1. Put into your own words why Jude wants so much to get a job working on the proposed new road. Try to get below the surface.
2. Notice Jude's motivation for asking Nel to marry him, and hers to marry him (82-3). Do you think it's common for people to ask others to marry them for such a non-Romantic reason, or unusual?
3. Ajax says about women, "All they want, man, is they own misery. Ax em to die for you and they yours for life" (83). What do you think of Ajax's theory? Note: Ajax is the same character who applied the expression "pig meat" to Sula and Nel when they were younger.
4. On p. 90, Morrison describes the world-view of the people of the Bottom ("What was taken by outsiders . . . .it was beneath them.") How, in your own words, does their world view differ from that of the people you know?
5. In the same paragraph on p. 90, the author says "they determined . . . to survive floods, white people, tuberculosis, famine and ignorance." Comment on the order of the things on this list.
6. Sula, on her return, gets into an argument with her grandmother, Eva. What does this argument say about the character of each?
7. What possible explanation is there for Sula's committing her grandmother to an old age home? How evil is Sula acting?
16 comments:
Adressing to question number 2, I think it is unusual for people to ask others to merry them for such a non-romantic reason. People merry each other because they love each other. As for Jude and Nel, their is no special relationship, no love. If they were in love, they would have been married. Jude was not even thinking about getting married in the first place. "He wasn't really aiming to get married." Pg.80
I am adressing question 2. I think that people marry each other for non-romantic reasons more than one would like. People sometimes feel that a marriage can in some ways improve their lives. Jude for example, wants marriage because its something constant in his life that he can have control over. Its not at all for love but instead for a more practical reason of sorts. Nel doesn't see her marriage to Jude as happening out of love either. I think there is an element of sadness of marrying someone that you don't love. But at the same time its not like they hated each other and it is possible a different kind of love could develop over time. In some respects basing a marriage completely on love of the infatuation kind can be worse.
I am responding to question number two. I think that this is very unusual. I think that Jude's reasoning for marrying Nel and their relationship is not love. Marriage is something to last a life time and it is something to be taken so seriously, maybe even the most important decision of your life. I think that these reasons could draw someone into an adventurous relationship, where there is less pressure than marriage, however, I think that they are not suitable for a marriage. Marrying someone that you do not love does not seem appealing, and it feels like they are having an arranged marriage when in reality they do not need to be married. But, a spark and connection does not have to be discovered in the beginning of a relationship for it to work out.
Sula could have committed her grandmother to an old age home as a vengeance. Sula was tired of her grandmother patronizing her to get married like Nel and settle down. Sula states that she “don’t want to make somebody else. I want to make myself” (pg. 92). Sula rebelled against her grandmother because she was tired of grandma’s expectations and grandma was pressuring her. I do not think Sula is acting evil; she just had enough of the drama and she wanted to escape.
Hey Everyone,
I am going to answer question 6. Both ladies are very snippy with one another. They both get easily irritated by one another and therefore start this argument. In addition to this snippiness, Sula seems like she has lost patience for her grandmother. Everything her grandmother has to say she shoots down immediately. She isn't very respectful of her elders as it seems, or at least not with this elder. Her grandmother seems very grumpy. SHe doesn't really welcome her grand-daughter, but at the same time her grand daughter has really welcomed her either. I feel like Sula is a lot more disrespectful and more snippier compared to her grandmother. I think the best word to describes both the characters character best would be that they are both snippy.
Yo
Addressing question #2. First of all, I think it's a weird match for Jude and Nel to be married in the first place. As the book continued, it appeared to me that they were in love at points, but others it was clear that no love was present. However, I do think it was strange and un-romantic as to how they went about doing it. I agree with Shenese when she said that people should marry one another only if they are truly in love. I found very little (close to no) evidence supporting the fact that they are not really in a true state of love. Also, when the book describes that he's really not aiming to get married, it also suggest that they in a non-romantic relationship. I think asking someone in a non romantic and unusual way is not the right way as to go about it.
Jude feels the need to get a job on the proposed new road because it will prove to himself and others his manliness and his strength. He feels that it is a job that really would cause him to have to work hard and put his whole self into something that had a final product and a reason to it. The line "More than anything he wanted the camaraderie of the road men: the lunch buckets, the hollering, the body movement that in the end produced something real, something he could point to." really illustrates the fact that he wants to work for something, and not just a days wages. He doesn't want a job that takes no strength. Jude wants to prove to himself and everybody else that he is just as capable as any white man for the job. It kills him that they would hire other people who were weak, just because they were white. The discrimination against not only his skin color, but his ability to work as a true man with strength as strong as any other, is what hurts him the most. He wants to be among the other workers and feel the feeling of accomplishment and self worth. He wants a job that will let him be in shape and have muscles that show is endurance and his ability to contribute to something important. He feels hurt and angry that he must work the job of a woman, a job that belittles him, and makes him seem like a servant woman.
Hey everyone,
I am answering question 2. I believe that people have different ways of showing their emotions and expressing their feelings. Jude seems very excited and anxious while at the same time Nel is completely indifferent. Marriage is a major step in everyone's life however the stress of it hits people in different ways. Jude was never a person who wanted to get married but then once he met Nel he realized that marriage is the right thing for him, as long as she is the girl he shares it with. Showing such scattered emotions is a common thing however history has shown that men are the one's that usually have cold feet during the proposal stage, not girls. This could be perceived as strange when looking at the relationship from Nel's point of view. I think that their relationship is some what normal and nothing that they did is really too far out of the ordinary. However I do look forward to reading what all of you have to say on this, and other, issues.
hakuna matata.
