Cultural Influences in the Novel Sula - Literature review Example

Synthesis Essay - Cultural Influences in the Novel "Sula" The novel “Sula” takes place within a historical setting immediately after the First World War. African American war veterans are trying to compose their lives after undergoing traumatic experience in the fighting. The life of Shadrack, who is introduced as one of the war veterans, represents the physical and emotional injuries incurred by blacks during the war. With respect to social setting, the novel depicts cultural practices of the African American population during this historical period. It seeks to depict traditional conventions prevailing within the society during that time. It highlights on the role of women in the society, and focuses on society’s perception on people with unconventional behavioral conduct like Sula (Morrison 12). With respect to geographical setting, this novel revolves around the black neighborhood of Ohio, which was infamous for numerous incidences of direct racial segregation. Slavery was still rampant and African Americans are frustrated by lack of political, economic and social freedom in their communities. “Sula” revolves around the time when American minority groups were undergoing numerous challenges in their lives. African American soldiers were not appreciated by the white majority even after their role of assisting American government in the war. In retaliation, blacks were indifferent to whites and any form of social interaction between black and white people was detested by both races. Apart from deeply rooted racial discrimination, blacks were struggling to preserve moral values in their societies. Despite widespread poverty and hopelessness, black communities organized themselves in typical family units with a man and a woman playing the role of husband and wife respectively. Children were raised in strict family systems where they were taught moral guidelines (Morrison 16). However, other members of the society, including Sula’s grandmother, were already social outcasts. In succeeding sections, we will appraise the role of cultural influence in shaping Sula’s destiny. In order to objectively develop the themes of good versus evil, the writer introduces two young girls, Nel and Sula, who were raised within the same community but in different households. Rebellion to social conventions starts from Nel’s grandmother who was a prostitute. Based on prevailing social conventions, Nel’s mother chooses to get married and live a conventional and respectable life, after which she influenced her daughter to follow the same path. On meeting her promiscuous grandmother, Nel admired the old woman’s exotic behavioral conduct (Morrison 34). Nel started yearning for independence and personal freedom. On the other hand, Sula was a girl raised within a wild family. Consequently, Sula grew up to become socially unpredictable and usually exhibited substantial degree of violence. On the other hand, Nel appeared quiet and reverent. However, their friendship took a u-turn after the unfortunate incident when Sula’s carelessness led to death of a neighbor’s boy child. After that unfortunate incident, the two young ladies took different paths, with Nel being a stereotypical girl who conforms to social norms while Sula explores unchartered depths of social freedom. At the age of 13, Sula started demonstrating a deep desire for fierce independence. Her actions shows substantial disregard to cultural norms. When Sula moved away from Bottom, she engaged in numerous love affairs with white men. Whites were known to show not even the slightest consideration to predicaments faced by the black population (Lippmann 27). As a result, blacks decided to distance themselves from any association with the oppressors. Sula knew about this convention but chose to sleep around with whites. Upon realization, the society labeled her action as devilish. The act of labeling Sula’s promiscuous conduct as evil signifies intolerance to deviant members of the society in black communities during that period. While away leading her promiscuous life, Sula realized that there were many black women engaged in the same habits. At first, she had disregarded her culture’s norms and chose to detach herself from other members of the society. She pretended that she needed no emotional attachment to anyone. However, loneliness and misery germinated from her careless life. This is when she started reminiscing about the good times she had with Nel prior to their parting. After realizing the futility and hopelessness in her experimental life away from Bottom, Sula decided to return back home (Lippmann 45). In this context, the cultural influence of personal and emotional attachment changed Sula’s path, thus making her to return home after such a long time. Upon his return, the entire society was afraid that she had brought bad omen to their community. The symbolic robins used in this context signify the misguided cultural perception surrounding Sula’s arrival. After