Dear All,
Below are two lecture videos focused on the novel Sula by Toni Morrison.
The first video focuses on “the Bottom” and Shadrack’s PTSD as a WWI soldier. It is 15 mins long.
This second video focuses on Helene and Nel’s travel on the Jim Crow Train car and Black Girlhood studies:
Questions
Please answer ONE of the following questions in 2-3 sentences as a comment reply.
- How does Toni Morrison in her writing, show us the ways Shadrack is both an outsider and a part of the community of the Bottom? Choose a passage and close read it to explain how her writing choices (imagery, metaphor, simile, or tone) show us Shadrack’s relationship to the town.
- What is the unspeakable thought or action that crosses Eva’s mind when she says, “Uh uh. Nooo.”?
- What does Nel mean when she says, “I am me”? What do the events in the train and Nel’s declaration tell us about her coming-of-age?
- CHOOSE A SCENE TO CLOSE READ: How are they scenes of black girlhood, OR What do they tell us about black girlhood?
- When Ajax whispers “pigmeat”? What does he mean or what ideas, connotations, or ideas are evoked when he says the word as the girls walk into town?
- When Sula cuts off the tip of her finger to scare the bullies off:
•“Her aim was determined but inaccurate. She slashed off only the tip of her finger. The four boys stared open-mouthed at the wound and the scrap of flesh, like a button mushroom, curling in the cherry blood that ran into the corners of the slate.”
- NOTE: you may want to check out the scholarship on Black girlhood studies as discussed by Crystal Lynn Webster linked here: https://www.oah.org/tah/issues/2020/the-history-of-girlhood/the-history-of-black-girls-and-the-field-of-black-girlhood-studies-at-the-forefront-of-academic/
In the narrative, Nel’s declaration “I am me” occurs after the train incident involving Sula and Chicken Little. In this event, Nel and Sula, who are childhood friends, encounter a train on a bridge. Sula playfully swings Chicken Little over the edge, but accidentally lets go, causing him to fall to his death. The incident profoundly affects both girls, leading to a rupture in their friendship and a shift in their individual paths.
When Nel says, “I am me,” it signifies a crucial turning point in her coming-of-age journey. Up until this moment, Nel has been defined by her relationship with Sula and the expectations placed upon her by society. However, witnessing the tragic event and experiencing the subsequent guilt and trauma prompts Nel to assert her own identity and independence.
Nel’s declaration represents her realization that she is an individual separate from Sula and the societal roles assigned to her. It reflects her growing awareness of her own desires, dreams, and needs. Through this declaration, Nel asserts her agency and begins to define herself on her own terms, embracing her individuality rather than adhering to societal expectations.
We can conclude, the train incident and Nel’s declaration in “Sula” serve as catalysts for her coming-of-age, allowing her to break free from societal constraints and embark on a path of self-discovery and self-assertion.
Regenerate response
3)What does Nel mean when she says, “I am me”? What do the events in the train and Nel’s declaration tell us about her coming-of-age?
Nel’s struggles with the difficulties of friendship, sexuality, and she observes older males finding her attractive. When Nel witnesses Sula having sexual contact with one of the males, it puts her social morals to the test. Her proclamation “I am me” defies social conventions and expresses her assertion of freedom and autonomy.
4. When Ajax whispers “pigmeat”? What does he mean or what ideas, connotations, or ideas are evoked when he says the word as the girls walk into town?
The narrator calls “Pig meat” a compliment; however, it actually has a sexual connotation to refer to Nel and Sula’s bodies and the men’s desires. All the men looking at them think the same thing, but Ajax is the only one who says it. When men are looking at them, Nel and Sula are not 12 years old anymore. In fact, they transform into just bodies that are meant to satisfy men. The fact that they are only 12 and are already being sexualized and objectified tells us how Black girls are not actually protected and are robbed of their childhood. They both understand this sexual reference and are “delighted,” which sends the message that they have already lost their childhood innocence. This is a clear example of Black girlhood.
I really like your answer. This made me realize how black women are hypersexualized everywhere. We saw this in Mary Church Terrell’s work when Betsy was assaulted on the train and we also see that with Harriet Jacobs in the “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” when she was constantly being assaulted by her master.
3. What does Nel mean when she says, “I am me”? What do the events in the train and Nel’s declaration tell us about her coming-of-age?
“I am me” could be interpreted as Nel asserting her individuality, embracing her true self, or expressing a sense of self-acceptance and self-awareness. It may signify Nel’s realization and acceptance of her unique identity, free from societal expectations or external influences. The events in the train and Nel’s declaration could be significant moments that mark Nel’s transition into adulthood and her realization of her own autonomy and personal identity.
3. What does Nel mean when she says, “I am me”? What do the events in the train and Nel’s declaration tell us about her coming-of-age?
Returning from the trip to New Orleans, Nel begins to realize her own agency. She discovers the power of independence and her desire to be free from submitting to her mother and her strictness; she doesn’t want to be like her. Nel wants to be “wonderful” and unique.
A very liberating desire that represents a lot of women in our society (especially in the 1970s, when the book was released), a desire that becomes an “imagination” as the world expects women to be “normal” (which is not free/independent and with no concept of “self”).
What is the unspeakable thought or action that crosses Eva’s mind when she says, “Uh uh. Nooo.”?
