The concept of tough love is prevalent in many African American fictional texts. Toni Morrison's Sula is an example of how tough love manifests itself through African American parent-child relationships. This can often be confused with contempt, selfishness, recklessness, or all three. However, the determining factor in tough love is either the impetus, acted or unspoken, for the child's well-being. In Plum's case, as in Hannah's, Eva repeatedly demonstrates this paradoxical act of altruism. Ultimately, the relationships between Eva and her children, particularly Hannah, provide key examples of the concept of tough love, in all its misunderstood glory, as an element resulting from the experience of "the struggle." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayA key element to understanding the concept of tough love is the context from which one emerges; moreover, coming out of the African-American struggle as Eva describes it. When Hannah approaches Eva and asks her the childish question: “Mom, did you ever love us?” », the reader is surprised by the answer. This reaction is what gives tough love its advantage. The shock value that Hannah, as well as the reader, has at Eva's response is overwhelming. Morrison builds the tension well in this scene, beginning with Eva telling the Deweys to "Scat!", an order upon which they "tripped and fell" out of the room. Eva then responds, but only after making sure she understands the question correctly, as many black mothers will: "No, I don't think I did. Not like you think." (67). The fact that Eva begins her explanation in this manner demonstrates her surprise and apparent contempt for Hannah, even asking such a question. The way Eva continues her response implies that she feels this question is "a slap in the face" and her putrid words and brevity when responding are symbolic of her intention to "slap Hannah back." After giving Hannah a hard time about how perverse and ill-intentioned this question is, Eva gives her a history lesson about the difficult and unforgiving life of 1895, saying, "...1895 was a killer, ma girl. Things were bad. You niggers were dying like flies, you were taking a big step, weren't you?" (68). This last question asked by Eva is intended to let Hannah know how out of place she is by even addressing the question of love. Eva then continues, posing the rhetorical statement "...Pearl was shitting worms and I was supposed to play rank-around-the-rosie?...No time. They didn't have time. No one . As soon as I have finished a day here, a night comes with you coughing and me watching you so that tuberculosis does not take you away..." (69). been empathetic towards her children even when they have been apathetic towards her, implying that her children have no real idea of ​​what struggle means. After hearing her mother's obvious disgust, Hannah decides to clarify her question. included Plum's death at the hands of their mother, asking, "But what about Plum? Why did you kill Plum, Mom?" (70). The suspense of this scene builds in the clever way Morrison narrates and shifts the focus away from Eva and Hannah and onto what's happening around them , signifying Eva’s thought process that she no longer wants to be in this conversation. After a long time, Eva responds, “He gave me such and such time. Such time. It seems like he didn't even want to be born. But he showed up. Boys, it's hard to bear..." (71). She then continues on how.