Although spent mostly in the North, Toni Morrison’s time as a child was filled with the horrid and grotesque stories of African American culture and community in the South during the early 1900s. Because of these stories, Morrison was inspired to tell the story of Sula, a narrative about the living standard of African American people of earlier America. Though on the surface, the story of Sula seems to only touch upon the topics of racism, sex, and friendship, Toni Morrison’s Sula is actually a story of the conflictive paradox of individual and community. Through Sula, Toni Morrison ridicules the very idea of community and how it affects each individual associated with it. Constantly throughout the story, we see this paradox when characters
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. . she cried. . . It was a fine cry – loud and long – but it had no bottom and it had no top, just circles and circles of sorrow” (Morrison 174). Why is she the only character left in despair? Nel is portrayed throughout the story of Sula, to not have lived for herself but rather focused on her “supposed” role in society. In the last scene of the story, in which she cries, Nel despairs over missing her ex best friend, Sula, as she was so much happier when they were together as a team. “We was girls together. . . O Lord Sula” (Morrison 174). What Nel really misses is not Sula however, but rather her older way of living when Sula was around. “In the safe harbor of each other 's company they could afford to abandon the ways of other people and concentrate on their own perceptions of things.” (Morrison 55) What Nel really misses is the way in which she lived when Sula was around because her perception during the time made her life so much more enjoyable and happy. She lived a life of more contentment during the time and her life seemed to have carried so much more substance because she lived in a way of her own perception. She and Sula together lived a life in how they wanted and not what other people wanted …show more content…
In this, Sula ends her segment in this story with happiness and proudness of how her life turned out which is much different than how the story ends with Nel feeling sorrow about her own lifestyle. Because of her own choosing of how life goes, Sula lives and dies a life of happiness. Sula by Toni Morrison is a story that delivers an interesting take on the paradox of individuality and community. Though a community is nothing without its individuals, an individual cannot truly live life if he or she uses societal dictations as a means of life. This way of life is ultimately what causes characters like Nel to be unhappy while the opposite works out for characters such as Sula and Shadrack. Through Sula, Toni Morrison shares a narrative inspired by the stories of the 20th century told by her family. Through Sula, Toni Morrison constructs a moral story that explains that people cannot live by how others want and turn out happy. Instead, Morrison encourages that all people lead their own lives to how they see fit. The gift of free will is the greatest thing present in mankind today and Toni Morrison advocates our use of it to the fullest. Through her beautiful characters, she conveys this point so that her readers can find a
. . she cried. . . It was a fine cry – loud and long – but it had no bottom and it had no top, just circles and circles of sorrow” (Morrison 174). Why is she the only character left in despair? Nel is portrayed throughout the story of Sula, to not have lived for herself but rather focused on her “supposed” role in society. In the last scene of the story, in which she cries, Nel despairs over missing her ex best friend, Sula, as she was so much happier when they were together as a team. “We was girls together. . . O Lord Sula” (Morrison 174). What Nel really misses is not Sula however, but rather her older way of living when Sula was around. “In the safe harbor of each other 's company they could afford to abandon the ways of other people and concentrate on their own perceptions of things.” (Morrison 55) What Nel really misses is the way in which she lived when Sula was around because her perception during the time made her life so much more enjoyable and happy. She lived a life of more contentment during the time and her life seemed to have carried so much more substance because she lived in a way of her own perception. She and Sula together lived a life in how they wanted and not what other people wanted …show more content…
In this, Sula ends her segment in this story with happiness and proudness of how her life turned out which is much different than how the story ends with Nel feeling sorrow about her own lifestyle. Because of her own choosing of how life goes, Sula lives and dies a life of happiness. Sula by Toni Morrison is a story that delivers an interesting take on the paradox of individuality and community. Though a community is nothing without its individuals, an individual cannot truly live life if he or she uses societal dictations as a means of life. This way of life is ultimately what causes characters like Nel to be unhappy while the opposite works out for characters such as Sula and Shadrack. Through Sula, Toni Morrison shares a narrative inspired by the stories of the 20th century told by her family. Through Sula, Toni Morrison constructs a moral story that explains that people cannot live by how others want and turn out happy. Instead, Morrison encourages that all people lead their own lives to how they see fit. The gift of free will is the greatest thing present in mankind today and Toni Morrison advocates our use of it to the fullest. Through her beautiful characters, she conveys this point so that her readers can find a