Sula Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory

Birds are everywhere in Sula, and they are often associated with specific characters. When we meet Rochelle, she wears a "canary-yellow dress" and has the "glare of a canary" (1920.40-3.41). And we...

We can again turn to Rochelle and Sula for this one. When Nel meets Rochelle, she notices that she smells like gardenias. Sula has a birthmark shaped like a rose, and "The Rose Tattoo" is the sourc...

Fire appears throughout the novel and results in the deaths of Hannah and Plum. There are many possible meanings of fire, one of which is the idea that it is cleansing. When Eva douses Plum in kero...

Water is often associated with death in the novel. For Sula (and Nel, to a lesser degree), it represents Chicken's horrible drowning. Fire might be a cleansing force, but water engulfs and consumes...