T.Omari's Final Project
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Omari 1
Tatiana Omari
Professor Courtney McDermott
English 510
11/16/2023
Final Project: Writer’s Tool Kit
Storytelling Elements
Two of the storytelling elements that I found to be the most apparent in analyzing
Sula by Toni Morrison and The Day of Afrekete by Asali Solomon are character
development and setting. As a fiction writer, both of these elements go beyond the
evolution of a storyline adding to the other moving parts providing depth and meaning
that isn’t an overt part of the plot.
Character Development in “The Days of Afrekete”
Character development is defined as the way the reader observes the changes in a
character over time through a selected narrative. It’s the role of an author to create their
character in a way that mirrors the same depth and complexity of real-life human beings.
Meaning that a character or group of characters have an established identity including
flaws, goals, back story, personality, moral values and etc (Glatch).
In “The Days of Afrekete” the main character of the story is Liselle Beaumont.
Who is introduced to the reader as a socialite experiencing the despair of her rich
husband Winn’s possible indictment after being contacted by an FBI agent. In the
beginning of the story, she’s battling the reality of losing her prestige as she decides to go
through with a dinner party. Throughout the story she goes through a resurgence of her
identity. As an African American lesbian from the west-side of Philadelphia. Throughout
the story she’s confronted with the betrayal of that identity. Which prompts her to contact
the one person she finds peace and solitude in, which is her pass lover Selena Octave.
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Throughout the story we learn so much about Liselle as a person. Some of the
characteristics we discover as the story progresses is she’s a passionate, intelligent, and
lively young woman. Some undertone elements can be characterized as the need of love,
need of acceptance, and the need freedom of being her true self. Which is something she
accepts towards the end of the story where Liselle is no longer fixated on the loss of
prestige ,but embraces who she is which is amplified by the brief appearance of Selena.
Ending the story on a promising note of restoration.
Solomon utilized many different techniques and choices to establish character
development. The three main techniques is the use of dialogue, inner thoughts, and
flashbacks.
Using inner thoughts and dialogue, we learn that Liselle, has a rough
relationship with her judgmental and unloving mother. Which can be summed up by the
following passage:
“ Liselle’s forty-one years of research suggested that no matter
how distant, abusive, judgmental, unloving, and useless one’s
mother was, one called her when things fell apart. One called one’s
mother and told her things no one else knew, even if all she said in
response was
It is what it is/All I can do is pray for you/Just be
glad you have a roof over your head/I told you so, but you
wouldn’t listen/Oh, please, he was always like that. You made your
choice/You know my money is tied up in this house right now.
”
(Solomon, P.9)
Dialogue also shows us what drew Liselle to Selena, what drew her to Winn, and other
elements of her identity. However, the main tool Solomon uses to convey depth in the character
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of Liselle is through the usage of flashbacks. We learn that in college Liselle indulged in her
sexuality with multiple partners, that she is known for not falling in love and having a hard time
with commitment, and that she is smart and takes pride in her intellect.
Most importantly we
learn that she made the decision to give all those elements of her life up for her current reality.
Solomon, skillfully pointed to the moment between college and her current life by adding
another element to Liselle back story through the addition of the abandonment by her father,
difficulty of finding stability after moving back to Philadelphia, and the agreement between her
and Winn. Which showcases the reason why she choose her current life even though it went
against everything that made her Liselle.
Establishing Setting in “Sula”
In fiction writing setting goes beyond just stating a location. Setting can be defined as a
time and/or place where a story is being told. The setting of a story can act as the baseline of
foundation of other concepts and behaviors of the characters or the fictional world as a whole. It
can also have an impact on the development of characters, fluctuation in dialogue, the setting up
of social normalities/ abnormalities, rules, laws, language, and other elements of the story’s plot.
In some cases, the setting takes on an identity of it’s own like in Sula. Where the entire
story takes place over the time frame of 45 years in a fictional town called Medallion, Ohio.
