Sula blog post #3

Hi students,

For this blog post I'd like to ask you to do something a little different. If you want to choose option B (sending me a question) please only do so if your question has to do with the meaning of the work as a whole (themes) of Sula. I think it will work better to have fewer questions and more responses. There are a lot of fantastic questions that you've already generated that I'd like to see more people respond to. So, for this assignment, you can either reply to a question (or two) in Sula blog post (the original) or Sula blog post #2  or send me a question for full credit. Again, only send a question if it is concerned with theme.

Happy reading!

Sula blog post #2

Hello students,

I wanted to give you another spot to put questions or responses, since the last blog entry is full. If you would like to respond to one of the questions on the previous post (please do!) just include the date so I know it's a new post. The original guiding questions are below. Your responses have been illuminating and I look forward to more!

Blog Post: Please contribute to the blog with your thoughts, questions, and ideas. For each assignment, you must do AT LEAST TWO of the following:

A.     Respond to one of the guiding questions (I will post them on the blog for you).

B.      Send me an email with a thoughtful question, so I can post it on the blog.

C.      Build on someone else’s idea or politely disagree, with a thoughtful alternative opinion.

Please be thoughtful, careful, and diplomatic about your comments. I will be checking the blog regularly and will be contributing as well. Each post should be about one body paragraph long. You must complete the blog post by 10 PM on the night before the assignment is due.

Happy reading!

Guiding Questions and ideas to respond to:

• What is the significance of names and naming in the novel?
• Although Sula contains several male characters, the book is, in many ways, a novel that celebrates women.  Sula looms so large in the reader's mind because Morrison strips away the power traditionally given to men.  Examine the deficiencies of two male characters that suggest contrasting strengths in female characters.
• Toni Morrison once said, "I know evil preoccupied me in Sula…"  Examine the nature of evil in Sula, especially as it occurs in the protagonist.  To what extent is Sula evil and how does she manifest this trait?  What are the sources of her evil and what is its ultimate significance in terms of her relationship with the Bottom residents?
• Death is a dominant motif in Sula. The text begins, "There was once a neighborhood," signifying that the community no longer exists (3). Morrison portrays death as an event that purifies, renews, and brings freedom to the deceased and/or their family and friends. Death is also an event that is often witnessed in the text; it is a spectacle that demands attention. Consider how this notion of death subverts more traditional depictions and why Morrison uses this strategy.
• Add your own guiding question or idea here! There are so many to choose from, from motifs to the circular nature of life to Biblical allusions in the book. If you come up with a good question, email it or submit it to me and I will post it on the blog as a potential discussion question.

"The Sun Also Rises": A Review by Reniel Nuqui

"The Sun Also Rises," by Ernest Hemingway, takes place after World War 1 and follows the life of Jake Barnes, a war veteran, and his circle of friends, as they try and continue on with their lives after the harsh cruelties they had experienced during the war. Jake's circle of friends include Lady Brett Ashley, Robert Cohn, Bill Gorton, and Mike Campbell. Most of them live their lives as expatriates, spending a majority of their time drinking and partying. This leads to the opening up of conflicts as they suffer internal struggles throughout the course of the story that were also a result of the war.

The conflicts that are present throughout the book are opened up by the company's interest in Brett. Jake fell in love with Brett during the war and was still in love with her after the war ended. Brett held mutual feelings as well, but because Jake had suffered an injury during World War 1 that rendered him unable to have sexual relations with women, Brett was unwilling to commit to a relationship due to her keen interest in sex. Having said this, Brett had a huge case of promiscuity and had affairs throughout the story along with relations with Robert Cohn, Mike Campbell, and Pedro Romero. Robert Cohn is a close friend to Jake. He is a Jew who falls victim to anti-Semitism but still holds a sense of superiority within himself. Despite his "superiority," he gets sucked into the scandalous acts that engulfs the group's well being. Mike Campbell is a war veteran who is a heavy drinker who was in a relationship with Brett, and who constantly made prejudice and unkind comments to Cohn as a result of Cohn's interest in Brett. Pedro Romero was a promising young bullfighter who was one of the last men to have had relations with Brett. Aware of Romero's bright future, Brett reluctantly left him because she felt that she would have posed as a distraction that would as a result ruin his career. Upon ending this relationship along with the interactions with the other men, the story comes to a close as Brett tells Jake that they could have had a "damned good time together." Jake then responds with, "Isn't it pretty to think so?"

