Rhetorical Analysis on the Novel Sula by Toni Morrison - Essay Example

This essay discusses that Sula and Nel’s friendship thrives on their differences in terms of upbringing and their perceptions of self and one another. Sula’s background predisposes her to feelings of lack of self-worth and respect, which is in contrast to Nel who endeavors to be different from her mother and become a better person.These attitudes shape people’s perceptions of self, which is exemplified by Sula acting or living out her perceived evil or bad ways to the letter.

This is largely due to the way her family was perceived by the rest of the community, unlike Nel’s family, which was regarded as a conventional family. Sula departs the Bottom and upon her return after ten years, the reader gets to see the contrast in the lifestyles of the two once close girlfriends. In the context of their community’s perspective, Sula acts out her evil while Nel the good and conventional character suffers the brunt of this evil. The society’s definition and expected outcomes of being unconventional and evil are satisfied by Sula’s actions, and those of good and conventionalism are achieved through Nel.

 This essay discusses that Sula and Nel’s friendship thrives on their differences in terms of upbringing and their perceptions of self and one another. Sula’s background predisposes her to feelings of lack of self-worth and respect, which is in contrast to Nel who endeavors to be different from her mother and become a better person.These attitudes shape people’s perceptions of self, which is exemplified by Sula acting or living out her perceived evil or bad ways to the letter.

This is largely due to the way her family was perceived by the rest of the community, unlike Nel’s family, which was regarded as a conventional family. Sula departs the Bottom and upon her return after ten years, the reader gets to see the contrast in the lifestyles of the two once close girlfriends. In the context of their community’s perspective, Sula acts out her evil while Nel the good and conventional character suffers the brunt of this evil. The society’s definition and expected outcomes of being unconventional and evil are satisfied by Sula’s actions, and those of good and conventionalism are achieved through Nel.

  The end of the story delivers the author’s ultimate closure by making the reader realize that true nature and character of the two protagonists through their own reflections about self and each other. Nel comes to the realization that she was truly the evil and unconventional one in comparison to her dead friend Sula. Sula is finally portrayed as the conventional one for acting out her true self, unlike her friend’s hypocrisy.