Kindred: The Physical World in Sula by Toni Morrison
The physical world as depicted in Sula, is not merely space that the characters inhabit. Settings such as Eva Peace's house, and the Wright home take on symbolic meaning in relation to the people who exist within the "recognized boundaries"(CT, 9) of either "zone." Both the Peace and Wright houses are emblematic of the ethos of the characters they shelter. The "principles of discrimination"(CT, 10) which "determine the designation of boundaries" in Sula, are both behavioral and "ideological." For instance, Sula's philosophy and life choices are comparable to the structure of the house and the immediate surrounding area in which she grew up. With an uncommon abundance of doors, rooms and stairways, Eva's house defies convention much like Hannah and her daughter. The same principle can be applied to the house that Nel grew up in. The maintenance and design of Nel's childhood home was fashioned by her mother. Helene is characterized as a domineering woman with a repressive hand, and this is reflected in the well-regulated style of her house. Just as the design of the Wright home acquiesces with convention, so do its inhabitants. Nel and Helene's mentalities match the atmosphere of the zone in which they live.
In the Peace house's competing zone, the Wright home, this spacious quality does not exist. Furthermore, Hannah is just as "guileless"(42) as the house, "where newspapers were stacked in the hallway, and dirty dishes left for hours at a time in the sink. "With the exception of BoyBoy, those Peace women loved all men. In Sula, zones are akin to the characters who exist within them. Whether, Plum is burning to death in his room, or Sula discovers her mother in the arms of a man in their room, there is always something particularly hysterical occurring in these spaces. Also, Sula's grandmother tells her "Hellfire don't need lighting and it's already burning in you. This represents the inactivity and moribundity of the house. These qualities match those of her mother's house. Although Nel may have been influenced by Sula's candor occasionally, ultimately she submitted to the rules of her mother, and the strict zone in which she grew up. The tree is symbolic of Helene's strictness and proclivity for orderliness which is then translated through her home.
Common topics in this essay:
Hannah Sula,
BoyBoy Peace,
Furthermore Hannah,
Peace Wright,
Sula Sula's,
Sundown House,
Orleans Medallion,
Eva Peace's,
Hannah Hannah,
Jude Nel's,
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wright home,
house's qualities,
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characters hannah,
helene nel,
house wright,
horse chestnut,
characters hannah sula,
zone distinguished,
peace house wright,
sickle-pear trees front,
zone wright home,
house wright house,
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Acceptance Essays
