Teacher Guide

Sula Lesson Plan

Introduction to Sula

Published in 1973, Sula was Toni Morrison’s second novel after The Bluest Eye (1970). It not only explores the individual lives of various strong black women as they mature into adults, but also describes the trials of a black community as a whole.

Set in the American South following World War I, from the years 1919 to 1965, the novel focuses on a black neighborhood in Ohio called the Bottom and the changes it undergoes. The novel touches on various themes, from the traumatic effects of war on black veterans, to the disdain for female sexuality, to the complexity of mother/daughter relationships.

Sula did not accrue high book sales, yet garnered praise from literary critics. A nominee...

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