The unspeakable thought that crosses Eva’s mind is that of ending the life of her child. It is a thought of maternal instinct, albeit one with obvious moral ambiguities. The moment demonstrates the willingness of a mother to make the harsh decision to either end the life of her child or watch as they suffer, unable to eat.
In Toni Morrison’s writing, she expertly portrays Shadrack as both an outsider as well as a part of the community of the Bottom through her evocative language and imagery. One passage that helps exemplify this is found in “Sula” when Shadrack organizes National Suicide Day. The passage describes the townspeople’s fear and confusion upon witnessing Shadrack’s odd and uncomfortable behavior. Morrison’s choice of metaphorical language, such as describing the people as “curious bugs” and Shadrack as a “prophet,” emphasizes the stark contrast between Shadrack and the rest of the community. However, the imagery of the townspeople’s gradual acceptance of Shadrack’s annual ritual reflects his eventual integration into the fabric of the community, despite his initial role as an outsider. The passage’s tone bounces back and forth between fear, curiosity, and a shared sense of humanity, underscoring the complex relationship between Shadrack and the town as he simultaneously disrupts and unites its residents.
forgot to add that this reply is for question #1
3. Nel means that she is her own person and can be who she wants outside of what her mother wants/expects from her. It tells us that her coming-of-age journey is going to be one of discovery regarding how she deals with certain people and situations.
2.The unspeakable thought that crosses Eva’s mind when she says, “Uh uh. Nooo” is she is thinking if it’s better to kill her son than watching him suffer. The most difficult thing for a mother to see is watching their children in pain. In the novel “Sula” Eva’s son Plum becomes a drug addict. Once again her child was in trouble. In chapter 1921 it says, “Eva stepped back from the bed and let the crutches rest under her arms. She rolled a bit of newspaper into a tight stick about six inches long, lit it and threw it onto the bed where the kerosene-soaked Plum lay in snug delight,” (p. 47). Eva killed her son by setting him on fire. This time she couldn’t watch her son suffer. She knew that the only way she could save him is by killing him. So when Eva was saying “Uh uh. Nooo” she was probably thinking about ending his life before he suffers from hunger.
3) Nel’s declaration of “I am me” in Toni Morrison’s “Sula” (part I) signifies her maturation and development of her own identity. This declaration comes after Nel witnesses the tragic death of a young boy on a train. Nel is moved by the experience to question society’s norms and voice her desires and beliefs. At this turning point, she begins to define herself independently of the influences of others, including her mother and best friend, Sula. Nel’s progress toward autonomy and self-actualization is reflected in her newly acquired self-awareness and assertion of her identity.
3. What does Nel mean when she says, “I am me”? What do the events in the train and Nel’s declaration tell us about her coming-of-age?
When Nel says “I am me” she decides to be her own person, not who her mother tells her she is or what she should do. She chooses to start thinking for herself and to reject the norms forced upon her. Nel’s declaration and the vents on the train show us that Nel does not want to be anything like her mother. While she eventually does end up becoming much like her mother and not sticking to her declaration part of her coming-of-age journey is her figuring out who she is in spite of her mother and trying not to be like her. The event on the train show Nel different side of her mother that she views and weak so she attaches herself to someone who is the complete opposite (Sula).
2) The unspeakable thought that crosses Eva’s mind is murdering her own son. He is suffering so much pain that she comes to the conclusion it may be better to kill him rather than watch him suffer, either for her, him, or both of them. Going with the themes of suicide in the book, it is clear multiple characters are intent on their own death even if passively so- a common effect of trauma survivors and those suffering from PTSD. Plum is already quietly killing himself and it seems as if Eva’s unspeakable thought is as his mother that is the only way she can help him.
2. What is the unspeakable thought or action that crosses Eva’s mind when she says, “Uh uh. Nooo.”?
The unspeakable though that crosses Eva’s mind would be killing Plum, and putting him out of his misery. Where Eva is at in her life at this point in time is a rather miserable place to be herself, not even considering what it is to raise and be a child living in such squalor. Eva probably thought for a moment that it would be merciful.
2) What is the unspeakable thought or action that crosses Eva’s mind when she says, “Uh uh. Nooo.”?
After realizing how much she is struggling, Eva probably considers how less her children would suffer if she were to take their lives. Would it be better? Many would assume that she is being a bad mother, but in her shoes she doesn’t want her children to suffer for something that isn’t there fault. Maybe she would rather have them have a short happy life, than a long tumultuous one.
2. What is the unspeakable thought or action that crosses Eva’s mind when she says, “Uh uh. Nooo.”?
The specific unspeakable thought or action that crosses Eva’s mind at this moment is left ambiguous and open to interpretation. The line “Uh uh. Nooo” suggests a visceral reaction, possibly a realization or a connection that Eva makes between Beloved and the unspeakable act of infanticide. It implies that Eva, who had once been a caretaker and protector in their shared history of slavery, may have an inkling or a suspicion about the true identity of Beloved.
3. What does Nel mean when she says, “I am me”? What do the events in the train and Nel’s declaration tell us about her coming-of-age?
Nel means by those words that she sees herself finally as someone not bound to other people and other people’s beliefs and opinions. She is capable of making them herself. And it takes a boy falling off a bridge to his death to make her realize that. She is independent now, and able to make her own decisions, however bad or good they may be.