's Sula

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    As she discussed in her TED Talk “The Danger of Hiding Who You Are,” she hid for a while so she did not have to face discrimination based on her sexual orientation. As Kayla said “Sula was comfortable with being different. Morgana was first afraid to be different because society is homogeneous.” What makes Bailey different from Sula is that Sula was content with her nonconformity, ever since she was young. When being harassed by a few boys Sula showed them her courageousness by cutting her own finger (54). Especially in the early 1900s, women are expected to be submissive and polite. Sula is more worried about her and Nel’s safety than these

    Read More

  • Toni Morrison's Sula - The Fire Within Sula

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sula by Toni Morrison is a compelling novel about a unique, self-confident woman.  As in many other books, each secondary character in the story serves as a vehicle to explain the main character.  Hannah, Sula's mother, is dominated by the element of air; she is free spirited, frivolous and child-like.  On the other hand, the element of fire is prevalent in Sula, who is impulsive, hot-tempered and passionate.  Despite the differences between the two, Hannah's lifestyle intrigues and influences her daughter.  The effect Hannah has on Sula is reflected in many of her daughter's perspectives and actions.  As a result of the ubiquitous presence of fire within her, in contrast to her mother's blithe spirit, Sula carries all of Hannah's immorality and actions to a more extreme level.  Both women have promiscuous tendencies, do not have close friendships with women, and become easily irritated by Eva.  The difference is that Sula's fiery character leads her to act more cruelly than her mother.

    Read More

  • The Bottom Toni Morrison Analysis

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    Morrison uses multiple literary techniques such as this in order to vividly describes the emotions of the characters in the book, to appeal to the readers and to expose them to the harsh truth of effects of social and political issues of the time.the description of the war which Shadrak spent and its effect on him shows in part the psychological ties political and social issues contain. Morrison also represents the struggle people face by putting characters in inevitable and difficult situation in order to test their tolerance. People of the bottom blame sula for the things that happen before she left the town but when she leaves they realize that their problems seems to only get worse and when she returns the problems lessen only to start up again after her death. The reason for this is because the society has for so long used the free spirited woman as an escape goat it prevented them from realizing their real problem which only returned when they had no one to blame for it. Morrison is also known to use Human nature as starting bases for her books. In sula she uses Love, friendship, trust and evil within her work. Although there wasn’t a set definition of love in sula, she uses love by describing multiple ways that different mothers love or care for her children and love between friends such as Sula and Nel. Sula and Nel have such a great bond and relationship that even after Sula cheats with Nel's husband, Nel still found it in her heart to forgive sula for what she has done. Nel realize what was the strongest bond that she had during her life was sula the one person whom she could find flaws in to make herself seem better. Cruelty and evil seen throughout this novel where trusts were broken people were mistreated. It is truly shown when a white man finds a dead black boys body in the river and treats it as if

    Read More

  • Community and Survival in Sula

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sula by Toni Morrison is a very complex novel with many underlying themes. Some of the themes that exist are good and evil, friendship and love, survival and community, and death. In Marie Nigro's article, "In Search of Self: Frustration and Denial in Toni Morrison's Sula" Nigro deals with the themes of survival and community. According to Nigro, "Sula celebrates many lives: It is the story of the friendship of two African-American women; it is the story of growing up black and female; but most of all, it is the story of a community" (1). Sula contains so many important themes that it is hard to say which one is the most important. I agree with Marie Nigro when she says that Sula is a story about community. I believe that community and how the community of Bottom survives is an important theme of the story. But I do not believe that it is a central theme of the story. When I think back on the novel Sula in twenty years, I will remember the relationship and friendship between Nel and Sula. I will not remember the dynamics of the community.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Motherhood In Sula

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    Through the negative experiences that she has had with motherhood, Sula does not want to become a mother. She sees Hannah’s sadness and frustration with Eva and recognizes her poor relationship with Hannah and does not want to repeat it. Sula’s insufficient relationship with her mother is exposed when Sula watched her mother burn and die. Sula does not attempt to help her mother, she only stands silently and watches her mother die. Eva notices this but, “remained convinced that Sula had watched Hannah burn not because she was paralyzed, but because she was interested” (78). This shows her lack of care for motherhood. She does not have kids and dies without having any. But during her life, she ends up in a similar situation as her mother She focuses only on men and people begin to hate her for this. She begins to take friends’ and neighbors’ husbands the same way Hannah did. Sula even turned on her only friend, Nel, and took her husband too. She is the reason that Nel’s husband left her. Sula adopted the same principles as her mother, and Hannah was shaped by Eva.

    Read More

  • essay 1

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme death has always played a crucial role in literature. Death surrounds us and our everyday life, something that we must adapt and accept. Whether it's on television or newspaper, you'll probably hear about the death of an individual or even a group. Most people have their own ideas and attitude towards it, but many consider this to be a tragic event due to many reasons. For those who suffered greatly from despair, living their life miserably and hopelessly, it could actually be a relief to them. Death affects not only you, but also those around you, while some people may stay unaffected depending on how they perceive it.

