Samira Aden

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In Toni Morrison’s novel ​Sula ​, it takes place between 1919 and1945. The novel focuses

on a girl named Sula that lives in the Bottom, which is a segregated African American

neighborhood in Ohio hills above the town of Medallion. We focus on the relationship between

childhood friends Sula Peace and Nel Wright which gets intense throughout the novel. The

relationship between Nel and Sula demonstrates the theme of some people are so certain to the

truth that they can’t see the obvious in front of them. Readers come to see this theme through

two key events which include when Nel visits a ill Sula who she hasn’t seen for three years and

also in 1965 when Nel acknowledges the bond she and Sula have.

Nel and Sula have an intense relationship. Nel Wright is the daughter of Helene Wright

and is Sula’s best friend. Sula Peace is the daughter of Hannah Peace and is Eva’s

granddaughter. Both girls are born in 1910 and are childhood friends that met at Garfield

Primary School. “Their meeting was fortunate, for it let them use each other to grow on.

Daughter of distant mothers and incomprehensible father, they found in each other intimacy they

were looking for” (52). Later on it states, “Their friendship was as intense as it was sudden. They

found relief in each other’s personality.” (53). Nel and Sula both secure comfort from their

friendship because they are both lonely and they yearn for intimacy. Nel is an only child mostly

alone with no one to talk to. Sula is also an only child but lives in a household that is full of

disorder. Sula doesn’t really have an intimate relationship with anyone and was left alone to her

thoughts because she doesn’t have anyone to converse with. Both girls don’t have someone they
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could talk to at home, so their friendship is the first true connection that they have with each

other.

Nel fully blames Sula for the downfall of her marriage. In 1940, Nel visits an ill Sula and

buys her some medicine. Afterwards, Nel musters up some courage to ask Sula why she slept

with Jude, Nel’s ex husband. “How come you did it, Sula?” After a bit of silence, Sula responds;

“Well, there was this space in front of me, behind me, in my head. Some space. And Jude filled it

up. That’s all. He just filled up the space.”(144). Nel places all responsibility on Sula and even

claims that if Sula wouldn’t have sex with Jude, then they will still be together. “And you didn’t

love me enough to leave him alone. To let him love me. You had to take him away.” (145). Sula

then replies; “What do you mean take him away? I didn’t kill him, I just fucked him. If we were

such good friends, how come you couldn’t get over it?” (145). In this event, the reader can see

some parts of the theme, some people are so certain to the truth that they can’t see the obvious in

front of them. Nel fully deems Sula responsible while Sula refuses to take sole blame on the

downfall of Nel’s marriage.

Nel acknowledges the bond she has with Sula. It’s 1965 and Nel reminisces the changes

in the black community. Black people are now working jobs that are only available to whites.

Nel goes to visit Eva in the Sunnydale nursing home and the conversation swings from small talk

to Eva straight up asking Nel about her involvement in Chicken Little's death. Nel then places

full blame of his death on Sula and Eva responds; “You. Sula. What’s the difference? You was
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there.” (168). After this conversation as Nel goes to leave the nursing home, Eva calls out to her

“Sula?” (169). As Nel walks out of the nursing home, she recalls the satisfying mood she felt as

Chicken Little slips out of Sula’s hand and falls into the river. Nel always thought that the fact

she didn’t react much to Chicken Little’s death was a sign of maturity, when in reality Nel recalls

the good feeling she felt when she saw Chicken Little slip away from Sula’s hand. Nel’s walk

soon takes her to the cemetery, where Sula is buried. She recalls the day of Sula’s death and how

no one came running to the news of her death and how it was Nel who calls the mortuary. Nel

was the only one besides the white people who came to bury Sula. As Nel leaves the cemetery

she passes Shadrack, who stops and tries to remember why Nel looks familiar. Nel becomes

emotional about the events of the day. Nel’s eye twitches and she gazes up at the trees; “Sula/“

she whispered, gazing at the tops of the trees. “Sula?” (174). And she releases a deep cry for her

beloved friend; Sula.

Nel views herself as the good half when it comes to her relationship with Sula. Nel has

always put full blame on Sula for the downfall of her marriage and also the death of Chicken

Little. When Nel visits Eva, Eva shows Nel that there isn’t any difference between her and Sula.

This comes to the theme of some people are so certain to the truth that they can’t see the obvious

in front of them. Morrison is showing the reader how the theme comes into play. Nel is so

adamant that Sula is the bad person, that she doesn’t acknowledge the negative aspects about

herself.