Which is separated into two different portions (1) The valley (2) The bottom. Most of the story
takes place in the bottom. Which is introduce through the statement of three significant factors 1)
It’s where the nightshades and blackberries grew 2) It’s where were all the black people lived in
segregated Medallion 3) Is supposedly called the bottom because “It’s the bottom of heaven. This
was land given to a slave in an unfair trade with a farmer for his completion of hard chores.
Living in the bottom isn’t easy for it’s occupants. Setting up an interesting an interesting setting
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Omari 4
if a community centered around the daily struggles of living in the bottom which is marked by
(racism, absent fathers, stressed out mothers, and absolute poverty).
“
The nigger got the hilly land, where planting was backbreaking,
where soil slid down and washed away the seeds, and where the
wind lingered all through the winter.
(Morrison, P. 5).
Morrison had a very interesting way of establishing setting without overtly highlighting
the location one of the biggest techniques and choices she used was allowing the lives of the
characters to highlight that of the setting. We knew life was hard based on the fact that young
men found it easier to leave their families instead of staying and trying to find suitable work to
take care of them. We know the bottom is a strange place being that it seems like societal outcast
such as: Shadrack, Tar baby, The Deweys, and other unusual characters call this place their
home. The clearest way that the impact of the bottom is displayed is through the lens of the two
main characters Nel and Sula who at a young age wanted to escape their reality of being in the
bottom only to become prisoners of it later in their lives. Morrison made this setting a stand-
alone entity which added to the happenings of the entire plot.
Future Works
Morrison and Solomon, aims to appeal to an audience of BIPOC people experiencing the
challenges of the various nuances found within that identity. Both authors have masterfully
appealed to that audience through the use of character development and establishing setting.
As
an aspiring author these are elements, I would like to utilize in appealing to my ideal audience
which is similar.
In character development, I plan to adapt the technique of creating a complex character
whose identity is discovered throughout the storyline. Solomon used flashbacks, dialogue, and
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inner thoughts to reveal more and more characteristics of the main character which provided the
needed depth in the story. These are elements that I would use in my future work.
Setting, for me is a huge up hill element for me. Being that in my pervious work I tend to
showcase settings of environments that I have lived in and have been strict about how those
setting in my writing where audience to the real-life version. This is an area in my work that I
aim to change through the act of world building. Morrison played around with her setting, she
described elements of setting through language, character building, and symbolism which are
things I aim to implement in my future writing.
Application
To show the application of character development and establishing setting I choose to include
and excerpts from the of
“
The Unrequited Ring”
I believe this short story showed significant
changes in character and established a workable setting.
“The Bean Pod, was an interesting place in the morning it was filled with businesspeople
rushing to work, sleep deprived college students looking for a boost before heading to their
lectures, and caffeine addicted nut cases losing their minds over their dessert flavored drinks not
having enough pumps of syrup. Saraia sat at the booth by the huge window, pondering on the
reasoning behind Brain’s desire to meet so suddenly. Glancing at her reflection in the window
she barely recognized herself. The young woman who was so full of light that made her eyes
twinkle, no longer stared back at her. She felt foreign, she vividly remembered who she used to be
when she met Brian. She was the social butterfly who seemed to make friends with everyone, the
psychology major who eagerly advocated for mental health, the artist who painted dreamy
pictures, and the writer that wrote fairytales. She used to be the girl who believed in dreams and
was determined to make her dreams come true. To say that girl is the same person as the thirty-
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five-year-old woman in the window. The one with the dark cloud floating over her, the one who
forces herself out of bed most days, it just seemed so disingenuous.”
Literary Conventions
“Sula” and “The Days of Afrekete” were both written in the Post-Modernism Era, also
considered the contemporary period. This is the current era of literature which emerged in 1945.
