The Fire Within SulaSula by Toni Morrison is a compelling novel about a unique and confident woman. As in many other books, each secondary character in the story serves as a vehicle to explain the main character. Hannah, Sula's mother, is dominated by the element of air; she is a free spirit, frivolous and childish. On the other hand, the fire element is prevalent in Sula, who is impulsive, quick-tempered and passionate. Despite the differences between the two, Hannah's lifestyle intrigues and influences her daughter. The effect Hannah has on Sula is reflected in many of her daughter's perspectives and actions. As a result of the ever-present presence of fire within her, in contrast to her mother's joyful spirit, Sula takes all of Hannah's immorality and actions to a more extreme level. Both women have promiscuous tendencies, do not have close friendships with women, and are easily irritated with Eva. The difference is that Sula's fiery temper leads her to act more cruelly than her mother. Hannah's attitude towards men is peculiar, as she feels no sense of possessiveness towards them and likes to have multiple lovers. The presence of air in Hannah is evident from her relationships with the opposite sex. “His flirtation was low and naive… the smiling eyes, the turn of the head, everything so welcoming and light and playful.” (42). Hannah's sweet and naive flirting presents her as an innocent woman, and her playful ways demonstrate her childish ways. Her lovability and charisma are evident because "...Hannah had no limits, she made no demands, she made the man feel like he was complete and wonderful just as he was...he (the man) he just fainted in the light of Hannah because he was.” (43). Hannah is lent...middle of the paper...feels no obligation to please anyone unless her pleasure pleases her." (118). Sula is stronger than Hannah and makes no attempt to reconcile opinions of society towards herself. She follows her animal instincts and lacks a sense of responsibility. Although Sula and Hannah are both shunned by society, Sula is even more of a pariah than her mother, while the people of the Bottom consider Hannah "sooty". " (29), they decide that Sula is the devil. The intense hostility that people feel towards Sula is directly linked to her impulsive, vengeful and short-tempered character. Sula's life is a mirror image of Hannah's: similar enough, but bent into a slightly different shape and tainted with malice. Works Cited: Morrison, Toni New York: Knopf, 1974.