"All the while Helene and Nel watched her. The one in a rage at the folded leaves she had endured, the wooden benches she had slept on, all to miss seeing her grandmother and seeing instead that painted canary who never said a word of greeting or affection or. . ."
This passage easily evokes feelings of sympathetic irritation. While the exact circumstances may not be common, surely many people have experienced the desecration of something personally sacred. It is not always death or related to religion as we place value on objects, events, and ideals, developing a similar perception. For instance, small children often develop attachments to specific toys (all toys, in a worst case scenario) and grow jealous or even violent if another child attempts to play with these. If the child is forced to share, they will try to minimize this infringement by dictating how the toy should be used. My sister will attest that I once felt this way about Barbie and supervised play fastidiously in my zeal. With the notion of controlling the situation in mind, I wonder if Helene would have felt differently had her mother appeared in proper mourning garb and hadn't been so concerned with her appearance.
"Old people were dancing with little children. Young boys with their sisters, and the church women who frowned on any bodily expression of joy (except when the hand of God commanded it) tapped their feet."
This passage evokes feelings of nostalgia and amusement within me. Because my family reunions are very similar, I can easily relate. I've had my toes trodden upon by little girls eager to dance and kept my aging great aunts company as they were unable (or unwilling) to join the more active of the festivities. In relation to Sula, it just seems as though things do not change all that much. The communal dynamic of a small town is almost steadfast across time and continues to unite generations and cultures again and again.
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