This story revealed many hardships that took place after World War 1. The characters initially held traditional morals and beliefs,but after the war, that way of thinking was abandoned due to the conditions and circumstances that they had been held under. The war was very detrimental to the lives of these characters because they could not find meaning in their lives thereafter. They resorted to excessive drinking and partying to have a fun time, but they were still not satisfied with themselves, and they could not find peace. Hemingway skilfully displayed how World War 1 destroyed the views of society and the harmfulness it posed on the people who fought in the war. It even caused men to suffer in terms of masculinity, the most prominent example in the story being Jake, who cannot even perform sexual activities because of his injury, which was a huge strike to his manhood. All in all, the story was well thought out and the relationships displayed in the story reflected aspects of life involving the generation, masculinity, sex, communication, and ways of relaxation such as drinking and partying. There are so many hardships in life that make it hard to move on, and most of the time, many people feel lost because of this. That was well represented in the book, and I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend this book to others who are interested in stories that took place around wartime, and that enjoy dramatic and scandalous relationships that lead back to the internal struggles that people go through day by day.

"The Sun also Rises": a review by Johann Quan

The novel, "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway is about a group of friends from the Lost Generation of World War I who are trying to recover from the mental and physical wounds the war has left them with. As the story progresses, each character's personality is revealed and their conflicts with each other demonstrate the inner conflicts of their generation.

Jake Barnes, the protagonist and narrator of the story is a World War I veteran who suffered an injury that has rendered him sexually unable. Jake, like his friends, wanders aimlessly in Paris, going from bar to bar, indulging himself in the only sensual pleasure he is capable of. As a narrator, Jake often describes and criticizes the purposeless life of his friends despite his own life being very similar to their's. Jake's insecurity of his physical imperfection and masculinity represents what many members of the Lost Generation also felt. Due to his impotence, Jake is unable to retain a relationship with his lover, Lady Brett Ashley, a very attractive woman who is idolized by many others characters. After a divorce with her husband, Brett constantly goes from relationship to relationship, unwilling to commit to Jake or any of the others. Her presence constantly causes quarrel among the men and her character symbolizes the dangers of liberated women. Brett's search for love mirrors the Lost Generation's search for prewar values and principles. Robert Cohn, one of Brett's many admirers, is Jewish and is also the only nonveteran in their group of friends. This, together with his incompetence and insecurity makes way for his friends to attack and insult Cohn for a weakness that they themselves are subject to. Though he is physically strong from being a boxer, he is emotionally and mentally weak. Cohn's character serves as a foil for the other characters because he represents the traditional prewar values of romance, though he is slowly corrupted by his association with Brett. In attempt to protect his romantic ideals of love, Cohn attacks Mike, Jake, and Romero, breaking  the rule of sportsmanship by fighting outside the arena.

The story begins with Jake's narration about Cohn and his unhappy marriage. Jake works as a journalist and Cohn as an author in Paris but the two are both discontent with the dullness of their lives. They drink excessively as they go from bar to bar. Jake them runs into Brett at a club and Cohn immediately falls for her despite her having a fiancé named Mike. Brett and Jake are lovers, but Brett chose not to stay in a relationship with Jake due to his impotence. Jake's medical situation is not explicitly stated until a conversation he has with a veteran named Bill. Later on, the group of friends decide to visit Pamplona for the bullfighting fiesta. There, they meet a young bullfighter prodigy named Romero who ends up becoming romantically involved with Brett. When Cohn receives news of this, he beats up Romero and later Mike and Jake due to an argument. In the end, Brett breaks up with Romero and Jake goes to pick her up.
I think this classic is a great novel for it's rich symbolism, powerful themes, and unique writing style. For instance, the bullfighter Belmont is a symbol of the Lost Generation. He was a popular and now legendary bullfighter during his time but when he attempts to come out of retirement, he finds himself lost and aimless in the his current time. Belmont is unable to live up to his former reputation and becomes very bitter. Similarly, Jake and his acquaintances don't fit into the current time and find themselves drifting from place to place without any purpose in mind. The same world and society that they served for in World War I has now abandoned them. Another way Hemingway conveys the themes with his simple, short sentences is through other characters. He uses Romero as a foil to contrast with Jake. Hemingway portrays Pedro Romero as genuine and spectacular. He is different from the other characters because he represents a system of values untainted by the war. He works closely with the bulls while other bullfighters only seem to be working closely. Romero’s passion differs greatly from the emptiness of Jake’s generation. Romero's dedication and devotion  to his work gives him a purpose in life that Jake and his friends lack. This novel definitely offers an interesting perspective on the way people live their lives and how one's mindset can affect everything they do.

