Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Peace verse Wright
All throughout the novel gender roles are evident. The biggest one is the difference in how Nel and Sula are treated and how their families are viewed by the community. Early on the reader learns that Nel and Sula are not even supposed to be interacting because Nel's mother,Helene, says that Sula's family is not someone she wants her daughter to be around because "Sula's mother was sooty"(Morrison pg. 29). Already Helene has passed judgement on Hannah before she knows her because of her reputation in town because people come and go in and out of her house and Helene disapproves of it.The two families are run completely different. The Peace household is described as "a woolly house, where a pot of something is always cooking on the stove; where the mother, Hannah, never scolded or gave directions;where all sorts of people dropped in; where newspapers were stacked in the hallway, and dirty dishes left for hours at a time in the sink, and where a one legged grandmother named Eva handed you goobers from deep inside her pockets or read you a dream"(Morrison pg. 29). The house is does not have a set order throughout the day but flows without structure and organization. There nothing expected of Sula to act or be a certain way. She has free range and her independence and freedom are encouraged. However, there is no peace there with no order or structure and everyone fending for themselves. Meanwhile, Helene is all about representation and all that she does is so that she can be looked at in a positive light. She is respected and seen as upright in the community. Others look up to her as a role model. Helene constantly trying to do everything right and be the perfect person and not to fall in her mother's footsteps and be "wrong" or a "bad" person. The two families are searching for different things. The Peace family ironically long for peace; while the Wright family desire to live a righteous life.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
1923-1927
In 1923 opens lines, "The second strange thing was...." -- what are the other strange things that happen? How does this line establish the tone for this chapter?
The first strange thing that happens is a lot of wind and clouds come indicating that it is going to rain however it does not it just is dry and extremely windy, then Sula begins to act up and bothers everyone, Hannah has a strange dream about her being in a red wedding dress dancing, and then Eva cannot find her comb even though she never moves it and finds it in her drawer. This establishes the tone for even stranger things to happen and is very morbid. It gives a clue that there are more bad things to happen and is leading up to something big, Hannah's death. It is just another way Morrison uses old superstitions and molds them into her work to foreshadow events.
Why does Hannah ask if Eva loves them; if she loved them as children? What is Eva's answer? Does she love her children?
Hannah asks Eva if she loves them because she does not know if Eva does. She wants to know whether or not she has feelings for her because she and Eva are detached They do not share a bond with each other."Well?Don't that count?Ain't that love?You want me to tickle under your jaw and forget about them sores in your mouth? Pearl was shittin' worms and I was supposed to play ring-around-the-rosie"(pg.69). Eva tells Hannah that she did not have time to sit and play with them because she was working too hard to keep them alive. She gets angry at Hannah because she thinks that her handwork and dedication to them should prove her love to them. That she did not let them die so surely that is love. However, Eva is not able to come right out and tell Hannah that she loves her. Showing the detachment between Hannah and Eva. Although, Eva does love her children she is unable to show them affection beyond basic care.
What was the reason Eva gives for killing Plum?
Eva says that she killed Plum because "he wanted to crawl back in my womb...I would have dont it, would have let him if I'd've had the room but a big man cant be a baby all wrapped up inside his mama no more; he suffocate"(Morrison pg, 71-72). Plum wanted to be a baby again and to be taken care of by his mother; however, Eva could not bear to have him as a baby and go through the whole process again. She looks back and sees how difficult it was for her to keep Plum alive like when she had to take him to the outhouse when he was a baby. She sees him struggling again as a grown man and cannot bear to see him die like that again. She could not afford to try and save him as she once did in the outhouse; nor did she know she would be able to. She says that she could not birth him, and bring him back up again because he was a grown man.
How does Hannah catch on fire? What does Eva do? What does Sula do? What do these characters' actions reveal about their feelings for Hanah?
