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Death of Chicken Little
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Death of Chicken Little
Morrison's (2004) novel
Sula,
first published in 1973
,
remains one of the most fascinating
tales on friendship and the repercussions of going against social norms. The novel explores
childhood friendship, focusing on how to navigate love, loss, and betrayal. One of the most pivotal
moments in the story is the death of Chicken Little, which occurs when Sula, Nel, and Chicken
Little are playing by the river, and one thing leads to the other, and the little boy flies into the river.
He fails to come back up; however, instead of the girls reporting the incident, they leave the scene
of drowning and swear never to speak of the incident to anyone. The events in the scene
demonstrate the dichotomy of peace and horror, which can be explored from the perspective of
tragedy vs innocence and friendship vs. betrayal.
Initially, the scene opens with a childhood play that is a landmark of innocence. Nel, Sula,
and Little Chicken engage in carefree activities, enjoying the river while creating a sense of peace.
None of the children would have predicted what would happen during their playing activities.
Nonetheless, the peace was short-lived as the accidental demise of Little Chicken introduced an
element of tragedy that disrupted the peace in the atmosphere. The unexpected turn of events in the
scene created an element of horror in the story. The childhood innocence of the children, as
demonstrated through carefree play, was short-lived, and tragedy struck, and out of confusion, they
had to deal with the developments.
The dichotomy of peace and horror can also be illustrated in the friendship and betrayal in
the scene. Sula, Nel, and Little Chicken are friends, and they have a sense of unity and camaraderie
as they engage in playful activities. Nonetheless, this friendship is put into question when tragedy
strikes. The demise of Chicken Little shows betrayal and guilt, considering Sula was partly to blame
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for his death and even covered it up to avoid the consequences of her action. This adds an element
of horror to the friendship dynamic as it is affected by the tragic events. Ideally, in such a situation,
some people would have confessed and dealt with the consequences that came with it; however,
“Nel quieted her. “Sh, sh. Don’t, don’t. You didn’t mean it. It ain’t your fault. Sh. Sh. Come on, let's
go, Sula. Come on, now. Was he there? Did he see it? Where's the belt to your dress?" (Morrison,
2004, p. 63). Sula failure to take responsibility for the tragedy and suffer the consequences adds a
layer to the story.
The dichotomy between peace and horror is well-developed in the scene leading to the little
chicken's death. The peace of childhood innocence, as shown by carefree play among the friends, is
short-lived when the horrific drowning of Chicken Little happens. Secondly, the dichotomy is
further illustrated by friendship and betrayal. In the scene, the three friends enjoy playing together
and have a sense of camaraderie. However, when the tragedy struck, Nel and Sula were more
concerned about not being linked to Little Chicken's death as they checked their surroundings to
determine if anyone had witnessed what had happened. We see the friends crossing over to the other
side of the bank to see if there is anyone instead of trying to salvage the situation. Later in the scene,
Nel asks Sula not to blame herself for the tragedy.
Reference
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Morrison, T. (2004).
Sula: Toni Morrison
. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
.