Paper
Sula in Tony Morrison’s Sula as a Defiant Self-Exile
Morrison’s Sula, features a protagonist who shares her name with the book who has the decided attitude not to form social bonds in the Bottom, a black district inside, Medallion. Sectioned into two parts, the book divides between Sula Peace’s coming-of-age experience before she leaves the Bottom and her return to the Bottom as a mature woman. Sula’s unusual exorbitance results from an eccentric upbringing that openly accepts and welcomes transience. Thus due to her upbringing in the Bottom, Sula becomes a defiant exile upon her return.
One of the areas that Sula isolates herself from is her family. The narrator describes Sula’s house as a “throbbing disorder constantly awry with things, people, voices and the slamming of doors . . .” (52), which suggests a family accustomed to spontaneous disruptions and fleeting alliances. The distance between Peace mothers and daughters in Sula, then, allows the daughters considerable freedom in fashioning an independant self. An unrestricted household such as the Peace Family, builds Sula into an impetuous and independent freethinker.
When she and her best friend, Nel, encounter the usual bullies on a short-cut back home, Sula does not seek Nel’s help but promptly cuts her own little finger off to intimidate them (54). Sula, already a composed figure who is accustomed to constant changes at home is, however, shaken by her unexpected hand in the death of a neighborhood boy named Chicken Little. Before Chicken’s demise, Sula helps him up a tree and “She followed the boy, steadying him, when he needed it, with her hand and her reassuring voice” (60). Sula, the unintentional grim reaper, promises Chicken such security before sending him flying into the river, that the abruptness of his end strikes Sula.
Sula experiences two other life-changing disruptions besides Chicken Little’s accident. One involves an overheard statement that her mother, Hannah, makes about her. Hannah is baking and conversing with her two friends, when Sula comes in the house and hears Hannah’s statement about loving Sula but not liking her (57). The most probable effect of Hannah’s words, to disturb Sula not because of its raw honesty but because it came so unexpectedly, is rather almost the opposite. Hannah’s words act as a determiner for Sula’s deviance; the narrator does not deny that Hannah’s comment does affect Sula, but the effect is to clarify an independence-to teach `her that there was no other that you could count on’ including her family and mother.
The second life-changing disruption occurs when Sula’s mother dies. Hannah’s death, which should have been the foremost disrupting event in Sula’s life, turns out to be the most anticlimactic of them all. Sula simply watches as her mother burns. She feels no fear, no hope, and does not rush to save Hannah (78). Sula, at this point, has reached the plateau of her isolation from others. But she postpones her departure from her community, the Bottom, until sometime after Nel’s wedding.
Sula does not rely on her family or community to provide emotional sustenance. She perceives herself in solitude and therefore depends only on herself to change her environment. This conviction is solidified “ever since her mother’s remarks sent her flying up those stairs, ever since her one major feeling of responsibility had been exorcised on the bank of a river with a closed place in the middle” (118). After these emotional disruptions, Sula lets her feelings dictate her decisions, such as her affair with Nel’s husband. The affair is based on ambivalence and immediacy centered on herself. Martin Gloege offers the explanation of Sula’s self-love “as a panacea for self-loss . . .” and that self-love is really “the self claiming ownership of itself to avert fragmentation” (170). In her search for control and self-fulfillment, Sula ultimately becomes as transient and chaotic as life itself so that she will flow with life and never be surprised.
Despite Sula’s detachment towards relationships, she longs for a “version of herself which she sought to reach out to and touch with an ungloved hand” (121). Sula originally finds herself in Nel, but since Nel “belonged to the town and all of its ways” (120), Sula turns to Ajax. Ajax, a man who initiates a meeting with Sula, accepts her transient ways and talks to her as his equal. When she attempts to sustain the relationship, she discovers her absolute lack of control when Ajax abandons her at the first hint of potential commitment. Cynthia Davis makes a keen observation about Sula: “she lapses into the possessiveness she scorned in Nel. But when she recognizes her failure, she sees it as rooted not in Nel’s conformism but in her own isolation” (16). Again, by endeavoring to reach emotional fulfillment and security without the need of people, she may become a strong individual, but she cannot ward off the unaccounted hurt that she suffers.