The beginning of this era materialized in the aftermath of
two major war periods, which heavily
impacted the first forty years of the 20
th
century. Which inspired society to embark on a journey
for change. Acting as the catalyst for various culture shifts in the 1950’s-1960’s. Resulting in a
few notable movements such as The Civil Rights Movement and The Women’s Rights
Movement (Luenbering). In literature, this time period reflected the trends and interests as a
result of changes in techniques and subject matter that were heavily influenced by, and
contributed to, social changes, developments in philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and
science. Authors exhibited these changes by writing about topics surrounding gender, race,
sexual identity, and war to make an attempt to criticize society. Especially, for African American
authors who utilized literature to express their desire to escape an unjust society and change it
through showcasing their everyday lives and experiences (Luenbering). Some trends offer
through the changes in literary practices are:
Metafiction
Intertextuality
Fragmentation and Nonlinear Narratives
Irony and Playfulness
Skepticism and Relativism
Cultural and Political Critique
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Omari 7
These trends have signified post-modernism as an era that departed from the linear
narratives and objective truths, characteristics that can be found in it’s predecessors. Instead, this
era has embraced a fragmented, self-referential, and often playful style that reflects the
complexities and uncertainties of contemporary life (Campos).
Metafiction in Sula
Meta-fiction is defined as a technique of blurring the lines between reality and fiction. It’s the act
of subtly adding elements that can be considered otherworldly, spontaneous, or subconscious
interjection.
Sula is slewed multiple elements that can be characterized as meta-fiction. One example
of this is the character Shadrack. We know that he is a veteran who’s experiencing what we can
call being “Shell Shocked”. However, some elements about him reads as paranormally or
otherworldly.
“Like moonlight stealing under a window shade an idea
insinuated itself: his earlier desire to see his own face. He
looked for a mirror; there was none. Finally, keeping his
hands carefully behind his back he made his way to the
toilet bowl and peeped in. The water was unevenly lit by
the sun so he could make nothing out. Returning to his cot
he took the blanket and covered his head, rendering the
water dark enough to see his reflection. There in the toilet
water he saw a grave black face. A black so definite, so
unequivocal, it astonished him. He had been harboring a
skittish apprehension that he was not real—that he didn’t
Omari 8
exist at all.”
(Morrison, P.32)
The character Sula is another character that blurs the lines between reality and fiction. She has
some elements that describe her as a mischievous child, with a evil air surrounding her. That
makes you question her identity. Other example of metafiction in the story is
the scene of Eva
killing Plum.
Plum on the rim of a warm light sleep was still chuck-
ling. Mamma. She sure was somethin’. He felt twilight.
Now there seemed to be some kind of wet light traveling
over his legs and stomach with a deeply attractive smell. It
wound itself—this wet light—all about him, splashing and
running into his skin. He opened his eyes and saw what he
imagined was the great wing of an eagle pouring a wet
lightness over him. Some kind of baptism, some kind of
blessing, he thought. Everything is going to be all right, it
said. Knowing that it was so he closed his eyes and sank
back into the bright hole of sleep
(Morrison, P.66)
Morrison implemented the majority of the elements regarding meta-fiction through the use of
symbolism. Some of the notable symbolize utilized in Sula are:
The change description of Sula’s birthmark
(stemmed rose, snake, tadpole, that wicked mark)
each of which changed depending on who saw her
or what state she was in. It darked when she was
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sick, Shadrack saw it as his favorite fish, and Nel
saw it as a snake after Sula betrayed her)
Fire & The Act of Burning: Eva set Plum on fire,
Hannah dies from being burned in fire, and Sula dy-
ing of a fever which essentially act as a sense of
burning (Fire can be seen as a way of cleansing or
cremation of the past)
Birds: Helene canary yellow dress can signify pu-
rity, The vision of an Eagle during Plum’s death
(Bravery, Strength), and The Dead Robbins at
Sula’s return (Bad Omen, Transition Period)
Intertextuality in The Days of Afrekete
Intertextuality is the act of using references and/or reimagining other literary works, his-
torical events, and pop culture. Which adds depth to the narrative while challenging notions of
originality. This convention aims to draw in readers through the utilization of familiar concepts
thar make a statement.