Hannah catches on fire when she is trying to light a yard fire and her dress is ignited lighting her whole body on fire. "Eva knew there was time for nothing in this world other than the time it took to get there and cover her daughter's body with her own. She lifted her heavy frame up on her good leg, and with fists and arms smashed the windowpane."(pg. 75). Eva does not even take time to think about what she is doing she knows that she has to save her child and jumps out of her window to try and cover her and put the fire out. Even after she misses she crawls to Hannah still trying to save her. Eva's actions prove that she does love Hannah even though she could not outright say it. She does not think about whether or not she will die or get seriously injured but about the well-being of her daughter. Sula on the other hand was "standing on the back porch just looking"(pg. 78). Sula is fascinated by the way Hannah is jerking and dancing, and finds it interesting. "I never meant anything. I stood there watching her burn and was thrilled. I wanted her to keep on jerking like that , to keep dancing"(pg.147).Sula admits that she watches Hannah out of entertainment and did not realize what was going on. She does not feel the same panic and terror as Eva does because they are not attached Sula and Hannah do not share the same love and relationship as Eva and Hannah do. Since Sula heard the truth about her mother's attitude for her she no longer felt attached to her, and has emotion towards her which is whys she is able to let her burn.
'1927' end with the wedding of Jude and Nel. How does this ceremonious ending parallel the other incidents in the novel-- Cecile's at the beginning of the novel, Chicken Little's funeral, etc. How is Nel and Sula's friendship impacted by such ceremonies?
The wedding of Jude and Nel parallel the other incidents in the novel because it is the ending of Nel and her friendship with Sula. "The two of them together would make one Jude"(pg.83). Through marriage Nel sacrifices herself and her own identity and takes on Jude's. She is no longer seen as her own person, but an extension of Jude. She is no longer living, her old self dies and she takes on a role of a mother and wife and does not have her own life anymore. She is almost owned by Jude. Since she is with Jude Sula is left out now, and she no longer has her friend. She is hurt by this and decides to leave the Bottom to find herself; since she has not lost her other half to marriage.
The first strange thing that happens is a lot of wind and clouds come indicating that it is going to rain however it does not it just is dry and extremely windy, then Sula begins to act up and bothers everyone, Hannah has a strange dream about her being in a red wedding dress dancing, and then Eva cannot find her comb even though she never moves it and finds it in her drawer. This establishes the tone for even stranger things to happen and is very morbid. It gives a clue that there are more bad things to happen and is leading up to something big, Hannah's death. It is just another way Morrison uses old superstitions and molds them into her work to foreshadow events.
Why does Hannah ask if Eva loves them; if she loved them as children? What is Eva's answer? Does she love her children?
Hannah asks Eva if she loves them because she does not know if Eva does. She wants to know whether or not she has feelings for her because she and Eva are detached They do not share a bond with each other."Well?Don't that count?Ain't that love?You want me to tickle under your jaw and forget about them sores in your mouth? Pearl was shittin' worms and I was supposed to play ring-around-the-rosie"(pg.69). Eva tells Hannah that she did not have time to sit and play with them because she was working too hard to keep them alive. She gets angry at Hannah because she thinks that her handwork and dedication to them should prove her love to them. That she did not let them die so surely that is love. However, Eva is not able to come right out and tell Hannah that she loves her. Showing the detachment between Hannah and Eva. Although, Eva does love her children she is unable to show them affection beyond basic care.
What was the reason Eva gives for killing Plum?
Eva says that she killed Plum because "he wanted to crawl back in my womb...I would have dont it, would have let him if I'd've had the room but a big man cant be a baby all wrapped up inside his mama no more; he suffocate"(Morrison pg, 71-72). Plum wanted to be a baby again and to be taken care of by his mother; however, Eva could not bear to have him as a baby and go through the whole process again. She looks back and sees how difficult it was for her to keep Plum alive like when she had to take him to the outhouse when he was a baby. She sees him struggling again as a grown man and cannot bear to see him die like that again. She could not afford to try and save him as she once did in the outhouse; nor did she know she would be able to. She says that she could not birth him, and bring him back up again because he was a grown man.
How does Hannah catch on fire? What does Eva do? What does Sula do? What do these characters' actions reveal about their feelings for Hanah?
