Sula
Summary
Sula, published in 1973, is a powerful and provocative novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. Set in a small Ohio town, it explores the complex friendship between two Black women, Nel Wright and Sula Peace, spanning several decades. The book delves into themes of identity, community, and the challenges faced by African American women in the early 20th century.
Morrison's lyrical prose and innovative narrative structure have earned Sula widespread critical acclaim. The novel's examination of female relationships and societal expectations has made it a cornerstone of African American and feminist literature. Its exploration of moral ambiguity and the nature of good and evil continues to resonate with readers.
Plot
Set in the small town of Medallion, Ohio, Sula follows the lives of two African American women, Nel Wright and Sula Peace, who form an intense friendship as children. Growing up in the tight-knit Black community known as the Bottom, Nel comes from a conventional family, while Sula's household is seen as eccentric and unconventional. Their bond is cemented by a shared traumatic event—the accidental drowning of a young boy named Chicken Little, which they keep secret.
As the girls grow into women, their paths diverge. Nel chooses a traditional life, marrying and starting a family in Medallion. Sula, however, leaves town for 10 years to attend college and live independently. When she returns, her free-spirited ways and affairs with married men scandalize the community. The town's reaction to Sula paradoxically brings people closer together, as they unite in their disapproval of her behavior.
The childhood friends briefly reconcile, but their relationship is shattered when Sula has an affair with Nel's husband, Jude. This betrayal ends their friendship, and Sula becomes increasingly isolated from the community. She dies alone in 1940, with only the town outcast Shadrack mourning her passing. After Sula's death, the harmony that had existed in the Bottom begins to dissolve.
Years later, in 1965, Nel visits Sula's grandmother Eva in a nursing home. Eva reveals that she knew about Chicken Little's death, forcing Nel to confront her own role in the tragedy. The novel concludes with Nel visiting Sula's grave, finally realizing that it was the loss of her friend, not her husband, that had left such a void in her life. She grieves for the years of friendship lost between them.
Themes
• Friendship and betrayal
• Good versus evil
• Race and community
• Gender roles and expectations
• Motherhood and family dynamics
• Identity and self-discovery
• The impact of the past on the present
Setting
Set primarily in the mid-20th century, Sula takes place in a small Black community known as “the Bottom” in the fictional town of Medallion, Ohio. The Bottom originated as a cruel joke played by a white farmer on his slave, convincing him that the hilly, less desirable land was actually prime real estate closer to heaven. This setting serves as a microcosm of African American life and the challenges faced by Black communities in the United States during this era.
The story spans several decades, beginning in 1919 with the return of World War I veteran Shadrack, and continuing through the 1960s. Morrison vividly depicts the social and economic changes that occur in the Bottom over this period, including the impact of the Great Depression, World War II, and the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement. The insular nature of the community plays a crucial role in shaping the characters' lives and relationships.
While much of the action takes place within the confines of the Bottom, the novel also touches on the broader world. Sula's decade-long absence from Medallion, during which she attends college and travels to various cities, provides a contrast to the more limited experiences of her friend Nel and others who remained in the Bottom. This juxtaposition highlights the tension between the desire for personal growth and the pull of community ties, a central theme in Morrison's exploration of African American identity and belonging.
Characters
• Sula Peace: The novel's protagonist. A fiercely independent and unconventional woman who defies social norms. Sula leaves her hometown for 10 years before returning, causing disruption in the community. Her actions are often seen as selfish and immoral by others, but she remains unapologetic about her choices. Sula's complex relationship with her best friend Nel forms the core of the story.
• Nel Wright: Sula's childhood best friend and foil. Nel chooses a traditional path of marriage and motherhood, in contrast to Sula's unconventional lifestyle. She struggles with her own desires and societal expectations throughout the novel. Nel's friendship with Sula is tested when Sula has an affair with Nel's husband.
• Eva Peace: Sula's grandmother, a formidable one-legged woman who runs a boarding house. Eva is known for her strength and controversial decisions, including allegedly sacrificing her leg for insurance money and setting her drug-addicted son on fire. Her complex relationships with her children and grandchildren shape much of the family's dynamics.
• Hannah Peace: Sula's mother and Eva's daughter. Hannah is known for her promiscuity and casual approach to sex. She dies tragically in a fire, an event that profoundly affects Sula.
• Shadrack: A World War I veteran suffering from PTSD who returns to Medallion. He establishes National Suicide Day and becomes an eccentric fixture in the community. Shadrack develops a unique connection with Sula.
• Helene Wright: Nel's mother, a strict and conventional woman. She tries to instill traditional values in Nel and disapproves of the Peace family.
• Jude Greene: Nel's husband who later has an affair with Sula. His actions contribute to the breakdown of Nel and Sula's friendship.
• Ajax (Albert Jacks): One of Sula's lovers who stands out from her other affairs. He is an unconventional man who shares some of Sula's free-spirited nature.
• Plum Peace: Eva's son and Sula's uncle. A war veteran who becomes addicted to heroin, leading to a tragic confrontation with his mother.
• Chicken Little: A young boy whose accidental death at the hands of Sula and Nel becomes a pivotal moment in their childhood.
Quick facts
• Sula was Toni Morrison's second novel, published in 1973 after her debut The Bluest Eye.
• The novel is set in a fictional town called Medallion, Ohio, in a neighborhood known as “the Bottom."
• Morrison wrote Sula while working as an editor at Random House and raising two young sons as a single mother.
• The character of Sula Peace was partly inspired by a childhood friend of Morrison who died young.
• Sula spans several decades, from 1919 to 1965, chronicling the lives of its characters.
• A key theme in the novel is the complex friendship between the two main characters, Sula and Nel.
• Sula was nominated for the National Book Award in 1975.
• The novel explores unconventional ideas about motherhood, sexuality, and community.
• Morrison's use of non-linear narrative and shifting perspectives was considered innovative for its time.
• In 2022, HBO announced plans to adapt Sula into a limited television series, with Shannon M. Houston attached as creator and writer.
About the author
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison (1931-2019) was one of the most influential and celebrated American authors of the 20th century. Born Chloe Ardelia Wofford in Lorain, Ohio, Morrison rose to prominence as a novelist, essayist, and professor who gave voice to the African American experience. Her lyrical prose and unflinching exploration of racism, identity, and history earned her numerous accolades, including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, distinguishing her as the first African American woman to receive this honor.
Morrison's novels, including The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, and her Pulitzer Prize-winning work Beloved, are renowned for their vivid portrayals of Black life in America. Her writing style blended elements of magical realism with searing social commentary, creating narratives that were both poetic and politically charged. As an editor at Random House, Morrison also played a crucial role in bringing other Black voices to the forefront of American literature.
Beyond her literary achievements, Morrison was a powerful voice in American cultural and political discourse. She taught at Princeton University for nearly two decades and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2012. Morrison passed at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy that continues to resonate. Her work remains essential reading in schools and universities across the country, and her impact on American literature and culture is immeasurable. As both an artist and an activist, Toni Morrison challenged readers to confront uncomfortable truths about America's past and present, while also celebrating the resilience and beauty of the Black experience.