Throughout, the story there were many the references of other literary works and pop culture ele-
ments that highlighted the time frame or emotions of a moment. Some examples of this are:
Liselle began to feel she might very well hate, if not this professor, then her fawn-
ing white familiars. Though the names on the syllabus thrilled her—Ntozake
Shange, Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, Angela Davis, Lucille Clifton, Jayne Cortez
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Omari 10
(an unfamiliar, lovely name) —she reflected that on the first day of class, it was
permissible to get up and quietly leave
(Solomon, P.32)
Think about the ones in literature,” Liselle said, “the girlfriends who got raped in
Brewster Place, that one who got her hair pulled out in Corregidora? And then
there’s these women who are couples but they never hook up. Like Sula and Nel.”
(Solomon, P.57)
Well, so I was arguing that the end of Zami was, like, disproving this, with this
character named Afrekete and—” “Afrekete,” Selena interrupted with a dreamy
expression. “That’s a good name.” “Just listen. They have an incredible affair,
but Professor Bruin says the whole ‘Afrekete’ thing is an allegory for self-love
,
(Solomon, P.58)
Solomon utilizes intertextuality to tip her hat off to many different works in black media and
black literature. Using these references in the space of flashbacks to provide imagery of the cul-
ture and mindset of the younger Liselle. This technique adds to the rediscovering of Liselle’s true
identity. Other notable mentions of intertextuality in this body or work are: Sade, Stevie Wonder,
Audre Lorde (Who inspired the title of the book), and Toni Morrison.
Future Work
As a writer, I aim to write pieces of work that connect to my audience while having
mysterious and otherworldly elements. Meta-Fiction and Intertextuality are two conventions that
I believe would aid me the most in accomplishing my goal of appealing to an alternative
audience.
Morrison’s use of symbolism to convey otherworldliness has inspired me to adapt those
techniques within my future work. In addition, her writing provides its reader with the desire to
Omari 11
look for meaning and to interpret the work using their own ideology and understanding. By
doing this, certain moments in the story would mean something different depending on the
reader. Making “Sula” a story that would stick with them long after reading it. This is something
that I want to accomplish in my writing.
Solomon’s use of Intertextuality appeals to a particular audience.
Through the use of
references to African American media. Readers are given the opportunity to paint the pictures of
a particular scene through those references. This is a technique that I would also like to adapt in
my future work. I found this way of writing to be more fulfilling than simply using baseline
descriptors. Which is an element I aim to include to develop my current writing skills.
Application
I choose to include and expert from the prologue of the story Jayson to display the application of
meta-fiction and intertextuality.
“
Everyone told her about him, the fathomless creature who lived in the alcove chained in the
back of their rose garden. She thought they we all crazy, there was no way that a person lived in
a place that seemed to have been chained for centuries, there was no way they were right about
his existence. Is what she thought as she hid behind the walls of the old house, hoping to get
close enough to see if he was real, but not so close that he would know that she was watching
him. He stopped and stood in her kitchen, panting, out of breath, in front of her ceiling high
windows, peering out at the rose garden. The light of the moon bounced off him like a natural
illuminator outlining his features. Making them look as if they were chiseled out by one of the
Geefs brothers who made the devil himself uncomfortably attractive.”
This scene uses meta-fiction in the display that who the main character was seeing has an
other-worldly element about them. Which is the catalyst of her reaction to the sight of him. Also
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there’s a reference to the Geef’s brothers who are known for chiseling the marble sculptures of
“Le genie du mal” translated to “The Spirit of Evil”
which was suppose to be a image of evil but
was deemed so attractive that in made the church uncomfortable.
Themes
Literary themes are pieces of the story that aren’t as blatant as the other story-telling
elements. However, the theme is an integral part of what makes the story a story. Themes are
essentially the foundation meaning of the story itself, the reason why the writer wants to write
the story, the meaning of elements of the story, and the depth dividing elements of the story.
For Example: Themes are the reason why a love story can
also be a story about bravery, self-discovery, and war.
Themes in literature are constantly evolving. This is due to changes in the way we view
the world around us, our lived experiences, and the varying things that we are exposed to
throughout our lifespan. These changes have an influence on the themes we are interested in
reading and writing about, as well as those we are interested in writing.