Besides absorbing the transient relationships in her private world, she also has to face the effects of her transience on her social sphere. Sula’s disregard and separation from the community does not go unwarranted. Sula has breached what the locals deem acceptable and necessary: she puts her grandmother in a nursing home and she commits the “unpardonable sin” by sleeping with white men (112). Once the townspeople learn of those deeds, they start to scrutinize her with increased fervor. But despite their mounting criticism, Sula remains undaunted because she expects as much from the community. Sula is instead caught off-guard by the desertion first of Nel then of Ajax. From a woman whose solitude “never admitted the possibility of other people” (123), she finds little reason to live after their departure. As she fingers Ajax’s discarded belongings, she exhales in deep resignation, signaling to the reader that her end is near.
Sula no longer views family ties and social/cultural cohesion as wellsprings of stability and permanency. In the past, conformity promiseu her an indemnity from judgment and abandonment. Sula, however, find no solace from such promises anymore, and only seem to find relief after she extracts herselves from the community. Death and other disruptive forces strongly influence her detachment towards others. For Sula, death illuminates her perception of the ephemeral. She struggles to hold on and to let go at the same time, and she cannot find a place that allows her this paradoxical fulfillment. Restless, she remains in her hometown that only offers opposition, but still, this sojourner persist, searching the familiar terrain of home for the unattainable.
Bibliography:
-Gloege, Martin E. The American Origins of the Postmodern Self. Diss. Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, 1992. Ann Arbor: UMI, 1992. 9232913.
-Morrison, Toni. Sula. New York: Plume, 1973.
Note: Paper origonated from Georgia Tech, March 1998. Hope you enjoy this bit of work…-D.Gutowski
Другие работы по теме:
Romeo An Juliet Essay Research Paper hi
Romeo An Juliet Essay, Research Paper hi i need an essay about a character in romeo and juliet that demonsrtated maturity. in a well developed multi pagraph essay and say why you think the character’s maturity was greater than the other characters in the play.
Chronicle
– Life And Times Of Sula And Nel Essay, Research Paper It all began in and around the year 1919. Sula Peace, the daughter of Rekus who died when she was 3years old and Hannah, was a young and lonely girl of wild dreams. Sula was born in the same year as Nel, 1910. Sula was a heavy brown color and had large eyes with a birthmark that resembled a stemmed rose to some and many varied things to others.
Sula And Nel Essay Research Paper Toni
Sula And Nel Essay, Research Paper Toni Morrison’s “Sula” is an eloquent discussion of the nature of evil. The story follows the lives of two black female friends, presents differing views on evil. On one hand, we have society’s conventional view of evil represented by the character of Nel and also seen in the Bottom’s disapproval of Sula.
Sula Character Analysis Of Nel Essay Research
Paper The novel Sula, is a work which contrasts the lives of its two main characters Nel and Sula. They appear, on the surface, to be the epidemy of binary opposites but this is in actuality their underlying bond. The differences in their personalities complement one another in a way that forges an almost unbreakable alliance.
The Conflict Of Self Essay Research Paper
The best way to sum up Nel and Sula lies in a quote from the novel Sula. Morrison tells the reader that two very different black girls grew up in the Bottom. The first speaks of Nel, described by the narrator as one whose parents ?had succeeded in rubbing [her] down to a dull glow any sparkle or sputter she had? (24).
Sula By Toni Morrison Essay Research Paper
Inherent to human nature and their morals, are dualities, such as good and bad, in a character which produces all the emotions, experiences, and forces that motivates an individual to overcome the struggles of life. One, without the other, will not suffice in its existence. Consequently, only the combination of both characteristics will succeed in constructing a solid identity.
Toni Morrison And Sula Essay Research Paper
Toni Morrison is one of the most prolific authors of African American women novelist. She mostly focuses on issue of gender and community as in the story of Sula. Her contributions to African American literature are awarded many times in twentieth century.
Sula By Toni Morrison Essay Research Paper 2
Sula By Toni Morrison Essay, Research Paper Toni Morrison’s Sula is a novel that has a theme about the nature of evil. The story follows the lives of two black female friends who present differing views on evil. On one hand, we have society’s conventional view of evil represented by the character of Nel and also seen in the Bottom’s disapproval of Sula.
