Sula by Deja Murrain

One particular part of this novel that stuck out to me was the relationship between Sula and her entire community. I found it extremely captivating how a group of people who had so much in common at the the time could be so against one person, Sula. It made me think of High School and that idea of bullying or singling a person out for some odd reason or difference. You have an outcast or that one person who refuses to conform to societies agenda and he or she is singled out as a result of it for the rest of their life! This is how I view Sula.

She is described as "evil" because she did not fit the ideal role of a woman during this time. Yes, she was very promiscuous and bold in her character but so were other characters. One example being that of Ajax, another character who slept around just as much as Sula but was never singled out or scrutinized for it. This also made me question this issue with sexism and how it still applies to our society today which also leads back to our diagram on the id and the ego.

However, I believe Sula's brazen character is a direct result of her upbringing. For an example, she overhears her mother (Hannah) confirm that she "does not like her daughter but she loves her." After hearing something as harsh as this as a child there is no wonder that Sula loses her childhood innocence and completely rebells because of it. I always believe that such instances stem from the home, the parents, the roots and Sula is a perfect example of this.

The community claims Sula to be evil but she is only evil because they raised her to be that way.