In the early 1970s, when the womans" liberation movement was being recognized. A novel entitled Sula was released by Toni Morrison. In her book Sula, Morrison shows that good and evil can only be determined by the individual. This is portrayed by the main theme in the story, her use of symbols and characters, and the dilemmas that occur in their lives.
The story is set in Medallion, Ohio, between 1919 and1965. some of the main characters include Sula peace, a social outcast that breaks all the rules; Nel Wright, a very conventional woman that fits into society; Eva Peace, Sula's grandmother and matriarch of the house; Hannah Peace, Sula's mother ; and Helene Wright, Nel's mother . The town in which they all live is nicknamed " the bottom". The town got its name from the story of a slave, who was offered his freedom and a piece of land if he could perform some difficult tasks. When he was finished, his master tricked him into getting a piece of the mountain land by telling him it was the bottom of heaven. .
Sula and Nel come from very different backgrounds. Nel lives with just her mother ,and they have a traditional lifestyle. Sula lives with her mother , grandmother, aunt uncle, and whoever is renting the extra rooms in her house. Sula grew up in a lot of chaos, watching her grandmother kill her uncle(by fire), and watching her mother burn to death. .
Sula and Nel are very close to each other. They are often referred to as, two halves of one whole(century 47). As kids they are bound together by the accidental killing of chicken little (childhood friend). At the funeral their reactions were unusual. Sula cried uncontrollably, while Nel sat and watched quietly. In the midway point of the story, Nel gets married. She stays in Medallion to raise a family. Sula moves away to get an education, and gain independence from the bottom(Rhodes 57). While Sula was away her life was very mysterious.