Notes On Sula Essay Research Paper
“This rich and moving novel traces the lives of two black heroines–from their growing up together in a small Ohio town, through their sharply divergent paths of womanhood, to their ultimate confrontation and reconciliation. The one, Nel Wright, chooses to stay in the place of her birth, to marry, to raise a family, to become a pillar of the tightly knit black community.
The XYY Syndrome Essay Research Paper subject
The XYY Syndrome Essay, Research Paper subject = Intro to Biology title = XYY Syndrome papers = XYY Males Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder which affects males due to an extra Y
Friendships In Sula Essay Research Paper Confusing
Friendships In Sula Essay, Research Paper Confusing friendships and twisted love triangles is one of the themes in the book Sula by Toni Morrison. Sula and Nel had a very complex relationship, but in the end they both realized how precious friendship was to them and they overcame their differences.
Is 2
Is “Sula” A Tragic Novel? Essay, Research Paper Is “Sula” a tragic novel? I think it is. Because Sula grows up in an unusual family and many tragedies happen during her growth. Those kinds of tragedies we can even see it at the very beginning of the story. “Eva had married a man named BoyBoy and had three children: Hannah, the eldest, and Eva, whom she named after herself but called Pearl, and a son named Ralph whom she called Plum.” (32) After five years of their marriage, BoyBoy left Eva without leaving anything except $1.65, five eggs, three beets, and three children. “She was confused and desperately hungry.” (32) Sometimes, she will get help from her neighbors in the Medallion town.
Sula 2
Sula – Toni Morrison Essay, Research Paper ?Sula” by Tony Morrison is the story of a friendship between Nel Wright and Sula Peace, who are opposites in the way of relating to other people, to the world around them, and to themselves. Nel is rational and balanced; she gets married and gives in to conformity and the town’s expectations.
Englis Essay On Sula Essay Research Paper
Peoples? Rolls In Sula In the novel Sula all the characters have their roles that they?re molded into just like everyone does in life. Based in the time that it takes place in and the fact that the vast majority of the characters are African-American their roles are pretty much forced for them to live by a predominately White- male society.
Dawn Elie Wiesel Essay Research Paper Elie
Dawn Elie Wiesel Essay, Research Paper Elie Wiesel?s, Dawn Elie Wiesel was only fifteen when German troops deported him and his family from their home in Romania to the concentration camp, Auschwitz. His father, mother and younger sister all died in result to the hands of the Nazis. The young boy survived forced labor, forced marches, starvation, disease, beatings and torture to become a world-renowned writer, teacher and spokesmen for the oppressed peoples of the earth.
When Two Make One Essay Research Paper
When Two Make One Toni Morrison s novel Sula is about two young black girls that become close friends, but eventually split up and take different paths through life. Sula decides to go against social conventions and live a more independent, reckless life, while Nel on the other hand decides to marry and settle down.
Toni Morisson Essay Research Paper Toni Morrison
Toni Morisson Essay, Research Paper Toni Morrison: The bluest eye and Sula Essay submitted by Eric Penrod African- American folklore is arguably the basis for most African- American literature. In a country where as late as the 1860’s there were laws prohibiting the teaching of slaves, it was necessary for the oral tradition to carry the values the group considered significant.
Exploring The Novel Sula By Toni Morrison
Essay, Research Paper A Strong Woman is Outcast Melody Carter Women in 20th Cen. Lit. Prof. Fiona Paton Paper 2- Nov 10, 2000 In the novel Sula, by Toni Morrison we follow the life of Sula Peace through out her childhood in the twenties until her death in 1941. The novel surrounds the black community in Medallion, specifically “the bottom”.
Toni Morrison Essay Research Paper Toni MorrisonToni
Toni Morrison Essay, Research Paper Toni Morrison Toni Morrison?s cultural heritage continues to shape her life and writing. On February 18th, 1931 (Shockley 112), baby Chloe Anthony Wofford was born in Lorain,
Sula Essay Research Paper Many works of
Sula Essay, Research Paper Many works of contemporary American fiction involve one individual’s search for identity in a stifling and unsympathetic world. In “Sula,” Toni Morrison gives us two such individuals. In Nel and Sula, Morrison creates two individual female characters that at first are separate, grows together, and then is separated once more.