Defining Themes
Both Sula and The Days of Afrekete share the themes of Social Acceptance/Conformity v.s
Rebellion and Race. The majority of these two roles can be seen in Sula. However, they provide
the needed background for “The Days of Aferekete”
Social Acceptance and Conformity in Sula and The Days of Afrekete
“Sula” present a clear difference between those who attempt to conform and those who
choose to break away for the typical life of those around them. The bottom is a dysfunctional
place with a lot of unfavorable things, However, it isn’t absent of it own sense of a social
structure.
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It’s a structure where young woman are known to get married young, have children, and
sacrifice their lives for their families. It’s a structure where the husbands leave, where the
drunkards play, where the oddities live.
It’s a structure that thrives on normality of it’s own
dysfunction and those who challenge that normality or aim to take a different approach are
shunned and pushed into social isolation. Although life isn’t great for anyone, in the bottom
there’s a sense of contentment. An overall idea that this is how life is supposed to be. It’s the
reason they laugh at Shadrack and the reason they ended up hating Sula. The only two characters
that openly oppose the life of those around them.
Morrison utilized a mixture of dialogue, imagery, character development, changes in the
setting, symbolism, and a host of other techniques to point out the idea of conformity. However,
the clear example of this theme is how the community viewed Sula. This was highlighted clearly
within the chapter of 1939
as community members sat around talking about Sula and her
perceived audacity to be different from them. To the community this difference made them view
her as something evil.
“Their conviction of Sula’s evil changed them in
accountable yet mysterious ways. Once the source of their
personal misfortune was identified, they had leave to protect and
love one another. They began to cherish their husbands and wives,
protect their children, repair their homes and in general band
together against the devil in their midst. In their world,
aberrations were as much a part of nature as grace. It was not for
them to expel or annihilate.it. They would no more run Sula out of
town than they would kill the robins that brought her back, for in
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their secret awareness of Him, He was not the God of three faces
they sang about. They knew quite well that He had four, and that
the fourth explained Sula. They had lived with various forms of
evil all their days, and it wasn’t that they believed God would take
care of them. It was rather that they knew God had a brother and
that brother hadn’t spared God’s son, so why should he spare
them?
(Morrison,P.117-118).
In “The Days of Aferkete” the theme of conformity/ social acceptance v.s rebellion is
done a bit differently. Instead of refusing to conform Liselle choose to conform from her true
identity. Which is something she battles with throughout the story. Solomon utilizes dialogue and
inner thoughts to convey this theme Which was clearly pin-point through the interaction between
Liselle and Xochitl.
“Jimena and Xochitl working together always divided Liselle’s
feelings. When she heard snatches of their gentle Spanish after a
glass or two of wine at her dinner parties, Liselle sometimes
entertained the thought that she was helping mother and daughter
spend quality time together. On the other hand, she had no idea
what they were saying and wondered if they were talking about
her. She felt her ever twoness as the Black mistress of a tiny
plantation.”
(Solomon, P.12)
Another example that Solomon use to convey this act of conforming is the spontaneous
meeting between Liselle and Selena at a grocery store. Where Selena was left shocked by the
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realization that Liselle was married and had a child. Which was the complete opposite of the life
she had previously.
Both author’s utilized this theme to highlight major shifts in character development and
how the reader perceived those characters. In Sula, Morrison flips the character of Sula from
someone who’s distasteful into someone that’s a product of her environment who has found
comfort in not being like the others. In “The Days of Aferekete” Solomon changes that overview
of Liselle as a character aiming to hold on to her comfort into someone that embraces who she in
towards the end.
Race and Racism in Sula and The Days of Aferekete
Sula complete storyline has undertone of both systematic and overt racism. Some of the most
apparent scenes where racism shone through are:
Helene and Nel’s trip to New Orleans where it showed the behaviors and actions rooted
in Jim Crow.
Nel and Sula constant harassment by white boys which prompted Sula to cut off the tip of
her finger in an attempt to protect them from harm.
The harsh punishment of Tar Baby as a direct result of him being a white man who
choose to live amongst black people.
The reaction of Chicken Little’s body being found.
The betrayal the community felt at the idea of Sula sleeping with white men.
