Absent FathersĪccompanying the overwhelming matriarchal structure of the homes, there is also an absence of fathers in the novel. In similar fashion, she defines herself against her mother’s example and becomes extremely conservative and judgmental. Helene also feels shame about being born to a prostitute. When Sula dies and the community members no longer have an embodiment of shame, they begin to neglect their familial and maternal duties that they were so eager to fulfill when Sula lived.
They define themselves against her as a symbol of shame. The shame people in Medallion feel towards Sula and her actions motivates them to behave differently. ShameĪt the novel’s end, shame is revealed to be an essential part of community. War also brings changes to the town of Medallion, affecting the economy and availability of jobs. Similarly, Plum’s experiences at War cause him to regress back into childhood and errant behavior, such as theft and drug addiction. Shadrack’s observance of National Suicide Day is inspired by his experiences in war namely, his fear of death’s unexpectedness and suddenness. The war brings the men into contact with death (another major theme) in traumatic ways. Two characters, Shadrack and Plum, become victims of war when they return from it mere shells of themselves. Like another character in the novel, War acts as an agent of destruction. Race and racial prejudice pains the black people of the Bottom, who are continually denied opportunities for employment in place of their white neighbors. As she travels to New Orleans with her mother Helene, she realizes the uneven power dynamic that exists between whites and blacks. Nel expresses insecurity about her mother’s mixed blood and lighter complexion.
The division between the hill and valley areas of Medallion along racial lines indicates that segregation dictates the behaviors and lifestyles of the novel’s characters. Set in the postbellum South, the novel contains examples of lasting racism and prejudice.
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