Sula Lesson Plan

What is the significance of Sula’s saying, “I don’t want to make somebody else. I want to make myself”?

Eva suggests Sula should go the traditional route of marrying and having children. Sula rejects this idea by saying she wants to focus on herself, not on a partner or children. This would have been a radical notion in the 1930s and ‘40s, as women were expected to want to be wives and mothers. Sula does not have this desire. Her primary focus is his herself and her needs. Students should also consider the link between this idea and Nel's childhood revelation that "I'm me"—what is the difference between having such a perspective as a child and as an adult?

Do you...