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PROFESSOR:Originally from the Midwest, Sula is a member of the black community known as The Bottom, where she now resides. The novel’s two key characters, Sula and Nel are shown developing their relationship throughout the novel’s pages, from a tender early age to an increasingly broken adulthood. In her drive for self-sufficiency, Sula embodies both the potential of the black female and the social exile she suffers as a consequence of that potential in her struggle for independence (Chegeni). On the other hand, Nel is convinced that she would not desert her friends and neighbors to provide for her family. Following in Nel’s footsteps, many women in the Black community have taken on the role of mother to raise their children. As their friendship develops, Nel and Sula get closer, which helps them to overcome their common social difficulties. This is a recurring motif throughout the novel.
Throughout her career, Toni Morrison has focused on the hardship of Black American women and the oppression they have experienced as a result of racial and gender inequity (Thurman). Morrison’s work is heavily influenced by issues such as sexism and women’s marginalization. Since Toni is concerned with the changing status of women in society and the battle that is now occurring between conventional concepts of femininity and the emergence of autonomous women, the author will discuss how Toni goes about her business. Additionally, to achieve self-empowerment, an investigation will be conducted on how black women in the white community interact with patriarchal structures.
A variety of obligations that women do in contemporary society are shown by the regulations that have been devised to aid them in their role as members of their community. It is anticipated that everyone in the group will abide by the facilitator’s rules (Ramírez 129-147). Notwithstanding that the two houses are more or less the same, Sula Peace’s home is significantly different from Nel Wright’s. She was reared in a home that adhered to strict social norms and expectations. In Nel’s case, she is entirely oblivious of her mother Helene’s desire for her to live a more conventional life. Only her grandmother, Rochelle, had a criminal record as a prostitute among Nel’s relatives, making her somewhat of an outcast. As a result of the rest of the group’s long-standing adherence to social norms, Nel is under an obligation to do so, as is the case with the other members. However, Sula’s family is shown in a completely different way from the rest of the cast.
When women of color expressed a desire to live their lives without being bound by the constraints of society, a new category of Black women was created as a result of this desire. Sula and Nel eventually become close friends when they enter adolescence, even though their families are opposed to one another. Unfortunately, their relationship was irreversibly harmed as a consequence of a horrible event that occurred. Sula was swinging a local toddler called Chicken Little when she lost her grasp, causing the boy to fall into a nearby river, where he drowned. Even though they had no intention of injuring the child, Nel and Sula decided not to notify anybody about the incident. As the two young ladies became older and more independent, their friendship began to deteriorate (Haraway 117-158).
Sula’s mother died when the clothing on which she was dressed caught fire and burnt to death. Nel and Sula’s relationship was strained due to their divergent perspectives on how they should live their lives. Despite this, Jude Greene’s description of the Blacks’ efforts has proven to be a disappointment. To find a job in Medallion, Jude attempted multiple times before understanding he would never be hired since all Black guys from the Bottom are often discriminated against and seldom allowed to work on construction projects. The message he received from his supervisor daily was, “Nothing today, please come back tomorrow.” On page 35, Chegeni and colleagues state that
Morrison expressed her concern for the suffering of the Black population in the primarily white society in which she lived via her work. Morrison has made a point of underlining the isolation and alienation that people of color have felt throughout history. Readers may learn about the oppression of black female characters in the western world and how they fight back against racial injustices to acquire empowerment and knowledge in patriarchal society through studying Morrison’s work and her characters.
Work cited
Thurman, Deborah. “Sula’s Compromise: Toni Morrison and the Editorial Politics of Sensitivity.” MELUS (2021).
Ramírez, Manuela López. “The Shell-Shocked Veteran in Toni Morrison’s” Sula” and” Home”/El veterano con neurosis de guerra en las novelas de Toni Morrison” Sula” y” Home”.” Atlantis (2016): 129-147.
Chegeni, Nasrin, and Nastaran Chegeni. “Marginalization and Oppression of Afro-American Women in Toni Morrison’s Sula.” (2013).
Haraway, Donna. “A cyborg manifesto: Science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late 20th century.” The international handbook of virtual learning environments(2006): 117- 158.