Hannah catches on fire when she is trying to light a yard fire and her dress is ignited lighting her whole body on fire. "Eva knew there was time for nothing in this world other than the time it took to get there and cover her daughter's body with her own. She lifted her heavy frame up on her good leg, and with fists and arms smashed the windowpane."(pg. 75). Eva does not even take time to think about what she is doing she knows that she has to save her child and jumps out of her window to try and cover her and put the fire out. Even after she misses she crawls to Hannah still trying to save her. Eva's actions prove that she does love Hannah even though she could not outright say it. She does not think about whether or not she will die or get seriously injured but about the well-being of her daughter. Sula on the other hand was "standing on the back porch just looking"(pg. 78). Sula is fascinated by the way Hannah is jerking and dancing, and finds it interesting. "I never meant anything. I stood there watching her burn and was thrilled. I wanted her to keep on jerking like that , to keep dancing"(pg.147).Sula admits that she watches Hannah out of entertainment and did not realize what was going on. She does not feel the same panic and terror as Eva does because they are not attached Sula and Hannah do not share the same love and relationship as Eva and Hannah do. Since Sula heard the truth about her mother's attitude for her she no longer felt attached to her, and has emotion towards her which is whys she is able to let her burn.
'1927' end with the wedding of Jude and Nel. How does this ceremonious ending parallel the other incidents in the novel-- Cecile's at the beginning of the novel, Chicken Little's funeral, etc. How is Nel and Sula's friendship impacted by such ceremonies?
The wedding of Jude and Nel parallel the other incidents in the novel because it is the ending of Nel and her friendship with Sula. "The two of them together would make one Jude"(pg.83). Through marriage Nel sacrifices herself and her own identity and takes on Jude's. She is no longer seen as her own person, but an extension of Jude. She is no longer living, her old self dies and she takes on a role of a mother and wife and does not have her own life anymore. She is almost owned by Jude. Since she is with Jude Sula is left out now, and she no longer has her friend. She is hurt by this and decides to leave the Bottom to find herself; since she has not lost her other half to marriage.
1921-1922 Continued
Who are the Dewey's and what do they represent?
The Dewey's are three individual boys who later morph into one. There is Dewey one who "was a deeply black boy with a beautiful head and the golden light eyes of chronic jaundice. Dewey two was light-skinned with freckles everywhere and a head of tight red hair. Dewey three was half Mexican with chocolate skin and black bangs"(pg.38).They all come into the Bottom at the same time and so Eva calls them all Dewey despite their physical differences. Given some time they all begin to merge into one "joining... to become a trinity with a plural name"(pg.38).The Deweys become tripelets and even went to school at the same time despite the age difference. "They spoke with one voice, thought with one mins, and maintained an annoying privacy"(pg. 39). They are the only people in the novel who are connected and attached to each other besides Sula and Nel. They stay connected throughout the whole story, and are never separated. They represent being on one accord and being tranquil with others and the reader is able to compare their relationship to Sula and Nel. The Deweys also represent children; they are childlike in their play. They play pranks on others and do not think about what they are doing and how it affects others they do it because they find enjoyment out of it.
Why do Nel and Sula watch Chicken Little drown? Explore the significance of his name and death, especially in relation to the name of the neighborhood "Bottom"?
Nel and Sula watch Chicken Little drown because "they expected him to come back up, laughing"(pg.61). They poorly assumed that he knew how to swim and that he would not drown in the water. His death marks the end of Sula and Nel's innocence they now know how they can impact and destroy others lives easily. Sula believes that it is her fault that Chicken Little died even though it was an accident, and Nel "knew she had 'done nothing'"(pg. 65). Sula goes throughout the novel believing that she is evil because of this and accepts and stays true to her role; while Nel believes that she is good because she was not the one who let Chicken Little go, therefore thinks she is good. Chicken Little's name can mean that he is small, feeble, and weak. In relation to the Bottom the community also feels as though they were inferior to their white community.
Why does Sula go inside Shadrack's shack?