    Read More

  • Writing Techniques in Sula by Toni Morrison

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many aspects of story that come together to create a complete narrative. A lot of the tools used by writers are intentional and serve the purpose of driving home certain aspects of the story or creating and engaging, and entertaining narrative. Toni Morrison—the author of Sula—is no different. Morrison employs many writing techniques and tools in her narrative Sula. It is important for the reader to be aware of and understand some of these narrative tools that the author uses because it allows the reader to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the narrative. In Sula a few narrative techniques that allow for the argument of women experiences to shine through are the use of a third person narrator, and gaps; throughout the story these tools allow the reader to become interested in and focus in on women experiences.

    Read More

  • Racism and Sexism in Toni Morrison's Sula

    1607 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sula has a feminist spirit and refuses to melt into the typical mold of a woman. She "discovered years before that [she was] neither white nor male, and that all freedom and triumph was forbidden to [her]" (52). Because of this she decides to lead her life on her own terms. Sula encounters both racism and sexism and is placed in a situation in which she has no release for her wild spirit. She cannot live out in the world with the freedoms of a man, but doesn't want to live as a stereotypically sheltered woman either. In attempting to break these boundaries she is hated by the town and viewed as an "evil" person by the community in which she lives.

    Read More

  • Toni Morrison's Sula Quotes

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    Her friend Nel has been married and has had children, just as she is expected to do. Sula quickly decides to live a life where she is unconcerned about these expectations. Living in a racist world and a sexist community, she defends herself by living on the edge. She refuses to settle for the traditional lifestyle, resulting in the women of the Bottom to despise her. After having an affair with Jude, Sula feels no remorse or guilt for actions. In the novel it says, “She had no thought at all of causing Nel pain when she bedded down with Jude. They had always shared the affection of other people...Marriage apparently, had changed all that... “ (119). Shown through this quote, Sula becomes puzzled about Nel’s feeling of betrayal. Throughout their entire lives Sula and Nel share everything, including boyfriends. Sula’s deepest affection is for her best friend and assumes that their friendship will trump everything. When this is not the case, she becomes saddened and confused. The Bottom's community despises Sula because she has an independence that contrasts the community's own small-mindedness. In the novel it says “She was a pariah, then, and knew it” (Morrison 122). Sula accepted the fact that she was an outsider and embraced it wholeheartedly. Even Sula’s birthmark is perceived differently by several characters. Ultimately, the birthmark is represented as a rose. This rose is a

    Read More

  • Toni Morrison's Sula - Female Struggle for Identity

    2167 Words  | 5 Pages

    First there is the presence of the old stereotypical woman character, a woman split between the conventional and nontraditional roles of women.  No differences are apparent initially between Morrison's Sula and any other women's literature in the past.  Women are depicted either as docile servants to men, like Nel, or ball-busting feminist monsters like Sula.  The hidden aspect of the novel lies underneath these stereotypical surface roles, in the incomprehensible and almost inappropriate bond of the two women.  In the final scene of Sula, Nel comes to the realization that the emptiness inside her is due to the loss of Sula, not Jude (Morrison 174).  Her friendship with Sula is all that matters.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Good Vs. Evil In Toni Morrison's Sula

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Toni Morrison’s novel Sula, the theme of the story is good versus evil. It’s embodied into the story in various forms to question what defines right and wrong. Good versus evil is presented in forms that are understood on the surface and beneath the surface which gives it multiple meanings. The relationship between Sula and Nel is the main expression of this theme, however, there are also many other contributors such as color schemes, gender and race differences, and life and death. This theme sheds light on the significance and interpretation of issues of everyday reality which includes controversies related to identity struggles, super natural forces, the impact and relevance of upbringing on development, family structure, and racism. Morrison demonstrates the importance of good versus evil with her writing in the way that she overlaps them and interprets them as products of one another. The friendship of Sula and Nel creates a presence of good and evil within their relationship to each other and their community.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Sula And The Bluest Eye

    1874 Words  | 4 Pages

    These literary structures appear in both Sula and The Bluest Eye. Sula tells the story of two girls, Sula and Nel, who grew up together as childhood friends. As the girls grow up it is revealed that they are polar opposites. Multiple characters go through the same type of experiences, death and love, and react in unique ways. In the Bluest Eye a young girl, Pecola, is outcasted by society and abused by her parents. Pecola eventually gets raped by her father which causes her to become pregnant. This forces the young girl grow up and face adulthood at a young age. After a close analysis of Toni Morrison’s Sula and The Bluest Eye, it is evident that Morrison utilizes techniques such as collective voice and African American literary traditions, in order to express the inverted interpretations of love by the

    Read More

  • How does art change your perception of a metaphysical concept?

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    Death is a metaphysical concept that is abstract and theoretical in composition, but doesn’t embody a material form. From person to person, there are a vast array of interpretations of what death is and what it means to each individual. There is no single universal understanding of what death is, since it doesn’t embody any physical characteristics. I am the kind of person whose opinions are very easily influenced. Whenever I read a book, listen to a song, watch a movie, or look at artwork containing a strong message, my opinions (mainly metaphysical ones) are greatly impacted.

    Read More

More about Death In Sula Death Theme

Open Document