https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra Hannah Clemens, Tommy Dry, Paige Tighe en-us 2022-04-27 17:35:06 UTC 2025-10-27 15:22:17 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2160835097 "The Bottom" despite being high up in the hills of the valley, is referenced as the bottom due to the fact that it is predominately populated by people of color. When looking at this through the race lens, it is evident that this is done to emphasize the racial hierarchy that is embedded into American society at this time.]]> 2022-04-27 17:43:28 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2160835097 td1002943 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2160835273 "Easily, quietly, Suicide Day became a part of the fabric of life up in the Bottom of Medallion, Ohio" (16).

Early on, the world of the Bottom is established as a world where the inhabitants reluctantly but eventually accept their status within America as second-class citizens as black Americans. Both their acceptance of the Bottom's land from white slave owners when they were aware of its inferior conditions to white land and their acceptance of the establishment of Suicide Day, a holiday created by Shadrack to lament his racial self-hatred, reflect this.]]> 2022-04-27 17:43:32 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2160835273 pt1001835 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2160838371 2022-04-27 17:45:17 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2160838371 td1002943 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2160844598 "much handled things are always soft" (27).

While being a sexist and extremely rude response from Helene against prostitutes, reflecting her view perpetuated by her grandmother Cecile that prostitutes are highly immoral within society, Helene's comment here further reflects and acts as an analogy for black Americans' suffering under America's racist institutions, and how it causes that suffering to be masked by an outer veil of beauty.]]> 2022-04-27 17:48:55 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2160844598 hc1003048 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2162027979 "There in the toilet water he saw a grave black face.  A black so definite, so unequivocal, it astonished him" (13). 

Shadrack looking at his reflection in the water is an exemplification of his internalized racism.  he doesn't know what he is or who he is until he sees his Blackness and he allows that to define him in a negative light.  We see another example between the connection of internalized racism and reflections with Nel.  She looks into "the mirror.  There was her face, plain brown eyes, three braids, and the nose her mother hated.  she looked for a long time and suddenly a shiver ran through her" (28).  She also is questioning her identity after the trip with her mother Helene and looking at her Black reflection in the mirror is making her question all the positive things she once thought about herself and her mother.]]> 2022-04-28 12:02:18 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2162027979 td1002943 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2168697025 "kerosene-soaked... snug delight" (47)

Fire is used throughout Sula as a tool to ironically convey how characters hold one another dearly. This connects to the Race Lens by showing another product of the omnipresence of racial violence and oppression that exists in the Bottom in Ohio. Fire also acts as an ironic representation of how the American Dream is impossible for the residents of the Bottom to control through the uncontrollable nature of fire, which is used again ironically by characters in the context of trying to control desperate situations.]]> 2022-05-03 17:28:42 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2168697025 td1002943 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2183209337 "white dust" (147) "you say I'm a woman and colored. Ain't that the same as being a man" (142)

Throughout the book, Sula struggles with being unable to achieve the ideal image of a white woman and destroys both her societal and personal image in the process, resulting in numerous of her most valuable relationships being ruined beyond reconciliation, as well as her being unwilling to reconcile. This connects to an overarching theme throughout the book of black Americans being unable to achieve the American Dream, which is represented here with Sula specifically through her personal inability to achieve the social status of white women, which silences her throughout her life (Morrell Lens: Who is silenced?) ]]> 2022-05-13 17:17:55 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2183209337 td1002943 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2183217650 2022-05-13 17:24:24 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2183217650 td1002943 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2183235149 2022-05-13 17:37:55 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2183235149 td1002943 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2186039327 2022-05-16 16:29:58 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2186039327 hc1003048 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2186050273 Sula, written by Toni Morrison, provides an insightful view into the struggles of two Black women in the early 20th century portraying the struggles faced by black women throughout American history to achieve the American Dream, especially when reading the text through the racial and gender lenses. However, Sula contains several graphic scenes that may be overwhelming to some viewers. Nonetheless, Toni Morrison's writing is rich with craft and thought-provoking passages that echo the literary structure and quality of her other acclaimed novel, The Bluest Eye. Overall, we found Sula to be a very compelling and captivating novel that increased our perspective on racial issues that have plagued America throughout its history, using the early 20th century to highlight its continued effect and provided insight to how it is still evident today. ]]> 2022-05-16 16:36:19 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2186050273 td1002943 https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2186079567 2022-05-16 16:54:08 UTC https://padlet.com/td1002943/80947hr4fyn5xmra/wish/2186079567