Sula goes inside Shadrack's shack because she thinks that Shadrack saw her let Chicken Little go into the river. "Terror widened in her nostrils. Had he seen?"(pg.61). She thinks that he may tell others and that she will get into trouble because they just watched him drown.She takes on the responsibility to check and see whether or not he saw, and if he did whether he would tell or not. She feels guilt ridden because she has taken someone else's life.
The Dewey's are three individual boys who later morph into one. There is Dewey one who "was a deeply black boy with a beautiful head and the golden light eyes of chronic jaundice. Dewey two was light-skinned with freckles everywhere and a head of tight red hair. Dewey three was half Mexican with chocolate skin and black bangs"(pg.38).They all come into the Bottom at the same time and so Eva calls them all Dewey despite their physical differences. Given some time they all begin to merge into one "joining... to become a trinity with a plural name"(pg.38).The Deweys become tripelets and even went to school at the same time despite the age difference. "They spoke with one voice, thought with one mins, and maintained an annoying privacy"(pg. 39). They are the only people in the novel who are connected and attached to each other besides Sula and Nel. They stay connected throughout the whole story, and are never separated. They represent being on one accord and being tranquil with others and the reader is able to compare their relationship to Sula and Nel. The Deweys also represent children; they are childlike in their play. They play pranks on others and do not think about what they are doing and how it affects others they do it because they find enjoyment out of it.
Why do Nel and Sula watch Chicken Little drown? Explore the significance of his name and death, especially in relation to the name of the neighborhood "Bottom"?
Nel and Sula watch Chicken Little drown because "they expected him to come back up, laughing"(pg.61). They poorly assumed that he knew how to swim and that he would not drown in the water. His death marks the end of Sula and Nel's innocence they now know how they can impact and destroy others lives easily. Sula believes that it is her fault that Chicken Little died even though it was an accident, and Nel "knew she had 'done nothing'"(pg. 65). Sula goes throughout the novel believing that she is evil because of this and accepts and stays true to her role; while Nel believes that she is good because she was not the one who let Chicken Little go, therefore thinks she is good. Chicken Little's name can mean that he is small, feeble, and weak. In relation to the Bottom the community also feels as though they were inferior to their white community.
Why does Sula go inside Shadrack's shack?
Sula goes inside Shadrack's shack because she thinks that Shadrack saw her let Chicken Little go into the river. "Terror widened in her nostrils. Had he seen?"(pg.61). She thinks that he may tell others and that she will get into trouble because they just watched him drown.She takes on the responsibility to check and see whether or not he saw, and if he did whether he would tell or not. She feels guilt ridden because she has taken someone else's life.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
1921-1922
Explore the symbolic resonances of the Peace family? Is there really peace in the Peace family? How is the name symbolic? How is Sula's name different?
There is truly no Peace in the peace family. Their name is ironic because they are all searching for it instead. No one in the family is truly happy or on one accord; they are all are detached from each other. They all long for something they do not have. Sula and Hannah both desire to be loved and fill the void that their mothers created. While Eva is looking for companionship and the attention she should have received from Billy Bob, Hannah is looking for it due to the death of Rekus. Plum searched for it after he comes home from the war. They all long for something. Sula's name is different because it translates into peace. Her name is Peace Peace. She is separate from her family because they are able to find some form of peace in their distractions from life. Hannah and Eva with men and Plum with drugs. However, Sula feels great despair during her remedies.
Why does Eva leave her children? Why does she come back with one leg?
Eva leaves her children because she is unable to provide for them. Her husband deserted them and they do not have enough resources to keep her family going. "Eva had $1.64, five eggs, three beets....the children needed her; she needed money, and needed to get on with her life"(pg. 32). She leaves because she knows she has to get money in order for her children to survive. Eva is said to come back with one leg because she made the ultimate sacrifice and "stuck it under a train"(pg. 31) to collect an insurance claim and make them pay it off. She loves her children enough to sacrifice her body so that they can live without struggle. It is a great display of love.
Why does Eva take Plum to the outhouse? What does she realize in asking herself this question? Why does she set Plum on fire? How does the narrator describe the scene? Why is the description important?
