The grandmother (and effective mother) of Helene Sabat Wright, and a great aunt to Wiley Wright, who eventually marries Helene. Great-Aunt Cecile, like her granddaughter, is a proper, righteous woman who recognizes the importance of religion and good behavior. She dies before the age of 50—a tragic reminder of the harsh lives Morrison’s characters lead.
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Grandmother / Great-Aunt Cecile Character Timeline in Sula
The timeline below shows where the character Grandmother / Great-Aunt Cecile appears in Sula. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
1920
...Orleans brothel called the Sundown House, to a “Creole whore.” Helene is raised by her grandmother, and is told to reject her mother’s “wild” way of life.
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...woman, a seaman named Wiley Wright comes to New Orleans to visit his Great Aunt Cecile (Helene’s grandmother). During his visit, Wiley becomes enamored with Helene. He proposes marriage to her,...
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In November 1920, Helene receives a letter from Henri Martin, explaining that Helene’s grandmother is ill. Helene is nervous about returning to New Orleans, since women at the time—both...
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In New Orleans, Nel and Helene make their ways to Cecile’s house (until this moment, the narrator hadn’t made it clear that Wiley’s Great Aunt Cecile...
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