Sula: Genre 1 key example

The development of Nel and Sula’s characters relies heavily on the influence of their female relatives as well as the women around them: Hannah, Eva, Helene, and Rochelle. By featuring several women members of the same family and illustrating how they interact with one another, Morrison is able to trace the development of ideology and behavior across time. The reader is thus able to understand how an individual’s personhood is influenced by their family and community. Nel, for example, follows in the footsteps of her mother, Helene, to become a single mother herself. Conversely, Sula attempts to escape traditional domesticity, having observed how her mother and grandmother have suffered due to their relationships with men. While Nel and Sula end up leading very different lives, both of their stories can be related directly to the influence of their women relatives.

Morrison uses the genre of generational drama to carefully examine how one’s environment and context truly shape one’s future. Especially as Bottom is an isolated and relatively homogenous setting, the effects of its insular community on individual characters are much more evident than they would be in a more geographically expansive setting with a broader array of characters.