Eva takes Plum to the outhouse because he has been wailing for sometime and is unable to make a bowel movement. She takes him out to save his life and remove the stool from his behind. In asking herself why she did it she realizes that she loves Plum and that he is her favorite. She sets Plum on fire because she cannot bear to watch him suffer and continue to be an addict. "She was thirsty and reached for the glass of strawberry crush...and discovered it was blood tainted water"(pg. 47). She is horrified to find that Plum is killing himself and does not want him to continue down the path of destruction. Eva believes that it is better for Plum to die than to go down the path of addiction. It is both a selfless and selfish act of love by her.The scene is described with "the kerosene-soaked Plum lay in snug delight"(pg. 47) and being happy knowing that everything will be okay. He seems to be at peace at the time of his death and is easily able to fall into a "bright hole of sleep"(pg 47). The scene is important because it shows that Plum did not suffer and it was not a horrific scene but the reader sees how hard it is for Eva to do commit the act. "Eva lifted her tongue to the edge of her lip to stop the tears from running into her mouth"(pg. 47). This shows how
What does Hannah say to upset Sula?
Hannah is talking to some of her neighborhood friends about how difficult it is to raise children. They discuss how they do not think that they love their children when Hannah interjects and says, "I love Sula. I just don't like her"(pg.57). Sula is crushed to learn that her mother does not like her, and it seems to her that she does not love her either. It is the same thing to Sula as Hannah saying that she does not love her. This really shows how detached Hannah and Sula are from each other.
There is truly no Peace in the peace family. Their name is ironic because they are all searching for it instead. No one in the family is truly happy or on one accord; they are all are detached from each other. They all long for something they do not have. Sula and Hannah both desire to be loved and fill the void that their mothers created. While Eva is looking for companionship and the attention she should have received from Billy Bob, Hannah is looking for it due to the death of Rekus. Plum searched for it after he comes home from the war. They all long for something. Sula's name is different because it translates into peace. Her name is Peace Peace. She is separate from her family because they are able to find some form of peace in their distractions from life. Hannah and Eva with men and Plum with drugs. However, Sula feels great despair during her remedies.
Why does Eva leave her children? Why does she come back with one leg?
Eva leaves her children because she is unable to provide for them. Her husband deserted them and they do not have enough resources to keep her family going. "Eva had $1.64, five eggs, three beets....the children needed her; she needed money, and needed to get on with her life"(pg. 32). She leaves because she knows she has to get money in order for her children to survive. Eva is said to come back with one leg because she made the ultimate sacrifice and "stuck it under a train"(pg. 31) to collect an insurance claim and make them pay it off. She loves her children enough to sacrifice her body so that they can live without struggle. It is a great display of love.
Why does Eva take Plum to the outhouse? What does she realize in asking herself this question? Why does she set Plum on fire? How does the narrator describe the scene? Why is the description important?
Eva takes Plum to the outhouse because he has been wailing for sometime and is unable to make a bowel movement. She takes him out to save his life and remove the stool from his behind. In asking herself why she did it she realizes that she loves Plum and that he is her favorite. She sets Plum on fire because she cannot bear to watch him suffer and continue to be an addict. "She was thirsty and reached for the glass of strawberry crush...and discovered it was blood tainted water"(pg. 47). She is horrified to find that Plum is killing himself and does not want him to continue down the path of destruction. Eva believes that it is better for Plum to die than to go down the path of addiction. It is both a selfless and selfish act of love by her.The scene is described with "the kerosene-soaked Plum lay in snug delight"(pg. 47) and being happy knowing that everything will be okay. He seems to be at peace at the time of his death and is easily able to fall into a "bright hole of sleep"(pg 47). The scene is important because it shows that Plum did not suffer and it was not a horrific scene but the reader sees how hard it is for Eva to do commit the act. "Eva lifted her tongue to the edge of her lip to stop the tears from running into her mouth"(pg. 47). This shows how
What does Hannah say to upset Sula?