In response to question 2 and adding to what Maggie early proposed i feel that Jude wants so badly to get a job on the new railroad road because it represents a connection to a bigger thing than his own individual life. Jude's entire life has been within a restricted, small community where he is forced to obey set social rules and standards. By being attached to this greater force Jude is able to feel as if he has, at least in a small way, escaped from this monotonous grab on his life.
Answering #7.
I think Sula might have gotten rid of her grandmother because she doesn't want anyone in control of her life. Sula wants to do what she wants with no one getting in her way and telling her what to do, like getting married. I think Sula in a way is acting evil because she wants to be the only one in control. Her grandmother has always taken care of her and gave her a home. Although I don't agree with the grandmother's reasons for Sula to get married, I think she just wants the best for her. Sula wants her family out of her life. She's also being evil because she scared her grandmother to lock her bedroom door every night in fear of her life!
Hello English 11 :) I am going to address prompt #7.
I agree with Megumi when she says that Sula was likely getting sick of Eva nagging her to make her life "more perfect" or "more acceptable." I also feel, though, that there are other, more emotional reasons for Sula to do such a thing. Firstly, it could very well be out of greed, if Sula is after Eva's grand house. That was my first assumption. I began to think more about the words of the last two paragraphs though, and I began to realize that it is described almost as the death of Eva. She is carried out on a stretcher, and the paragraph right before that had been when Sula threatened to set her on fire. My first reaction was that Eva had been killed. When I realized, though, that she had actually just been placed in an old folk's home, I began to consider the figurative death that that implied. I think the Sula knew how much it would bother and frustrate Eva to be placed in an old folk's home, and she did it just to get the satisfaction of doing something to her that she couldn't control. I'm not even sure that Sula's motivations were entirely to upset Eva, but more just to be able to cause pain to SOMEONE to make up for all of the pain she herself had had. I don't know if that makes sense, but I guess I just feel like Sula wants to be the one in control for once. I would also say that while I do feel she is being rude and mean, I don't think she is being purely evil, and she just has a lot of emotional problems to work out. Everyone does crazy things when they are upset (though I didn't get the impression that this was a rash decision... I think her pain is deep and has been around for a long time, so it was more of a gradual build up of anger that finally motivated her to do something like this.)
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!!!
Addressing question one, I think Jude wants the job working on the new road for several different reasons, the main one being to prove himself. As was written in the book, the man hiring for road work was mostly hiring white men. By being hired, Jude could prove himself to the white men and possibly break some kind of barrier between the two races if he could prove he was just as capable at doing the work as the white men. Also, the job would allow him to be recognized in the Bottom. From the sound of it, most people didn't have jobs- even Jude's restaurant job was rare. He could become a well-respected man and hold a respectable job and be able to support Nel in their marriage. However I think the main reason for Jude is the breaking of the barrier between races. The role of race plays a prominent part in "Sula" and I think the author is making yet another jab at this. Thanks!
5. In the same paragraph on p. 90, the author says "they determined . . . to survive floods, white people, tuberculosis, famine and ignorance." Comment on the order of the things on this list.
When analyzing this list I was thinking that, typically when we have a list of some sort- each item is larger, or the priority is greater, something with an increasing scale. And I do believe this is true in this case as well, but the perspective is much different that that of my own. I would not consider ignorance as the worst possible thing, but this author does. I also find the relationship of white people holding a higher position of fear than a flood, but maybe that is just me. I just don't think that in many list I would make it would include these things especially surviving white people of ignorance.
Hello,
Much like Sarah said, Marraige is not always for love related reasons. Many people in today's world marry for reasons such as benifits and social ideals. As one grows older the pressure to secure a husband or wife grows in the mind. Love can be a forced excuse for why two people choose to marry one another. In some cultures marraige can almost be seen as some type of buisness agreement. Marraige is just the next step in ones life plan. It must happen in order to folllow the plan set by your role models. It doesn't seem strange or wierd for two to marry for non-romantic reasons, despite it's emptiness of passion.
#6
Eva's reaction to Sula's return is described as being similar to how she acted when Boyboy came back to see her. This could mean she was feeling resolved, although still knowing Sula's leaving caused her pain, and attempted to be polite. She says "sweet of you to ask." when Sula asks how Eva's been but there is a sarcastic tone when after she mentions how Sula was usually so quick to use Eva and not care how she felt. The whole conversation seems bitter, as if both knew from the beginning that there would be an arguement. Because Sula came to mock Eva and criticize the way she treats people. She brings up the irony of Eva praising God and telling others what they do wrong when she burned her own child to death. It seems that Sula wants revenge over Eva and all the pain she caused by putting her in her place. She acts very defiant and her arguements are childish and only make a point to disaggree with whatever Eva says. Both women acted immature but Eva was defeated by her granddaughter in the end. Ironically, Sula brings up how she uses her severed leg to "kick everybody" and then she truly cripples Eva by putting her in a place where she has no control of her life.
this is pall...
question number 2 is not easily answered, or at least not easily answered correctly, since there may be no absolutely true answer. But in a way, what is love but a mutual liking, need, and dependency on someone else? But that is just one persons perspective, out of 6 or 8 billion (i forget which) people living in the world today. As for question two, I think Jude wants to prove to the world that he is a tough, hardworking, strong, and rough man, not some 'pussy-footed girl' (no offense intended to ANYONE) who takes orders from everybody. But the realization that he will never be able to prove it in that way because of his skin color is crushing to him, because that's pretty much the one thing that he can't change, and so he will never be able to realize his 'dream'.
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