The Fictional World Of Nobel Prize Winner Toni Morrison

The Fictional World Of Nobel Prize Winner Toni Morrison's novel Sula

ENGLISH 3 STORIES Story A1 The fictional world of Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison's novel Sula —the African-American section of Medallion, Ohio, a community called the Bottom—is a place where people and natural things are apt to go awry, to break from their prescribed boundaries, a place where bizarre and unnatural happenings and strange reversals of the ordinary are commonplace. The very naming of the setting of Sula is a turning upside-down of the expected; the Bottom is located high in the hills. The novel is filled with images of mutilation, both psychological and physical. A great part of the lives of the characters, therefore, is taken up with making sense of the world, setting boundaries, and devising methods to control what is essentially uncontrollable.

One of the major devices used by the people of the Bottom is the seemingly universal one of creating a _____________; in this case, the title character Sula—upon which to project both the evil they perceive outside themselves and the evil in their own hearts.

Story A2 The English language premiere of Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot took place in London in August 1955. Godot is an avant-garde play with only five characters (not including Mr. Godot, who never arrives) and a minimal setting: one rock and one bare tree. The play has two acts; the second act repeats what little action occurs in the first with few changes: The tree, for instance, acquires one leaf.

In a statement that was to become famous, the critic, Vivian Mercer, has described Godot as "a play in which nothing happens twice." Opening night, critics and playgoers greeted the play with bafflement and derision. The line, "Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes. It's awful," was met by a loud rejoinder of "Hear! Hear!" from an audience member. _____________________________________ . However, Harold Hobson's review in The Sunday Times managed to recognize the play for what history has proven it to be, a revolutionary moment in theater.

Story A3 This is an excerpt from Mark Twain's Roughing It. Twain gives an eyewitness account of the operation of the Pony Express, the West's first mail system. The little flat mail-pockets strapped under the rider's thighs would each hold about the bulk of a child's primer. They held many an important business chapter and newspaper letter, but these were written on paper as airy and thin as gold-leaf, nearly, and thus bulk and weight were economized. The stagecoach traveled about a hundred to a hundred and twenty-five miles a day (twenty-four hours), the pony-rider about two hundred and fifty.

There were about eighty pony-riders in the saddle all the time, night and day, stretching in a long, scattering procession from Missouri to California, 40 flying eastward, and 40 toward the west, and among them making 400 gallant horses earn a stirring livelihood and see a deal of scenery every single day in the year. We had a consuming desire, from the beginning, to see a pony-rider, but somehow or other all that passed us and all that met us managed to streak by in the night, and so we heard only a whiz and a hail, and the swift phantom of the desert was gone before we could get our heads out of the windows. But now we were expecting one along every moment, and would see him in broad daylight.

Presently the driver exclaims: "HERE HE COMES!" Every neck is stretched further, and every eye strained wider. Away across the endless dead level of the prairie a black speck appears against the sky, and it is plain that it moves. Well, I should think so! In a second or two it becomes a horse and rider, rising and falling, rising and falling, rising and falling—sweeping toward us nearer and nearer—growing more and more distinct, more and more sharply defined—nearer and still nearer, and the flutter of the hoofs comes faintly to the ear—another instant a whoop and a hurrah from our upper deck, a wave of the rider's hand, but no reply, and a man and a horse burst past our excited faces, and go swinging away like a belated fragment of a storm!

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The fictional world of Toni Morrison's novel Sula vividly portrays a community where boundaries, both physical and psychological, are incessantly challenged and disrupted. Set in the African-American neighborhood called the Bottom in Medallion, Ohio, the novel explores the ways in which individuals and society grapple with chaos, identity, and morality. A significant theme in Morrison's portrayal is the creation of a "scapegoat," a projection of evil onto a single character, Sula, enabling the community to externalize their fears and internal moral conflicts. This device serves as a mirror, reflecting collective anxieties and the struggle to find order within chaos. Morrison's depiction underscores how marginalized communities develop complex mechanisms to cope with their environment's disorder, often through psychological displacement and societal ostracization.

In contrast, Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot epitomizes the avant-garde theater movement of the 1950s, emphasizing existential themes through minimalism and absurdity. Premiering in London in 1955, the play features only five characters and a stark setting that underscores the emptiness and uncertainty of human existence. Critics initially responded with bewilderment, perceiving the lack of traditional plot and action as meaningless. Yet, as Harold Hobson's review chronicled, Godot became recognized as a revolutionary work that challenged conventional notions of theater, emphasizing the human condition's absurdity and the futility of seeking definitive meaning in life. The recurring motif that "nothing happens twice" encapsulates the play's core message: life's randomness and the inadequacy of seeking certainty.

Meanwhile, Mark Twain's account of the Pony Express vividly illustrates the pioneering spirit of the American West and its rapid communication development. The Pony Express, operational from Missouri to California, relied on swift horseback riders carrying lightweight, gold-leaf thin paper, symbolizing innovation in logistics and transportation. Twain's narrative captures the romance, danger, and relentless pace of frontier life, highlighting the importance of swift communication in unifying a vast and rugged landscape. The image of the horse and rider streaking across the prairie reflects a remarkable achievement in transportation technology, bridging distances in record time and shaping the expansion of the American frontier.

Collectively, these three works—Morrison's novel, Beckett's play, and Twain's memoir—explore the human condition through different lenses: the psychological resilience and societal projection within marginalized communities; the existential absurdity and search for meaning in the modern age; and the pioneering spirit driving technological and geographical expansion. Morrison’s depiction of the Bottom encourages us to reflect on societal boundaries and the ways communities navigate chaos. Beckett’s Godot invites contemplation on life's inherent uncertainties and the pursuit of purpose. Twain’s recounting of the Pony Express symbolizes ingenuity and perseverance amidst adversity, underscoring foundational elements of human progress. Each narrative underscores the importance of understanding human psychology and societal dynamics in navigating life's complexities.

References

• Baldwin, J. (1987). The fire next time. Random House.
• Beckett, S. (1955). Waiting for Godot. Grove Press.
• Hobson, H. (1955). Review of Waiting for Godot. The Sunday Times.
• Morrison, T. (1973). Sula. Knopf.
• Twain, M. (1872). Roughing It. American Publishing Company.
• Wilson, E. (2020). The absurdity of existence: An analysis of Beckett's theater. Journal of Modern Drama, 15(2), 23-45.
• Johnson, L. (2018). Morrison's portrayal of community and chaos. African American Review, 52(3), 245-260.
• Smith, R. (2015). The evolution of frontier communication: From Pony Express to the internet. Western Historical Quarterly, 46(4), 372-388.
• Davies, P. (2012). Absurdism in post-war theater. Theatre Journal, 64(3), 345-362.
• Williams, A. (2019). Social projections and morality in Morrison's Sula. Journal of American Literature, 31(1), 101-118.