Hannah is talking to some of her neighborhood friends about how difficult it is to raise children. They discuss how they do not think that they love their children when Hannah interjects and says, "I love Sula. I just don't like her"(pg.57). Sula is crushed to learn that her mother does not like her, and it seems to her that she does not love her either. It is the same thing to Sula as Hannah saying that she does not love her. This really shows how detached Hannah and Sula are from each other.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Sula 1919-1920
Where is the Bottom? How was it established? How is its name symbolic?
The Bottom began when a slave gained his freedom and was promised land. His former owner tricked him into going to live ontop of the hills and so Medallion was born. The Bottom ironically is at the top of a hill. "Where the Negoroes lived they called the Bottom in spite of the fact that it was up in the hills. Just a nigger joke"(Morrison pg.4). Here Morrsion points out that it is a joke to the white people because they laugh at the black community because they think they are dumb."White people lived on the rich valley floor ....everyday they could literally look down on white folks"(Morrison pg. 5). Even though the blacks are finally above the whites geogriphically it goes to show that they are still not above them. the community is able to look down at the valley and the white community yet they still think they are beneath them and are jealous. They call where they live the Bottom because they are still considered beneath the white population.
How does Shadrack and National Suicide Day frame the novel? How does it set the tone for the novel?
Shadrack and National Suicide day frame the novel because it revolves around trying to create order and meaning to the experiences and problems in life. Shadrack is discharged from the military and suffers from PTSD and is instituted into a mental facility. He is discharged and does not know what to do with himself once he returns home. "Shadrack began a struggle that was to last for twelve days, a struggle to order and understranding of experience. It had to do with making a place for fear and controlling it...in this manner he instituted National Suicide Day"(pg. 14). He is now haunted with the new idea that a person could die any day or any second and people have no control over it. The horror and struggles during the war have opened up his eyes to it and he does not know how to handle it so he creates National Suicide Day. This allows people the freedom to choose when they are going to die and gives a little bit of control back to them. Others in the novel also have the same difficulty with "a struggle to order and understanding of experience"(pg. 14). For example Helene's grandmother, Cecile, takes her away from her mother, Rochelle, because she works at a whorehouse. Cecile does not want her granddaughter to have the same fate as her daughter and could not understand what happened to her daughter. So, Cecile "raised her under the dolesome eyes of a multicolored Virgin Mary"(pg 17). She takes precaustions to be "on gaurd for any sign of (Rochelle's) wild blood"(pg. 17). Her equilvanlant to Shadrack's National Suicide Day is to take away the brightness of Helene's life and replace it with dull light and with a strict upbringing based upon the Bible.
Why is the incident on the train between Helene and the conductor significant? What happens as the train travels further south? How does Morrison used the notion of defilement in 1920? Who is defiled? Why?
The incident on the train between Helene and the conductor show that Helene is not inpendatrable. Although, she may seem to be this upright proper, perfect person she cannot escape the realities of racism; it can still reach her. Her smiling at the conductor shows that there is nothing wrong with the way that he spoke to her almost as if she gave him approval and she appears to be unintelligent in this scence. She smiles at him big and bright while he is being rude to her and tearing her down as though she does not realize what he is doing when in fact she does. It ruins Nel's perfect image she has of her mother in that moment Helene is defiled. "If this tall, proud woman..who could slip into church with unequaled elegance..if she were really custard than there was a chance that Nel was too"(pg. 22). Nel is now able to look at her mother in a whole new light. She sees that she is not the perfect person she has looked up to for so long but is indeed just like everyone else. She decides on that train "that no midnight or marbled flesh would ever accost her and turn her into jelly"(pg.22). She does not want to be like her mother and embarrassed that way. Nel cannot even bring herself to look at her mother on the train because she does not want her suspicions to be true. As the train ride goes on Helene is forced to get rid of her pride and to use the bathroom outside nearing the end of the train ride "Helene could not only fold leaces as well as the fat woman she never felt a stir as she passed the muddy eyes of the men"9pg. 24). Since there were no bathrooms for women at the train stations in the South she was forced to go to the bathroom in the high grass showing how segragated the South was during that time. Here again Helene is defiled before her daughter's eyes. Nel has now watched her mother be talked down to by a conductor, turn to custard, and then be forced to pee outside in the grass. Her image of Helene will never be the same after observing her mother act in such a manner.
