Quote Analysis [137-End]

Quote Analysis:

 

“The house billowed around her light then dark, full of presences without sounds. The deweys, Tar Baby, the newly married couples, Mr. Buckland Reed, Patsy, Valentine, and the beautiful Hannah Peace. Where were they? Eva out at the old folks’ home, the deweys living anywhere, Tar Baby steeped in wine, and Sula upstairs in Eva’s bed with a d boarded-up window and an empty pocketbook on the dresser”(146).

 

Nel thinks that Sula is extremely lonely, but she does not do anything about it. She realizes that Sula has nobody in her life that she can depend on or talk to as a friend. This is because Sula does not treat people the right way. She does horrible things to each person in her life without thinking about that person or their feelings. She slept with Jude even though it meant nothing to her but everything to Nel. Nel sees that Sula has no friends and that the people who Sula once cared for are non-existent in her life anymore. There were people who could have been a part of Sula’s life, but Sula chose to treat them badly and, for that, she is punished with having no one to care for her.

 

“…either because Sula was dead or just after she was dead a brighter day was dawning. There were signs … Now that sula was dead and done with, they returned to a steeping resentment of the burdens of old people. Wives uncoddled their husbands; there seemed no further need to reinforce their vanity” (150-154)

 

Sula had a major impact on the town and even though the town seemed to hate her presence, Sula made the townspeople appreciate life more. Initially, upon hearing the news of her death, the townspeople celebrated. However, now that Sula is gone, they have no reason to prove their love for their husbands or children. Even Teapot’s Mamma treats Teapot the way she used to before Sula pushed him down the stairs. Even Shadrack has changed since Sula died. He remembers that his only visitor, the little girl, was Sula Peace and that he was never going to have another visitor because Sula was gone. Sula had both a positive and negative effect on the people of the Bottom, and so did her death.