Sula (2021)

Lesson 17
icon/ela/white

ELA

Unit 16

10th Grade

Lesson 17 of 31

Objective


Explain Morrison’s deliberate choice to shift point of view in this section. 

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Sula by Toni Morrison  pp. 104 – 111

Fishtank Plus

Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.

Target Task


Writing Prompt

Whose point of view does Morrison shift to and what is the effect of this shift on readers? Support your answer with specific details from the text.

Key Questions


  • Who can we assume the “he” is on p. 104? Why do you think Morrison doesn’t name him right away?
  • Underline all of the ways in which Jude knew Nel? Be ready to discuss what kind of a relationship these things indicate.
  • Who are “they” on p. 105? Who does Nel find?
  • Whose point of view does Morrison switch to? Why might this be?
  • What is Nel’s initial reaction to what she walks in on? Why?
  • How does Jude look at Nel? Is he sorry?
  • Why does Nel describe the bedroom as “small” here?
  • How does Morrison describe the grief inside of Nel from pp. 106–111?
  • On p. 108, what is Nel waiting for and why?
  • What is the “box with four handles” that Nel refers to on p. 111? 
  • Nel is grieving the loss of many things on p. 111. Explain.

Notes


  • **Note: this is a graphic sexual scene. Some students may need a warning beforehand.
  • Morrison switches to a first-person narrator so we can more deeply feel Nel’s pain. Nel flashes back to intimate moments in which she was vulnerable in front of Jude. This makes the betrayal that much worse. 

Next

Explain how Sula is viewed by the people of Medallion and evaluate if this is a fair assessment of her. 

Lesson 18
icon/arrow/right/large

Lesson Map

A7CB09C2-D12F-4F55-80DB-37298FF0A765

Request a Demo

See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.

Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.

Contact Information

School Information

What courses are you interested in?

ELA

Math

Are you interested in onboarding professional learning for your teachers and instructional leaders?

Yes

No

Any other information you would like to provide about your school?

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free