Sula/Song of Solomon/Tar Baby
by Toni Morrison

from: Teaching Literature by Women Authors

Brief Description
Students answer assigned questions as a group, write individual essays, complete a research project, and complete a writing project.

Objective
To discuss the individual and cumulative effects of novels dealing with complex social issues; to discuss the literary devices of structure and pattern.

Procedures
Divide the class into three groups. Ask each group to choose one student who will be responsible for organizing the presentation of the group's ideas to the rest of the class. Assign one of the following three books by Toni Morrison to each group: Song of Solomon or Sula or Tar Baby

Answer the following questions for the novel that you are reading:

  • What happens in the story? Summarize the plot.

  • Choose one or two words used repeatedly throughout the novel. Tell how these words change or grow in meaning or in importance from the beginning of the story until the end.

  • How do you fell at the end? Is everything resolved? What kind of epilogue would you write?

  • What does the novel say about Black people? Do you think the view of Black people in the story is accurate? Why do you think so, or why not?

Do some research on the history and influence of local traditions, and write an essay on one of the following themes:

  • The Rose Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California

  • Eating turkey on Thanksgiving Day

  • Santa Claus leaving gifts at Christmas

  • Throwing rice/bird seed after weddings

  • Trick-or-treating at Halloween

    Exchanging Valentine's cards on Valentine's Day

  • Mother's Day/Father's Day

  • Tying cans on the back bumper of a car at weddings

Assign one of the following writing projects to each group:

1. Sula

  • Do you have a friend who is like you in many ways but also different? Write an essay in which you envision your two futures.

  • Suppose you left your town for ten years and then returned. Write and article for a newspaper or magazine describing the changes you see. Are they good or bad changes? What things have remained the same? Is this good or bad?

  • Write a series of letters between two friends who have shared their childhood and high-school years but have not seen each other for ten years.

2. Song of Solomon

  • Tell about the effect of your immediate family on you. Would you like to know more about your ancestors? What kind of effect do you suppose they have on your life?

  • "What's in a name?" Tell about someone, real or imagined, whose name is unusual or was given for what you consider was a peculiar reason. Tell about the effect of that person's name on his or her life.

  • Make up a story about the origin of a nursery rhyme or game song. Do some research in the library to find out the other astonishing historical meanings of children's rhymes and games and songs, such as "Ring around the Rosie" and "London Bridge."

3. Tar Baby

  • What is a tar baby? Why is that the title of the book? Do you think it is appropriate? What other name would you give it?

  • Why do you think Michael is in the book? If you were Ondine, would you have kept his secret or would you have kept his mother's secret?

  • Write Valerian's journal for the period covered in the novel, and then write Sydney's.

Comments
Toni Morrison's novels will heighten your awareness of the Black consciousness informed by the rich interweaving of Biblical and other images. The patterns in all three novels, with their individual and cumulative effects, are impressive. They are good books to discuss with advanced classes ready to handle complex social issues (Black versus White, man versus woman) and literary devices such as structure and pattern.

Source
Nichols, Julie J. "Patterns in Toni Morrison's Novels," English Journals, v 72 n1 January 1983, pp. 46-48.

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