Sula

ToniMorrison'sfirstnovel,TheBluestEye(1970),wasacclaimedastheworkofanimportanttalent,written--asJohnLeonardsaidinTheNewYorkTimes--inaprose"soprecise,sofaithfultospeechandsochargedwithpainandwonderthatthenovelbecomespoetry."Sulahasthesamepower,thesamebeauty.Atitscenter--afriendshipbetweentwowomen,afriendshipwhoseintensityfirstsustains,theninjures.SulaandNel--bothblack,bothsmart,bothpoor,raisedinasmallOhiotown--meetwhentheyaretwelve,wishbonethinanddreamingofprinces.Throughtheirgirlhoodyearstheyshareeverything--perceptions,judgments,yearnings,secrets,evencrime--untilSulagetsout,outoftheBottom,thehilltopneighborhoodwherebeneaththesportinglifeofthemenhangingaroundtheplaceinheadragsandsoftfelthatstherehidesafierceresentmentatfailedcrops,lostjobs,thievinginsurancemen,bug-riddenflour...attheinvisiblelinethatcannotbeoverstepped.SulaleapsitandroamsthecitiesofAmericafortenyears.Thenshereturnstothetown,toherfriend.ButNelisawifenow,settledwithhermanandherthreechildren.Shebelongs.SheaccommodatestotheBottom,whereyouavoidthehandofGodbygettinginit,bystayingupright,helpingoutatchurchsuppers,askingafterfolks--whereyoudealwithevilbysurvivingit.NotSula.Aswillingtofeelpainastogivepain,shecanneveraccommodate.Nelcan'tunderstandheranymore,andtheothersneverdid.Sulascaresthem.Mentionhernow,andtheyrecallthatsheputhergrandmainanoldfolks'home(theoldladywholetatraintakeherlegfortheinsurance)...thatachilddrownedintheriveryearsago...thattherewasaplagueofrobinswhenshefirstreturned...Inclear,dark,resonantlanguage,ToniMorrisonbrilliantlyevokesnotonlyabondbetweentwolives,buttheharsh,loveless,ultimatelymadworldinwhichthatbondisdestroyed,theworldoftheBottomanditspeople,throughfortyyears,uptothetimeoftheirbewilderedrealizationthatevenmorethantheyfearedSula,theirpariah,theyneededher.