The Bottom began when a slave gained his freedom and was promised land. His former owner tricked him into going to live ontop of the hills and so Medallion was born. The Bottom ironically is at the top of a hill. "Where the Negoroes lived they called the Bottom in spite of the fact that it was up in the hills. Just a nigger joke"(Morrison pg.4). Here Morrsion points out that it is a joke to the white people because they laugh at the black community because they think they are dumb."White people lived on the rich valley floor ....everyday they could literally look down on white folks"(Morrison pg. 5). Even though the blacks are finally above the whites geogriphically it goes to show that they are still not above them. the community is able to look down at the valley and the white community yet they still think they are beneath them and are jealous. They call where they live the Bottom because they are still considered beneath the white population.
How does Shadrack and National Suicide Day frame the novel? How does it set the tone for the novel?
Shadrack and National Suicide day frame the novel because it revolves around trying to create order and meaning to the experiences and problems in life. Shadrack is discharged from the military and suffers from PTSD and is instituted into a mental facility. He is discharged and does not know what to do with himself once he returns home. "Shadrack began a struggle that was to last for twelve days, a struggle to order and understranding of experience. It had to do with making a place for fear and controlling it...in this manner he instituted National Suicide Day"(pg. 14). He is now haunted with the new idea that a person could die any day or any second and people have no control over it. The horror and struggles during the war have opened up his eyes to it and he does not know how to handle it so he creates National Suicide Day. This allows people the freedom to choose when they are going to die and gives a little bit of control back to them. Others in the novel also have the same difficulty with "a struggle to order and understanding of experience"(pg. 14). For example Helene's grandmother, Cecile, takes her away from her mother, Rochelle, because she works at a whorehouse. Cecile does not want her granddaughter to have the same fate as her daughter and could not understand what happened to her daughter. So, Cecile "raised her under the dolesome eyes of a multicolored Virgin Mary"(pg 17). She takes precaustions to be "on gaurd for any sign of (Rochelle's) wild blood"(pg. 17). Her equilvanlant to Shadrack's National Suicide Day is to take away the brightness of Helene's life and replace it with dull light and with a strict upbringing based upon the Bible.
Why is the incident on the train between Helene and the conductor significant? What happens as the train travels further south? How does Morrison used the notion of defilement in 1920? Who is defiled? Why?
The incident on the train between Helene and the conductor show that Helene is not inpendatrable. Although, she may seem to be this upright proper, perfect person she cannot escape the realities of racism; it can still reach her. Her smiling at the conductor shows that there is nothing wrong with the way that he spoke to her almost as if she gave him approval and she appears to be unintelligent in this scence. She smiles at him big and bright while he is being rude to her and tearing her down as though she does not realize what he is doing when in fact she does. It ruins Nel's perfect image she has of her mother in that moment Helene is defiled. "If this tall, proud woman..who could slip into church with unequaled elegance..if she were really custard than there was a chance that Nel was too"(pg. 22). Nel is now able to look at her mother in a whole new light. She sees that she is not the perfect person she has looked up to for so long but is indeed just like everyone else. She decides on that train "that no midnight or marbled flesh would ever accost her and turn her into jelly"(pg.22). She does not want to be like her mother and embarrassed that way. Nel cannot even bring herself to look at her mother on the train because she does not want her suspicions to be true. As the train ride goes on Helene is forced to get rid of her pride and to use the bathroom outside nearing the end of the train ride "Helene could not only fold leaces as well as the fat woman she never felt a stir as she passed the muddy eyes of the men"9pg. 24). Since there were no bathrooms for women at the train stations in the South she was forced to go to the bathroom in the high grass showing how segragated the South was during that time. Here again Helene is defiled before her daughter's eyes. Nel has now watched her mother be talked down to by a conductor, turn to custard, and then be forced to pee outside in the grass. Her image of Helene will never be the same after observing her mother act in such a manner.
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