the robins’ event, Sula and her grandmother developed cold relationship towards one another. Sula reminds her old woman about Plum’s death. Eva had killed Sula’s mother by setting her ablaze. Sula threatens to revenge her mother’s death by setting Eva ablaze while she was asleep (Morrison 29). However, cultural influence changed Sula’s mind when she was granted guardianship of her grandmother. In this case, the deviant woman decided to abandon her evil intentions of setting her grandmother ablaze. In return, she chooses to commit her to a nursing home because of her old age. This shocks everyone since such an act of kindness was not expected to come from a person representing the devil in their community. Despite demonstrating kindness towards her grandmother, Sula continues to disobey social boundaries. She even had the courage to sleep with Nel’s husband, thus ending up breaking Nel’s marriage. In this context, Sula showed unlimited disregard to values held by her society. The act of betraying her friend indicates the extent to which social rebellion could take its course in the society (Lippmann 48). However, this act was also motivated by the need of social attachment. Both Jude and Sula were attracted to each other. Upon getting knowledge of the betrayal, Nel falls out with Sula. Their relationship as friends ends again; hence introducing emotional challenges to Nel’s life. Apart from Nel’s husband, Sula slept around with other husbands in Bottom. Consequently, families within the community started blaming her for any misfortune that befell them. Every wife in Bottom would refer to the blatant rejection of moral values by Sula as the cause of their sorrows and misunderstanding with their husbands. Continual portrayal as symbol of evil led to ironical disappearance of Sula, who went away to Detroit. After sleeping around with men the Bottom, the writer introduces a paradoxical juncture where members of that society started living in harmony as a result of Sula’s unconventional actions. Members of that society started comforting themselves by generalizing that Sula was a bad omen which had settled on their community (Morrison 52). Consequently, Sula ended up being the scapegoat of Bottom for any unfortunate happening, even including accidents and unnatural deaths. However, one realizes that cultural influences were responsible for the disastrous life led by Sula. The society blames Sula as being evil without acknowledging the role played by other members of the society in shaping the woman’s life. In fact, Sula was honest and hated herself for every evil mistake that she committed. The cultural influence of labeling her as evil propagated her unconventional actions up to her deathbed. This ending solidifies the theme of cultural non conformity in regard to good versus evil. Annotated Bibliography Babette, Lippmann. Good and Evil in Tomi Morrison’s “Sula”. Harrisburg: Grin Verlag Publishers, 2009. Print. Lippmann summarizes the theme of good versus evil as developed within Morrison’s novel. The writer focuses on numerous instances where this main theme is portrayed by main characters in the story. The point of this book is to facilitate understanding of the theme by any reader who has no time extracting components of that theme from the novel itself. This means that it is a simplification of the main theme contained within Morrison’s novel titled “Sula”. By reading this book, one will easily grasp the writing mechanism, imagery and styles used by the novel’s writer in unearthing the contrast between good and evil within an African-American cultural context. The writer, Lippmann, is a credible analyst whose work in reviewing novels is known across America. Therefore, the book is recommendable for anyone who needs to understand the theme of good versus evil. Morrison, Tomi. Sula. Indianapolis: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2007. Print Morrison strives to demonstrate the role of cultural influence in shaping an individual’s destiny. The author uses a conservative African American society in showing the position of culturally unconventional members of the society. The novel highlights the fact that despite presence of rampant poverty and hopelessness, communities will still value cultural norms. However, these norms play a significant role in creating individual’s image. Those going against the norms will be sidelined, thus ending up living frustrated lives. On the other hand, conformance to conventional social practices is pleasant to every member of the society. By reading the novel, one develops a clear contrast between good and evil from a conservative cultural perspective. The writer is a Nobel Prize winner with exceptional skills as a novelist. Therefore, his work represents some of the finest works of classical error. Works Cited Babette, Lippmann. Good and Evil in Tomi Morrison’s “Sula”. Harrisburg: Grin Verlag Publishers, 2009. Print. Morrison, Tomi. Sula. Indianapolis: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2007. Print Read More