Although many of the mothers in the novel leave their hometown in Ohio for long periods of time (even Eva Peace, perhaps the most devoted mother in the book, leaves for eighteen months), they’re likely to come back to take care of their children, and often after they take one leave of absence, they never take another one again. The men in the novel are often less closely connected with their families than are their wives-sometimes, they abandon their families altogether. One quality that defines many of the women in Sula (Helene, Eva, Hannah, Nel, etc.) is motherhood. As a result, it’s no surprise that Morrison offers many insights into the lives of women and their role in their communities. Often, the men in the novel can’t be “pinned down” for long: their jobs keep them away from home ( Wiley Wright), or their desire for independence leads them to abandon their families ( Jude Greene, BoyBoy, etc.). Although Sula moves between many different characters’ perspectives, it is almost entirely told from the point of view of women living in the Bottom.
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