“Hunched down in the small bright room Nel waited. Waited for the oldest cry. A scream not for others, not in sympathy for a burnt child, or a dead father, but a deeply personal cry for one’s own pain. A loud, strident: “Why me?” – Page 108
This quote really stuck with me because I think it is something everyone can relate to. Everyone has had a friend stab you in the back or a boyfriend break up with you. It really hurts. You just want to cry and scream “Why me”? So many things run through your head and you don’t understand what you did to deserve such emotional pain. I think this passage had amazing imagery and really showed how Nel was feeling. I think the author did a wonderful job expressing the feelings of the character and actually showing her readers how she was feeling. What made things even worse for her is that Sula was the cause of this pain, her best friend, the person she care about more than anyone, caused her to feel this terrible way. This would make the pain twice as bad.
“What do you mean take him away? I didn’t kill him, I just fucked him. If we were such good friends, how come you couldn’t get over it?” -Page 145
“You lay there in that bed without a dime or a friend to your name having done all the dirt you did in this town and you still expect folks to love you?” -Page 145
“Goodbye, Sula. I don’t reckon I’ll be back” – 146
These quotes are very monumental to the book because Nel is finally sticking up for herself. She’s trying to explain to Sula how she feels and Sula is being completely heartless. She truly doesn’t feel that she did anything wrong and that it is Nel’s fault for not caring enough to stay friends with her. This is when you truly see the person that Sula really is.
This is the complete opposite of how I thought the book would end. I honestly thought that Sula would apologize to Nel and tell her how much she regrets not being a good friend, etc. However, this truly was the turning point of the book. This is when Nel finally realized that it was time to let go of Sula, to be done with her. She finally realized that she was better off without her.
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3 comments:
I found it extremely interesting that you said that everyone has had a friend stab you in the back. This is so true. So where does the idea that women's friendships are so true and strong? If we have all been betrayed by a friend, does this cultural narrative really ring true?
thats what I thought about Nel sticking up for herself! However, i'm not to suprised that Sula didnt apologize because she was so stubborn with everything else, and if you think about she never once apologized the whole book! Not to chicken little's parents, Eva, or Hannah. So i'm no suprised by that part.
While it is very true that Sula stabbed Nel in the back, I don't know if I agree that with the statement that "everyone" has had a friend betray them. Maybe I am a little naive, but I believe in the truth and strength of women's relationships. Although everyone has had their differences with friends over the years, I don't believe that everyone has had a dramatic event comparable to Nel's. I know I have had falling outs with friends, and disagreements, but nothing in my life can compare to the heartbreak that Sula caused Nel.
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