Metaphor is a figurative device that compares two things and create a connection between them. The use of metaphor could help the audience to better understand what the author wants to say by analyzing and characterize the comparison made.
The metaphor I choose to analyze is on page 71-72, where Eva compares Plum to a “baby wanting to crawl back into her womb.” The metaphor here reveals how the addiction to drugs has detrimental effects on Plum, which severely impacts his behavior as an adult. In the text, this metaphor functions as an explanation on Eva’s motive of murdering Plum. Eva knows how a baby requires attention and care; she also knows that she does not have the energy like before to take care of Plum. Here, this metaphor is communicating the sense of frustration Eva has on top of her love towards Plum. By comparing the drug addicted Plum to a baby, Toni Morrison conveys Eva’s love toward Plum since it is the nature of motherhood. Also, this comparison hinted that Eva does not want to take care of Plum all over again like she did when he was little. Toni Morrison shows how Plum is unable to take care of himself and needs Eva by his side, just like how babies act. There is a sense of irony around the metaphor. We always assume mothers would love their children unconditionally, and would not do anything to hurt them. However, in Sula, Eva ended Plum’s life by burning him to death. We often see the metaphor of describing someone who is naive as a baby, but here, Plum is a drug addict. These notable differences of the use of the same metaphor brings up interesting question on what is the motive of using this metaphor. In my opinion, I think the motive of Toni Morrison describing Plum as a baby is to highlight Eva’s struggle in choosing between seeing him suffer from addiction or to end his life for him.