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Sula the Name of Sula\'s

Last reviewed: February 21, 2012 ~3 min read

Sula

The name of Sula's mother is Hannah.

Sula lives in the Bottom, an area that a master gave to his former slave because it was hilly and thought to be unresourceful.

Shadrack was severely traumatized consequent to experiencing the First World War's suffering and devised a ritual called the National Suicide Day with the purpose of channeling his fears.

The three adopted boys living in Sula's house are all named Dewey because Eva wants them all to assume the same personality.

Sula accidentaly throws Chicken Little, a neighbor of hers, into the water as she tries to swing him by the hands. Nel contributes to this crime by not telling anyone about it.

Ralph Peace, Sula's uncle, develops mental instability as a result of his participation in WWI and because of his heroin addiction. This influences Eva in burning him alive with kerosen.

Sula's return home is accompanied by a plague of robins ravishing the neighborhood.

Eva's leg is lost in a self-mutilation act that she commits with the purpose of getting insurance money.

Nel marries Jude, a waiter working at the Hotel Medallion.

Nel's marriage is destroyed by Sula, who has an affair with Jude.

It is very probable that Sula leaves town because she knows that her relationship with Nel is going to suffer as a result of the marriage.

Shadrack lives at the edge of Bottom.

Sula puts Eva in a nursing home.

Sula's birthmark is interpreted differently by characters in the book, as it is seen as a rose, a snake, and as Hannah's ashes.

Eva's job is to care for her household.

Eva accuses Sula in regard to her reluctance to intervene when Hannah was burning.

Sula's boyfriend is named Albert Jacks (Ajax).

Sula and Nel developed a relationship based on understanding, considering that the environment that they were living in was particularly hostile to them as they grew up.

Morrison most probably wants to emphasize that Sula is stronger than Nel because she is in control of her life.

The end of the book presents readers with Nel's acknowledgement that she enjoyed seeing Chicken Little's death.

Morrison's Sula is meant to induce a state of rebellion in readers as they are influenced in believing that it is wrong for them to act in accordance with society's laws, considering that the system is apparently flawed. The inhabitants of Bottom are barely able to sustain themselves in the beginning but gradually come to be more and more efficient in improving conditions in the area. In spite of his eccentric nature, Shadrack is one of the most influential individuals in the town.

Nel and Sula are the products of Bottom's environment but they struggle to be different from the rest of people. Even with this, Sula is the only one who actually manages to detach herself from the town's people and follow her dreams. One of the most important points in the novel is the moment when Sula throws Chicken Little into the water. This event severely shapes the characters of both Sula and Nel.

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PaperDue. (2012). Sula the Name of Sula\'s. PaperDue. https://www.paperdue.com/essay/sula-the-name-of-sula-54415

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