"The Sun also Rises": a review by Alexanderson Reyes

In The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, is about a man living without a true purpose after WWI in Paris. Although there are many characters throughout the story, the three main characters are Jake Barnes, Lady Brett Ashley, and Robert Cohn.

Jake Barnes is the narrator and the protagonist of the story. He was an American WWI veteran who now works as a journalist in Paris. He likes to drink a lot, and goes out to parties, though he is very humble and really tries to avoid going. He keeps his feelings to himself, and suffers from the emptiness inside himself caused from the war, and his endless growing love for Lady Brett Ashley. Jake is seen as more of an observer, but through his insights his true feelings and opinions are visible.
Lady Brett Ashley, also referred to as Brett, is in quite contrast with Jake. She is lively and outgoing. She also likes to drink when the opportunity is available. She is separated from her husband and is waiting for a divorce, though she doesn’t let it hold her back from searching for new men. She is in love with Jake, however she chooses to keep him as a friend, because that would mean the end of her sex life which she prides herself on.

Robert Cohn is a writer in Paris. He is friends with Jake, and stands apart from the others because he has no direct part during the war, and he is also Jewish. Although the world is in distress because of the war, and many social norms were ignored, Cohn still believes in love and fair play for everyone. Due to his background he is often targeted by Jake’s friends and becomes the laughing stock of the group.
Summary: First off, Jake starts by introducing his friend, Robert Cohn. Jake is a veteran of war, and is now a journalist in Paris. He is very restless as night. One night Cohn decided to ask Jake to go to South Africa with him, but Jake refuses and decides to go to a nightclub where he meets Brett, who he fell in love with during the war. Brett struggles because she loves Jake, but is unwilling to give up sex. Cohn later finds out that Brett is going to marry a man named Mike, another War veteran. Brett then leaves to San Sebastian to keep distance between her and Jake. Several weeks later, one of Jake’s friends, Bill, comes and visits him, and tell him about his trip around the world. Jake plans to meet with Cohn in Pamplona, and runs into Brett and Mike. They all end up going to Pamplona. Bill and Jake took a train and met up with Cohn and planned to meet with Brett and Mike, but they didn’t show up. The three men spend their time drinking, fishing and doing it all over again. They finally meet up with Brett and Mike, and they all go to watch the bull fights/shows. Brett falls in love with one of the bull tamers, Pedro Romero, and insists on meeting him. Jake introduces her to Pedro, and they spend the night together. The guys end up going for drinks, and Jake wakes to find Cohn apologizing because after finding out Brett was with Romero, he beat him up. However, Romero refuses Cohn’s apology. Romero and Brett decide to go down to Madrid. Later on, Brett messages Jake that she wants to get back with Mike, because of fear of killing Romero’s reputation and career. Jake decides to help Brett and she talks about how wonderful life would be with Jake, and he responds with, “Pretty to think so”.

Overall, this book was very well-written and had a strong story that took a lot of time to process. If you have read, The Scarlett Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne, the structure and details follow the same tempo, and path throughout the story, where it’s increased detail to heighten senses and really bring vivid images out of the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has the interest in historical drama, and an eye for strong details. However, if you are impatient and want to rush through the book I highly recommend to choose a different book, because this novel is quire slow and needs to be fully analyzed to understand the characters and their motivations throughout the story.

"Heart of Darkness": A review by Matthew Canada

“Heart of Darkness”, by Joseph Conrad, tells the story of a steamboat captain named Marlow, as he ventures up the Congo River. The story begins five fellows wait on the tide aboard a boat on the Thames River. As the sun sets on the company, the men begin to reminisce and wonder at all of the mighty vessels that have departed from the Thames in the past, all of a sudden, Marlow states that even the famous Thames was once home to “savages” just as it was once one of the places on earth where “civilization” had yet to take hold. Marlow wonders what it may have been like for the early explores who ventured for into the once wild area, what it may have like for a Roman commander trying to angle his way to a fairer post, or for a toga wearing aristocrat hoping for treasures or trade. Marlow continues, recounting his travels up the Congo while on a job with a Belgian trading company, an opportunity set up through his aunt.
After a long journey aboard a French steamer, during which he sees a French man-o-war laying waste to a seemingly empty coastline. Later he is told that the French ship was caught in battle with a tribe of natives. He finally arrives at the mouth of the Congo where he boards another steamer in order to get to his next destination.

