The role of death, both physically and mentally, has a strong effect on the characters in Toni Morrison's Sula. Shadrack survives as a soldier in World War I, facing first-hand the death he sees all around. Like Shadrack, Plum returns home emotionally distraught from the war and is killed by his mother for love. Hannah and Eva's difficult relationship becomes increasingly difficult after Eva kills her own son, Plum, but then sacrifices her own life for her daughter as she burns to death. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay The first death case involves Shadrack, a World War I veteran from the Bottom, who returns from the war traumatized after saw a comrade's head explode. in front of him. While he is in the hospital, his state of mind is still as if he is at war. Before performing a task like eating, he must convince himself that he is no longer in combat. Morrison says: “Thus reassured that the white, red and brown would stay where they were – would not explode or escape from their restricted areas – he suddenly felt hungry and felt his hands around him » (Morrison 9). Shadrack has gotten to the point where he is afraid of everything, including his own hands. Ironically, he returns from war with less fear of death than when he was in combat and more when he was safe. He is not afraid of death itself but rather of not knowing when his death will come. To face the unknown, Shadrack creates a national holiday. “He knew the smell of death and was terrified of it, because he could not anticipate it. It was not death or dying that frightened him, but its unexpected nature… thus he established National Suicide Day” (14). Every January 3, on National Suicide Day, he would walk the streets with a hanging rope and a bell encouraging people to kill themselves or others, because it was the only opportunity to escape the memory of the dead. Those around him know what he went through but still think he is crazy and irrational. Over time, people come to accept National Suicide Day as part of their traditions and rituals. After a terrible winter and thaw, the townspeople look forward to and participate in National Suicide Day for the first time, because it is an event they are accustomed to and which helps them forget everything that has happened. passed by doing something familiar. Ironically, when for the first time the people were willing to participate in force, it was also the first time that Shadrack was unwilling to participate in the march. For years he walked alone trying to rally support, and now that he has it, the leader and creator himself no longer wants this to continue. Shadrack was not the only character used by Morrison who suffered serious mental problems following the First World War. Eva's son, Plum, returns from the war just like Shadrack, but, on the other hand, he has turned into a drug addict to cope with his difficulties. Plum's transformation into a drug addict had many signs that were gradually becoming more and more evident. Hannah was the one who discovered he was doing drugs. Morrison says, "Then he started stealing them, taking trips to Cincinnati and sleeping for days in his room with the record player on... It was Hannah who found the black bent spoon because of a regular cuisine.” (45). Plum's descent into drugs took place over a period of time. They noticed him stealing items from his own family membersand left town to go on random trips. Hannah comes to fully realize the extent of her drug addiction when she finds the black spoon in her possession. However, what happens because of his drug addiction affects more people than just himself and his body. While sleeping one night, Plum is awakened by his mother who is there to comfort him. They lay there while Eva held Plum in her arms. Later, he thinks she is pouring water or liquid on him as a blessing, but it turns out that is not the case. "He opened his eyes and saw what he imagined was the great wing of an eagle pouring down upon him a moist lightness... She rolled a piece of newspaper into a tight stick about six inches long, lit it and threw it on the bed where the kerosene was. -Soaked plum lay in cozy pleasure. (47). After seeing her son in such a state, Eva no longer wants him to suffer or see his drug addiction worsen. Eva's decision to throw the lit kerosene stick at him also benefits her own desires. Throughout Plum's descent into drug addiction, Eva had to care for and support Plum far more than an ordinary child would as an adult. She basically had to rewind motherhood and treat Plum like he was a young child again. In order to escape the responsibility of caring for her son, she pours kerosene on his body while he sleeps and burns him alive. She burns him alive as a sign of her love for him, but this also shows selfishness in Eva. She believes that the future of those around her is within her control and rights, so she takes Plum's affairs into her own hands. The idea that a mother would burn her own son to death out of love is confusing and unimaginable to the reader. As the other members of the house, including Hannah and Sula, and the neighbors rush to try to put out the fire, Eva stands by and sparks confusion and questions from everyone. Hannah and Eva have always had a complicated and difficult relationship, especially since it is common knowledge that Eva loved Plum more than Hannah. What Eva does to Plum only hurts and strains her and Hannah's relationship even more. Eva, however, shows that she still loves her daughter when she risks her own life for her. When Hannah is out in the yard, her own dress catches fire and burns her alive. However, Eva, who is watching nearby, almost sacrifices her own life when she jumps on Hannah to try to put out the fire. When she looks at Hannah in the yard from inside the window, she looks away briefly, then looks back outside, seeing her daughter's dress in flames from head to toe, ignited by a fire in the yard . “She went to the window and that’s when she saw Hannah burning. The flames from the courtyard fire licked at the blue cotton dress, making it dance. Eva knew there was no time for anything in this world except the time it took to get there and cover her daughter's body with her own. (75). Instantly, Eva jumps out of the window and runs towards Hannah thinking that if she can cover her with her own body, she will be able to put out the fire and save Hannah's life. Eva's actions contradict the current relationship between the two of them, indicating that Eva still loves her daughter. Neighbors and family members present quickly began pouring water on Eva and Hannah, but by then it was too late for Hannah. His body and flesh have already burned too much to have any chance of recovery. “Hannah died on the way to the hospital. At least that's what they said. In any case, she had already started to have so many bubbles and blisters that the coffin had to remain closed during the funeral. (77). Eva.