Fire And Water In Sula By Toni Morrison

A fire sparks and the grand bird burns, leaving nothing but ashes. From these ashes, a new bird is born, restarting the cycle. Thus is the story of a phoenix, the immortal and legendary fire bird. Fire and water commonly appear in literature and can represent positive or negative symbols. Water is usually associated with baptism, rebirth, cleansing, but as an element it can also represent negative signs of death and destruction. Fire is usually associated with rebirth (like the phoenix) and like water, it can represent death and destruction as an element. In Sula, a novel by Toni Morrison following a girl named Sula and the town of Medallion in Ohio, fire and water are often represented throughout major events. Although the elements of fire

In chapter 1921 of Sula, the reader is given vivd descriptions of Plum, Sula’s uncle and son of Eva. After serving in World War I, Plum develops bad eating habits and copes with his shell shock trauma by dealing drugs such as heroin, leading to physical and mental suffering. Later in the chapter, Eva mercy kills Plum by pouring kerosene on his body and lighting him on fire. This scene depicts the destructive element of water and fire, however what plum believes is ‘water’ for a baptism is actually kerosene, fuel for igniting a fire. Similarly, the destructive element of water is shown when Chicken Little is thrown into a river by Sula in chapter 1922, “The water darkened and closed quickly over the place where Chicken Little sank” (61). This scene underscores the negative symbol of death associated with water, leading to Plum’s drowning. Morrison emphasises the destructive nature of water, using phrases like it “darkened” and “closed quickly.” It is easy for the reader to imagine a dark scene of water engulfing Chicken Little, sinking him to the bottom. Another disaster occurs with Sula’s mother Hannah in chapter 1923 when she is lighting a yard fire on a dry and windy day. The fire spreads through her dress making her flail around as if she was dancing. When the fire is attempted to be put out by neighbors with a tub of water and tomatoes, it only makes things worse, “The water did put out the flames, but it also made steam, which seared to sealing all that was left of the beautiful Hannah Peace” (76). Unlike with Plum, who had water (kerosene) poured on him to start a fire, Hannah’s fire is put out by water. Nonetheless, destruction and death follow when Plum burns to death and Hannah’s death is accelerated from the water’s steam. This showcases how even when putting out a fire, water acted as a dangerous element, harming Hannah in the end.