After another, albeit lesser, voyage up the Congo, Marlow reaches the Outer Station, where he witness many cruel scenes of subjugation of natives, recounting that he came a across a group of the “savages” chained together just waiting to die. Sympathetic, Marlow attempts to console one of the men by offering him a biscuit. When he gets closer, he spots a mysterious strand of white European cloth on the normally loincloth-clad native. Before he can wonder too extensively on it, he meets the station’s chief accountant, who tells Marlow of a legendary Company agent named Kurtz. Kurtz is renowned for supplying the Company with more ivory single handedly than all of the other agents combined. This piques Marlow’s interests, and he hopes to meet Kurtz.

The next leg of his journey brings him two hundred miles over land to the Central Station, where he discovers that the station manager sunk the steam boat he was supposed to captain. Marlow sets to work right away, yet ends up taking three months to finally fix the ship. During this time Marlow again encounters the name of Kurtz, once when the station’s brick maker talks to him about Kurtz and the other when he discovers that the station manager and his uncle hold a hate for Kurtz rooted in paranoia. Kurtz then reveals himself to the duo, dispelling their fantasies about his death. Later, the manager leaves on an expedition that never returns.
After three months, Marlow embarks up the Congo, head for Kurtz, who has reportedly fallen ill. He brings with him the station manager, a group of armed pilgrims and a group of rather amiable cannibals. Before long they arrive at an abandoned hut with a pile of firewood in front of it. Atop the wood, a sign reads, “Wood for You. Hurry Up. Approach Cautiously.” signed off with an illegible signature. When Marlow investigates the hut, he finds a seaman’s journal which he determines belongs to a Russian wandering trader who is on the station manager’s blacklist.

Soon afterwards, the come under attack by a group of natives. Marlow manages to scare off the native with the ship’s whistle, yet not soon enough to save his native born helmsman, who dies at Marlow’s feet, soaking his socks and shoes with blood. When Marlow explains how he threw the shoes overboard, the tale is interrupted by one of the five from the beginning of the story. Marlow retorts, stating that the interrupter’s high class life style prevents him from understanding his behavior. Marlow then pauses to mentions that Kurtz had a fiancé waiting for his return, and that he held himself responsible for the preservation of Kurtz’s memory.

Quickly jumping back into the tale, Marlow tells the group that soon after the battle, a man who turned out to be the Russian beckoned them to shore, as they finally arrived at Kurtz’s outpost. The Russian tells Marlow of his experiences with Kurtz, recounting of the ups and downs of knowing the agent. Eventually, Kurtz s loaded onto the steamer, in critical condition due to a lack of treatment. This causes conflict with the natives of the area, who have come to follow Kurtz after their extended dealings. Kurtz calls them off. At this point, the station manager pulls Marlow aside and reveals to him his intentions of giving up on Kurtz, saying that he has gone insane. Marlow is disgusted and reaffirms his admiration of Kurtz, thus alienating himself from the rest of the Company’s crew. Marlow’s narrative draws to a close, as he explains how after meeting with the Russian again, he warns him of the target on his back, allowing him to escape the manager. Marlow also has to chase Kurtz, who escapes the boat in an effort to return to the tribe. After confronting Kurtz, Marlow manages to convince him to return home to undergo treatment. As they depart, the tribe that had been following Kurtz, along with his mistress let out a wail, lamenting his departure. On their way home, Marlow becomes better acquainted with Kurtz, listening to all of his philosophies. Unfortunately, the steamboat again becomes damaged, and the repairs add a lot of time to their return trip, so much so that Kurtz is dismayed that he may not survive. Marlow watches Kurtz right up until he is about to die, muttering the last words, ‘“The horror! The horror!”’. Marlow himself becomes quite ill, barely surviving, and having to rely on his aunt to nurse him back to health once he returns to Brussels. After he recovers, the Company demands that Marlow hand over papers and letters that Kurtz entrusted to him, threatening legal action. Instead, he only offers them a pamphlet Kurtz wrote with a crucial part ripped out. Then a man professing to be Kurtz’s cousin comes by and takes a few of the letters Kurtz wrote to his family. He also remarks that Kurt was once a great musician. Next a journalist comes by and takes the pamphlet that the Company rejected, saying that Kurtz was an expert in radical politics. Left with only a few remaining letters and a picture of Kurtz’s fiancé, Marlow travels to the woman’s residence and hands over the last few documents, discovering that she is still in mourning over a year after Kurtz died. When she asks what his last words were, Marlow lies and tells her that he recited her name to the end. Here, Marlow ends the narrative, and the perspective returns to a nameless narrator, who reflects on the Thames, thinking that the river seemed to lead into the heart of a great darkness.

