book

Theme of Good and Evil - Sula

21 Pages 676 Words 1557 Views

“Life is neither good or evil, but only a place for good and evil.” This quote, written by Marcus Aurelius, has relation to the novel, "Sula," written by Toni Morrison. The behaviors of Sula, Nel, Eva, and Shadrack were often misunderstood by the people of The Bottom. They would judge them out of spite, labeling them good or evil. Throughout the novel Sula is said to be evil. When Sula returned to The Bottom, after having been away for a very long time, the people from the town weren't very welcoming. The town feared Sula, and considered her a witch. She was held accountable for the child that fell down the stairs, a man choking on a bone, and the death of Chicken Little. At the time of the Chicken Little incident, Sula and Nel were both young. That afternoon, a play session turned into death. After playing roughly, the boy was thrown into the river. “When he slipped from her hands and sailed away out over the water they could still hear his bubbly laughter, The pressure of his, hard and tight a little finger was still in Sula’s palms, They expected him to come back up, laughing. Both girls stared at the water." One would consider the incident as murder, while others would believe that the young girls meant no harm. This incident may be judged as evil if one does not consider the intentions of the girls. Eva is one of the most interesting characters throughout the novel. Though she made bad decisions, and had a weird way of expressing her feelings, she was still admirable. As a young mother she cared for her children, but paid the most attention to her son, Plum. When Plum was a little boy, she ensured his well being. When the children got older, she would leave them for months to earn money, so that she could take care of them. Though she sacrificed for her children, she ultimately, drowned her only son in kerosene. She uses a, “Bit of lit newspaper to ignite Plum as he lay in snug delight.” This event shocks the readers

Read Full Essay