In addition to these scene, the entire story is set in a segregated town. That is impacted by the
systematic racist culture, where struggling black folks struggled and jobs/ opportunities to better
their lives where reserved for their white counterparts. Creating a tense environment of scarcity,
where the only chance to have something different was to leave said environment.
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Omari 16
As a theme, Morrison mainly uses language and description to convey racism. Although,
on the surface racism isn’t the story, it isn’t the plot, nor is it the characteristics of any overt
character. However, it’s the reason why, things are they way they are, it’s the foundation of
everything within the structure of the bottom. Including the final act of gentrification.
In “The Day of Aferekete” race was a subtle theme of the story. There were many
moments where race was mentioned to signify a moment or idea. Some examples of this are:
The reaction that Liselle had with a professor who revealed that Audre Lorde’s real-life
lover was a White Woman.
The reaction of Winn’s parents when she first met them.
The systematic overview of two different sides of Philadelphia.
Verity’s acceptance of Winn has a heavily racial undertone that implies that she isn’t
happy with Liselle choice in spouse.
Winn’s campaign had a heavily racial undertone as he tried to appeal to the black com-
munity.
The mention of arguments between Liselle and Winn over Patrice’s hair in campaign pic-
tures.
The dinner party which is a melting pot of many different races and cultures and the dif-
ference in how to relate to Liselle.
In addition to this, Solomon utilized many references, use of dialogue, and description to relate
to the identity of African American women. There’s also a heavily showcasing of the feeling of
dealing with choices made that are typical regarding race. Similarly, to Sula racial issues isn’t the
story but it’s an integral part of the story and without this element the story would simply not be
the same story, appeal to the same audience, or have the same depth.
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Future Works
Both of these themes challenge one overarching topic which is identity. Identity is a
element that I aim to showcase in my future work. Morrison gave us a glimpse of what it’s like to
rebellion against social structures. Solomon shows us what it’s like to conform to those
structures. In these two stories there are examples of how you utilize this theme to add depth to a
character. This is a method that I aim to implement in my future writing.
Likewise, as a BIPOC writer a lot of my work would be unique to the struggles of that
identity. Morrison showed us the impact of racism. Solomon showed us how race can add to the
way we think. The real take-away from these bodies of work is how neither story was about race
even though it was a major component of the story.
Writing about themes in a way where it’s subtle, yet meaningful is a technique that I
desire to add to my future work and my overall development as a writer.
Application
This is an excerpt from the short story: The Languishing Beauty
“What she was dealing with went beyond reading the room. It was the result of being bonded by
her inner voice, the one that mimicked all the voices that screamed her name, judged her, and
pinpointed her flaws. It was the voice of her mother, her childhood bullies, the naysayers on
their soap boxes who rejoiced at the opportunity to exalt themselves over her. All their voices
now haunted her, constantly diminishing the very essence of her identity. Leaving her question-
ing the purpose of life, the purpose of living her life.”
The theme of this story is a mix of mental health v.s well-being, friendship v.s betrayal,
and social acceptance v.s self-identity. This excerpt shows the mental battle of the main character
Omari 18
Tally, and how previous social interactions still haunted her inner thoughts and warped her per-
ception of self.
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Omari 19
Works Cited
Glatch, Sean. “Character Development Definition: A Look at 40 Character Traits.”
Writers.com
,
18 Aug. 2023, writers.com/character-development-definition.
Campos, Manuel. “A Guide to Postmodernism in Literature.”
EnglishPost.org
, 25 Sept. 2023,
englishpost.org/literary-movements-post-modernism.
Luebering, J. E. “Periods of American Literature.”
Encyclopedia Britannica
,
www.britannica.com/list/periods-of-american-literature
.
MasterClass. “Postmodern Literature Guide: 10 Notable Postmodern Authors - 2023 - Master-
Class.”
MasterClass
, 7 Apr. 2021,
www.masterclass.com/articles/postmodern-literature-
guide
.
Morrison, Toni.
Sula.
New York, New American Library, 1987.
Solomon, A. (2021).
The days of Afrekete: A Novel
. Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
.