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Beyond the Boundaries: Intersectionality, Nonconformity, and Female Friendship in Sula
Students will explore how Morrison illustrates the ways in which identity can be complex. Additionally, they will analyze how Morrison uses characterization to challenge gender norms, as well as conventional ideas about love and morality.
ELA
Unit 3
12th Grade
Unit Summary
In Sula, Morrison delves into the complexities of intersectionality, identity, friendship, and morality, aligning with the year-long theme of On Being Human. She examines the impacts of race and gender on Black women, as well as the ways in which Black women can exercise agency within societal constraints. The novel also illustrates the influence of mothers, friends, and community on identity. Through the character Sula, Morrison challenges conventional gender roles and the prioritization of romantic love over friendship. Additionally, Morrison's characters emphasize the complexity of human nature, demonstrating that individuals can embody both good and evil.
Prior to reading the novel, students will watch the TED Talk "The urgency of intersectionality" by Kimberlé Crenshaw to understand the unique challenges that those with multiple marginalized identities face, particularly Black women. Additionally, students will engage with a text set to build background knowledge about The Great Migration, Jim Crow Laws in the North, urban renewal, African American service during WWI, and Toni Morrison's legacy. While reading Sula, students will analyze how Morrison develops dynamic characters to reveal ideas about the ways that maternal love, friendship, and morality can be complex. Ultimately, for the final performance task, students will write a character analysis essay that demonstrates a deeper understanding about how a character from Sula perceives the world, why they behave in a certain way or make a certain choice, and/or their role within the novel.
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Texts and Materials
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Core Materials
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Book: Sula by Toni Morrison (Vintage Press, 2004)
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Audiobook: Sula Audiobook
Supporting Materials
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Video: “The urgency of intersectionality” by Kimberlé Crenshaw (TED Talk)
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Poem: “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa
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Poem: “Black Mother Woman” by Audre Lorde
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Article: “Visualizing the Great Migration” by MoMA
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Article: “The Forgotten Northern Origins of Jim Crow” by Steve Luxenberg (Time)
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Video: “African Americans and World War I | The Great War” by PBS Learning
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Video: “Remembering Toni Morrison, An Iconic American Author | NYT News” by The New York Times
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Photo: Please let your light shine on me (Library of Congress)
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Photo: Are they equal in the eyes of the law? (Digital Scholarship Initiatives)
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Article: “The Radical Vision of Toni Morrison” by Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah
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Excerpt: All About Love by bell hooks
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Resource: Sentence Stems for Academic Discourse
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Resource: H-I-T Visualization
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Resource: Conclusion Visualization
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Assessment
These assessments accompany Unit 3 and should be given on the days suggested in the Lesson Map. Additionally, there are formative and creative assessments integrated into the unit to prepare students for the Performance Task.
Socratic Seminar
The Socratic Seminar assesses students on their ability to push themselves and their peers to think critically and participate meaningfully in conversation by collecting and evaluating evidence, actively listening, and responding thoughtfully. Socratic Seminar assessments may occur mid-unit as a way to synthesize the ideas of the text/unit to that point or summative, taking place at the end of a unit.
Performance Task
The Performance Task is the culminating assessment of the unit in which students have the opportunity to show the skills and content they have learned.
Unit Prep
Intellectual Prep
Essential Questions
- Why is intersectionality important when thinking about agency?
- How do humans embody both good and evil?
- What is gained by defying the social order? What are the consequences of doing so?
- How is friendship between women empowering? What is the impact of marriage on female friendship?
Vocabulary
Text-based
abateacquiescebequeathcultivateimplicatemalevolencemusepariahreconciliationvitriol
Literary Terms
anecdotedictionextended metaphorfoilforeshadowimageryironyliterary point of viewmetaphorparallel narrativespersonificationsituational ironystructurestream of consciousnesssubtextsymboltoneverbal ironyvignette
To see all the vocabulary for Unit 3, view our 12th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.
Supporting All Students
In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the guidance provided under 'Notes for Teachers' below in addition to the Unit Launch to determine which supports students will need at the unit and lesson level. To learn more, visit the Supporting All Students Teacher Tool.
Notes for Teachers
The N-word is used throughout the novel. The N-word is a profoundly offensive racial slur that has been used to demean, dehumanize, and oppress Black individuals, particularly those of African descent. The word originated from the Latin term niger, meaning "black," which evolved into Spanish and Portuguese as negro. People used this term, particularly during the transatlantic slave trade, and the eras of slavery and segregation in the United States adapted and weaponized the term as a tool of systemic racism and hatred.
Before starting the text, it is imperative that teachers prepare students for its use in the text. Black or African American students, in particular, can be harmed by seeing the word in the text without any warning. Teachers should understand the history of the word and unpack and facilitate discussions with students about the history and usage of the word. In your classroom communities, establish that the word should never be said aloud in class. If reading the text aloud, teachers should replace its use with "N-word." When citing the text in classroom materials or in writing, replace it with "N-word" or "n—" as seen in our lesson plans. Below are some resources to further prepare you and your students for its use in the text:
- The N Word in the Classroom by Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor
- How the N-Word Became the 'Atomic Bomb of Racial Slurs' by PBS NewsHour
- Straight Talk About the N-Word by Learning for Justice Magazine
- Addressing Racist and Dehumanising Language by Facing History
In addition, it might be confusing to some students why Black characters use the racial epithet towards one another. A helpful resource to use with students is Gloria Naylor's essay "The Meaning of a Word" which explores how words can take on different meanings depending on who uses them and for what purpose. She recounts how growing up in her Black family and community, she heard the word many times, but only when a white classmate directed the word towards her did she really hear the word. This essay could provide a foundation for students being able to understand the differences between the use of the word by Black and white characters in the novel.
In the novel, the words "colored" and "Negro" also appear as racial descriptors. Before reading the novel, be sure to explain to students that these words were once the terminology used to refer to people of African descent and were replaced by "Black" or "African American" in the 1960s, primarily due to the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement. Students should understand that these terms are now offensive and outdated. Additionally, Fishtank capitalizes "Black" in accordance with The New York Times's decision to capitalize "Black" in 2020 to reflect a shared cultural identity. Consider explaining to students why "Black" is capitalized and why white is not capitalized. Have students follow this style guideline for written responses throughout the unit.
Lesson Map
Common Core Standards
Core Standards
Supporting Standards
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