In all, I felt that the impact of the story is immense. Admittedly, I found the writing style to be somewhat hard to follow at times, but I did recognize when Conrad touched upon a controversial subject. It is obvious that race and superiority are major themes in this book, and I enjoyed the way Conrad poked at social norms from the perspective of “civil” society, while at the same time providing facts that supported the truth that the “natives” and “savages” were also civilized to an extent. For example, while the self-proclaimed civilized Westerners were still practicing medicine based on head measurements, the tribes were capable of organized, guerilla warfare, evidenced by their ambush on Marlow. Moreover, Conrad also touched upon the shortcomings of even the greatest of men. This evident in the character of Kurtz; such a legend finally met its own end due to the fact that he was greedy and would risk his life just for a chance at fame. Overall, I feel that “Heart of Darkness” earned its title of “Classic”, in that it still remains a controversial piece of literature that is relevant to current society.

"Wuthering Heights": a review by Florance Wu

Wuthering Heights, written in the 19th century by Emily Bronte, is a novel that is told through the use of a flashback. It relays the events that happened that led a man named Heathcliff to become who he is. Wuthering Heights starts off with a man, Lockwood, who is the new tenant at Thrushcross Grange and he meets his landlord, Heathcliff. During a stormy night, Lockwood questions the housekeeper, Nelly, about Healthcliff and Wuther Heights. Nelly goes off to tell the story of Heathcliff, the Earnshaws, and the Lintons. 

Heathcliff was taken in by Mr.Earnshaw as an orphan. Mr.Earnshaw’s children, Catherine and Hindley, in the start detested him but Catherine grows to love him. Time passes by, Mrs.Earnshaw passes away and her husband begins to show favoritism towards Heathcliff rather than his own son, resulting in Hindley being sent abroad to college. Three years pass by, and Hindley inherits Wuthering Heights after the death of his father. He begins to treat Heathcliff like a servant and forces him to work in the fields. Throughout this time, Catherine continues to be close with Heathcliff, but one day she wanders into Thrushcross Grange and gets injured. She stays there for a few weeks and during that time she was taught how to be proper.  As a result, she develops the need to ascend the social ladder, leading to her crush on Edgar Linton despite her love for Heathcliff. Catherine becomes engaged to Edgar, which causes Heathcliff to run away and come back after their marriage. Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights to avenge the people that hurt him starting with Hindley. He lends Hindley money which increases his despondency and when he dies, Heathcliff inherits the manor. Then, Heathcliff marries Isabella Linton, whom he mistreats. Shortly after, Catherine gives birth to a daughter, Young Catherine, and passes away, causing Heathcliff to go crazy because of his love for her. Not long after, Isabella gives birth to Linton in London. Thirteen years go by and young Catherine becomes friends with Hareton, Hindley’s son. Linton returns from London after the death of his mother, whom began an affair with Young Catherine through letters because of his father’s order. Linton falls ill shortly after. Heathcliff tricks Nelly and Catherine to his manor and holds them prisoner until Young Catherine marries Linton, thus achieving his goal of avenging Edgar Linton. After the death of Linton, Young Catherine is forced to become a servant for Heathcliff. Even after many years, Heathcliff’s obsession for Catherine grows to the extent where he speaks to her ghost. When Heathcliff passes away, his grave is next to Catherine’s, thus ending the story of the tragic lovers. 

Heathcliff, Catherine, and Edgar are the main characters since the novel revolves around their love triangle. Heathcliff is an orphan that Catherine’s father brought home. During his stay, he falls immensely in love with Catherine. Heathcliff becomes a resentful man because of Hindley’s abusiveness towards him and his heartbreak caused by Catherine by marrying another man. Because of the misery cast upon him, he becomes a powerful and cruel man who spends the rest of his life seeking revenge on those that inflicted pain on him. Catherine is the daughter of Mr.Earnshaw and she falls madly in love with the boy that her father had brought home. She’s independent, beautiful, spoiled, and prideful. Her love for Heathcliff is so intense that she believes they’re one and the same but her selfishness led her to marry Edgar Linton instead.  Catherine’s heart is torn between her passion for Heathcliff and the social benefits that Edgar brings. She’s selfish because in the end she hurts both, the man that she marries and the man that she’s madly in love with. Edgar Linton is an upper class, spoiled boy. He’s cowardly and tender but also a gentleman. He’s the ideal man for a woman to marry because of his wealth, looks, and attitude. No matter how great Edgar is, he still isn’t comparable to Heathcliff who overpowers him in the end. Heathcliff, Catherine, and Edgar are the ones that created the plot of the book due to their complex relationships.

