Toni Morrison’s novel, Sula

Morrison , Toni . Sula . New York : Random House , 1973

Toni Morrison 's novel , Sula , is a moving story about friendship between two young African American girls from a black community in Ohio , The Bottom . Sula and Nel have grown up in families that are entirely different in character . Sula has grown up with her mother and grandmother whom the society views as loose as well as unconventional Nel , on the other hand , has been raised in a strictly conventional home Nevertheless , the girls become best friends , even as they are criticized for their

friendship . As a matter of fact , their friendship grows stronger , especially after an incident that they both decide to keep secret between themselves , as young female friends typically do

As Nel and Sula grow into adults , their friendship is tested and their paths drift apart . Sula leaves The Bottom for a period of ten years , during which she has a number of affairs with both white as well as black men . Nel , on the other hand , stays on in The Bottom to raise a family . When Sula returns to The Bottom , she starts an affair with Nel 's husband , Jude . Soon enough , the two women must end their friendship , as Jude leaves Nel . The only time that the women experience a reluctant reconciliation is before Sula 's death

Following Sula 's demise , Nel visits Eva , the grandmother of Sula Eva reminds Nel of the secret that she had shared with her friend , Sula as a young girl . The secret involved the death of a young boy by the name of Chicken Little . The once-buried and now-resurfaced regret that Nel experiences by being reminded of the secret allows her to realize that she had actually pushed away Sula to lead a life of conventionality that she never truly desired . This leads Nel to visit Sula 's grave to mourn her loss...