Cultural View of Males within Woman Warrior and Sula Within various cultures, males are highlighted as the epitome of power. Society has always characterized the males as the breadwinners, while women stay at home care for the children and clean. This is still relevant within society today, some cultures more apparent than others. Within Sula Males are, “Viewed collectively, Morrison’s male characters reveal that issues of gender, race, and class cannot be separated,” (Mayberry 519). In comparison, Women Warrior uses their male characters to exemplify the view of women within the Chinese culture and American culture . These two novels highlight the comparison between the genders, within Woman Warrior and Sula women are characterized as the
…show more content…
In Sula women are seen as beings that cannot live to the standards of men, “ you can’t do it all. You a woman and a colored woman at that. You cant; act like a man. You can't be walking around all independent like, doing whatever you like, taking what you want, leaving what you don't,” (Morrison 80). This quote highlights the tendencies among both men and women. The audience learns that Sula is doubly oppressed due to her race and gender. We see the greed of men and their ability to “do it all”. Men are the beings that have the ability to choose their path, while within this culture women must submit to their man. However, Sula proves to be the exception. She is the woman who throws the expectations of her society out of the window. While Sula is judged by society for her path a male character would be unscathed by the event, again illuminating the idea that men and women were both held to different standards. The judgements placed upon women seem to carry a far greater burden, exemplifying Morrison’s society in Sula.
While both novels contrast the effect of male characters to women characters in a specified culture the audience learns the progression of time and expectations. In the way that, as we read the novels we can compare our present society to the novel’s society and be grateful for the changing times.According to Feminist Literary Criticism,”literature plays a central role in the development of social attitudes towards women and of women’s attitudes toward
In Sula women are seen as beings that cannot live to the standards of men, “ you can’t do it all. You a woman and a colored woman at that. You cant; act like a man. You can't be walking around all independent like, doing whatever you like, taking what you want, leaving what you don't,” (Morrison 80). This quote highlights the tendencies among both men and women. The audience learns that Sula is doubly oppressed due to her race and gender. We see the greed of men and their ability to “do it all”. Men are the beings that have the ability to choose their path, while within this culture women must submit to their man. However, Sula proves to be the exception. She is the woman who throws the expectations of her society out of the window. While Sula is judged by society for her path a male character would be unscathed by the event, again illuminating the idea that men and women were both held to different standards. The judgements placed upon women seem to carry a far greater burden, exemplifying Morrison’s society in Sula.
While both novels contrast the effect of male characters to women characters in a specified culture the audience learns the progression of time and expectations. In the way that, as we read the novels we can compare our present society to the novel’s society and be grateful for the changing times.According to Feminist Literary Criticism,”literature plays a central role in the development of social attitudes towards women and of women’s attitudes toward