Wuthering Heights is a book based off of a one-sided love and a man that ends up being bitter for revenge. I found this book really tragic and depressing because of how none of the three main characters got a happy ending. Heathcliff was so bitter and hurt to the point where he planned a revenge that took many years to complete, yet in the end he ended up miserable and sorrowful. He got what he wanted but he wasn’t happy, and in a way he hurt the one he loved and lost her, leading him to feel regret. In the end, misery consumes Heathcliff causing him to commit suicide. After Edgar’s death, his estate goes to the one man he hates and his daughter becomes a servant for him too. Catherine marries a man that she does not love for who he is but the amount of money he has even though she was in love with Heathcliff. She did not even want him to ever know about her love for him as she once stated, “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him”(Bronte). I found this quote to be extremely powerful because it made me feel anger, sadness, and sympathy because of how selfish her actions were. It also made me question how much love really meant to her since she was so willing to give it up for a social status. The author’s choice to put Heathcliff and Catherine’s graves next to eachother conveys that even though the two star-crossed lovers could not be together in reality, they could be together after death. It gave me a different perspective of unrequited love. Though this book was full of afflictions, the plot was powerful and really absorbed the reader into finding out what happens in the end of the book.

Wuthering Heights is a classic that definitely should be read. It is a fine novel filled with passion, tragedy, alcoholism, and seduction, making it interesting. Wuthering Heights is a well written, complex book that requires an open-mind when reading it because of the immoral actions of Heathcliff. This book illustrates the power of love and how it affects others. It’s not a typical cliché book about two lovers that go through a few bumps on the road and have their happily ever after, and that’s what I love about it. I not only find this book worth spending my time reading, but it’s one that I would recommend to those would love romances even if they end in catastrophe. 

Outside reading project: blog post

If you have decided to choose the blog post project this is where you can post it. It is due by 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 9th. Please post your entry in the comments below and do your best to format it. Please include your name.

Sula blog posting

Hello students!

Please post your responses to the first couple of chapters of Sula in the comments here. Remember, you need to do two out of the three options for the blog post assignment.

Blog Post: Please contribute to the blog with your thoughts, questions, and ideas. For each assignment, you must do AT LEAST TWO of the following:

A.     Respond to one of the guiding questions (I will post them on the blog for you).

B.      Send me an email with a thoughtful question, so I can post it on the blog.

C.      Build on someone else’s idea or politely disagree, with a thoughtful alternative opinion.

Please be thoughtful, careful, and diplomatic about your comments. I will be checking the blog regularly and will be contributing as well. Each post should be about one body paragraph long. You must complete the blog post by 10 PM on the night before the assignment is due.

Happy reading!

Guiding Questions and ideas to respond to:

• What is the significance of names and naming in the novel?
• Although Sula contains several male characters, the book is, in many ways, a novel that celebrates women.  Sula looms so large in the reader's mind because Morrison strips away the power traditionally given to men.  Examine the deficiencies of two male characters that suggest contrasting strengths in female characters.
• Toni Morrison once said, "I know evil preoccupied me in Sula…"  Examine the nature of evil in Sula, especially as it occurs in the protagonist.  To what extent is Sula evil and how does she manifest this trait?  What are the sources of her evil and what is its ultimate significance in terms of her relationship with the Bottom residents?
• Death is a dominant motif in Sula. The text begins, "There was once a neighborhood," signifying that the community no longer exists (3). Morrison portrays death as an event that purifies, renews, and brings freedom to the deceased and/or their family and friends. Death is also an event that is often witnessed in the text; it is a spectacle that demands attention. Consider how this notion of death subverts more traditional depictions and why Morrison uses this strategy.
• Add your own guiding question or idea here! There are so many to choose from, from motifs to the circular nature of life to Biblical allusions in the book. If you come up with a good question, email it or submit it to me and I will post it on the blog as a potential discussion question.