Slaver In The Antebellum Area Essay Research
Paper During the times of slavery, every day slaves did things to resist the bondage laid upon them by their masters, owners and drivers. All slaves had different relationships with their masters, owners and drivers basically ranging from bad to worst, with a rare exception. The slave s resistances ranged from things as miniscule as trying to outwit their masters to huge historical events such as Nat Turner s rebellion.
1984 Essay Research Paper 1984 by George 2
1984 Essay, Research Paper 1984 by George Orwel is a dramatic novel portraying a restricted society.Winston Smith is a thin, 39 year-old man who wears blue Party coveralls. Winston is sick of the Party’s rigid control over his life and world, and begins trying to rebel against the Party–writing defiant thoughts in a secret diary and starting an illegal affair with Julia.
Resolutions Essay Essay Research Paper English 3
Resolutions Essay Essay, Research Paper English 3 Alan King Resolutions essay 1/6/00 We have just recently entered a new millennium. The start of a new millenium means to me a new start. I hope to turn my life around and try not to be so defiant, and just get along with everyone. So here are my resoultions for this year, the year 2005, and the end of the decade.
Herman Melvilles Bartleby The Scrivener Essay
, Research Paper Herman Melville?s Bartleby the Scrivener is perhaps more relevant today than when he wrote it in 1853. Bartleby is the account of a talented young scrivener who possesses great talent and potential in his career of duplicating and composing documents. The tale takes us to the upscale Wall Street area of New York City, among the buildings and law offices of the city.
Sula Essay Research Paper Chaos often breeds
Sula Essay, Research Paper Chaos often breeds life when order breeds habit. Henry Adams In the real world, there are many good examples of chaos: disease, political unrest and family and community dysfunction to name a few. Disease can cause chaos because at any moment there could be an outbreak of some deadly disease for which there is no cure.
Sula Containment Essay Research Paper SULA Containment
Sula :Containment Essay, Research Paper SULA: Containment Essay In Sula the idea of containment is used a lot in the story and in how the characters live there lives. There is the idea of containment at the very beginning of the book when the white farmer tricks his servant to living in the top of the hills therefore containing him from the rest of the people.
Malaysia Essay Research Paper Malaysia
Malaysia Essay, Research Paper Malaysia’s Defiant Surrender Key points:+ Malaysia’s currency controls in September 1998 was a signal of the government’s refusal to accept any blame for its financial troubles, and its readiness to make foreign investors suffer for the sins of the international markets.+ One control was preventing foreigners from taking money out of the stock market for a year-lifted on February 4, 1999.+ On February 4th, Malaysia’s currency still worthless abroad.+ Malaysian government imposed hefty penalties on investors:If money invested before February 15th and repatriated before the end of March-30% levyIf money invested after February `14th and repatriated anytime after-30% tax on 1st year profits.+ Malaysian government targeted only certain foreign direct investors.+ New FDI commitments fell by 12% in 1998.+ The bigger question surrounding the controls has always
Abnormal Psychology
“400 Blows” Essay, Research Paper Abnormal Psychology “400 Blows” This movie is a look into the life of a French boy who has known nothing but rejection his entire life. Being abandoned by his mother in his infancy was the first harsh blow he received and may have quite possibly been the most detrimental to his development.
Abnormal Psychology Problem Excessive Use Of Marijuana
And Alcohol Essay, Research Paper Case Study Abnormal Psychology Problem Excessive use of marijuana and alcohol, especially within the last 2 years. “Kurt” began drinking and using marijuana at age 14 and by age 15 referred to the
Head Start Essay Research Paper The highest
Head Start Essay, Research Paper The highest rates of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) are found in low-income welfare families. The Head Start program is for the
Issues Of Sexual Morality And Society In
Sula Essay, Research Paper In Toni Morrison s Sula, the society of Hannah and Sula is divided over each character s sexual choices. Even though they both engage in the same activities, they are each judged for these actions differently. Society has no qualms with the sexual choices of Hannah. Her character sleeps with many men throughout the novel, and all the while, society never objects.
A Dream Deferred Essay Research Paper A
A Dream Deferred Essay, Research Paper A Dream Deferred What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore And then run?
How To Writing A Research Essay Essay
, Research Paper How To Writing A Research Essay The toughest part of the essay, for me, was taking all the information I had gained and reduce it to a mere few pages essay. After all, quality is better