Sula Chapter 1927
Vocabulary
Marriage vocabulary
Vocabulary
Bridegroom/ groom
Definition
Live with someone without being married
Wedding
Man who gets married
Newlyweds
Party after the wedding ceremony
preacher
Take up with someone
Decide to no longer be single and live a more
secure life
A religious person
Settle down with someone
People who have just got married
Reception
Ceremony which takes place in a church
The Party
Vocabulary
Sugar cane
Type of word
Punch
Definition
An ornament fastened to clothing/ a piece of
jewellery
A record player used for listening to music
A shot
Result of drinking too much alcohol
Be tipsy
A type of rose which had the smell of tea
Victrola
Fall down
Be drunk
adjective
Tropical plant used to make sugar and alcohol
Mellow
Verb/adjective
An alcoholic drink e.g. whisky
Weary
Slightly drunk
A brooch
Alcohol (US word) made from sugar cane
Rattle around
Softened with time
Slip
Move around in a large empty space
Cane liquor
Very tired
Tea roses
A drink of wine or spirits mixed with fruit
juice
1) The Wedding
Look at the quotes below and say if the explanations about each quote are true or false:
a) « Even Helene Wright had mellowed with the cane... »
During the wedding Helene is very worried and concerned about the damage to her house. T/F
b) « The tea roses above her left breast had slipped from the brooch that fastened them and were
hanging heads down. »
The flowers reflect the fact that Helene is less concerned with her appearance than usual and is more
relaxed.
T/F
c) « Her only child's wedding – the culmination of all she had been, thought or done in this
world... »
Nel's wedding is not a very important event for her mother.
T/F
d) « Once this day was over she would have a lifetime to rattle around in that house and repair the
damage. »
Now that Nel is married, Helene sees her life as finished.
T/F
e) « The rest just 'took up' with one another. »
In Bottom most people got married in a big church ceremony.
T/F
2) A new character
In this chapter we learn that Nel Wright is going to marry a young man named Jude Greene. What
do we learn about him? Choose the correct information:
Interests:
singer for Mount Zion's Men's
dancer for the Quartet
Quartet
Appearance:
plain-looking man
handsome
Family:
an only child
Job:
works in a hotel as a waiter
Opinions about him:
he is popular
has 7 brothers/sisters
works on a building site
he is unpopular
Work Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Translation
Hire someone
faible
Errands
Pioche
Feeble
Ramasser du gravier à la pelle
Shy away from work
Engager/embaucher
Long for something
Repugner à faire qqc
A pick
Tâches/ commissions
Shovel gravel
Avoire très envie
3) True or False
a) In Medallion they are planning on building a new road through the town.
T/F
b) They also want to build a new tunnel to link Medallion to Porter's Landing.
T/F
c) Jude Greene gets a job building the road.
T/F
d) There is racism in the town of Medallion.
T/F
e) There are no other immigrants living in the town.
T/F
4) Analysing a metaphor:
Look at the following metaphor from page 83:
" The more he thought about marriage, the more attractive it became. Whatever his fortune,
whatever the cut of his garment, there would always be the hem – the tuck and fold that hid his
raveling edges; a someone sweet, industrious and loyal to shore him up. And in return he would
shelter her, love her, grow old with her."
Underline all the words connected with clothing and making clothes.
Find the words which mean: vêtement, ourlet, rempli, pli,
To shore up = étayer, consolider
The cut of his garment is a) his character
b) his house
c) his success
The hem is
a) his mother
b) his father c) Nel
His raveling edges are
a) his clothes
b) his problems
c) his successes
So why does he choose to marry Nel. Choose from the ideas below. Think about the metaphor as
well.
he is in love with Nel
he marries her so that she can look after him/take care of him
Nel is pregnant with Jude's child
he does not get the job he wants but still wants to act like a man
Nel forces him to marry her
he wants to leave his parents' house
she does not try to get him to notice her
she chases after him
5) Why does Jude Greene want to work on building the road?
Fill in the text below with the right words:
For Jude the road-building job is a symbol for many important things. It is a way for him to be
remembered even after his ......................... It is also a .................................. job and it will allow
him to do some ................................ work and use his body. He also wants to work with other men
which will allow him to experience a sense of ............................... with them. He even imagines that
if he was injured building the road, the injury would be like a badge of ....................... He is also not
satisfied with his job as a .....................................
Words:
well-paid
physical
camaraderie
waiter
6) Why does Nel marry Jude?
she begins to see his pain and wants to help him
she is in love with him
Jude paid attention to her and showed her affection
she wanted to escape from her parents
7) Sula's response: underline the correct information:
death
pride
At first Sula is happy/jealous when she hears that Nel is going to marry Jude. Sula was not /
excited about the wedding and she did not want to attend the ceremony / wanted to be
bridesmaid. At the end of the chapter Sula leaves / stays with Nel. Nel still feels that her and Sula
are close as she « Even from the rear Nel could tell that it was Sula and that she was laughing /
smiling. »
8)Commentary on that marriage
In marrying Jude, Nel conforms to the ..................... norms which said that a young girl should get
married and have children. However, in marrying Jude she gives up her sense of « ...................... »
which she had developed through her ....................................... with Sula. This may be the reason
why Sula leaves at the end of the wedding, as she realises that Nel and her can no longer be
............................... friends. Sula, in contrast to Nel, is ........................... and she refuses to acquiesce
to society's demands that a woman must marry, have children and ........................ her man. During
the wedding Nel's ..................... is described as being too heavy for her to feel Jude's kiss. This veil
may be a symbol for a ................................... imagination and eclipsed ............................
Words:
smothered
friendship
me-ness
dreams
veil
community
inseparable
unpredictable
serve/obey
9) The Deweys
At the wedding ceremony what do people realise about the Deweys? (page 84-5)
a) They were completely different
b) They would never grow anymore
c) They would remain children forever d) They were now men
e) They still played children's games
f) They were all very intelligent
Commentary on the Deweys:
Remember that the Deweys are all different ages, from different backgrounds and different ethnic
backgrounds.
It is therefore unlikely / very likely / normal that they are all 48 inches tall and will remain like that
all their lives.
This makes the reader wonder whether this description is really true or whether: Morrison is
describing what people in the village see when they look at the deweys / a strange illness has made
the deweys like this / the Deweys are secretly brothers.
The theme of identity is important in Morrison's novels and the description of the Deweys
highlights: how people try to define others' lives / how people do not really look at others / how
people do not bother to recognise people
After her visit to New Orleans Nel was able to say "I'm me" since / whereas / because the Deweys
will never achieve that sense of me-ness as people refuse to recognise that they are different.
10)At the end of the chapter Morrison creates a sense of mystery when she writes:
" It would be ten years before they saw each other again, and their meeting would be thick with
birds."
Who is "they" and "their"?
What does the reference to ten years tell us?
What does "thick with birds" mean? Suggest what might happen when they do meet.
11)Themes of love, racism and identity
Find examples in the chapter of racism.
Look at the different types of love shown in the chapter. Why do people get married? Is it always for
love?
Identity is another key theme. Look at how Helene defines herself.