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Essay On Sex In Toni Morrison's Sula

725 Words3 Pages

Does having an unorthodox view on sex make you an atrocious person? In Toni Morrison 's Sula the woman all have different characteristics and beliefs. Sula 's mother Hannah, being a peculiar character, who has many sexual encounters on a daily basis. Consequently, in which Sula grasps idea of what is considered “okay” when it comes to sleeping with others. The affairs instead of tearing couples apart, bring them together, only encouraging Hannah, due to the fact there are no consequences. Sleeping with Nels husband shows that Sula manifested her mother’s views on sex and turned them into her own. This is first shown in the beginning, when Sula has her own encounters, and when her views on sexuality are shed light on. Sula was always exposed to what sex was, even early on in her life. Hannah may have not dressed provocatively but she was …show more content…

It is not long before Hannahs “legacy” begins to rub off. When Sula does start to act on her ideas, they begin to resemble her mother, “Later, when they saw how she took Jude, then ditched him for others, an heard how he bought a bus ticket to Detroit (where he bought but never mailed birthday cards to his sons), they forgot all about Hannah 's easy ways(or their own) and said she was a bitch”(112). Sula followed in her mother footsteps and did what she believed was acceptable, while the town instead of being grateful(like they were with Hannah) only grew to despise her more, her mothers teaching were the only guidelines Sula had to follow. She was unapologetic even when moments should have been awkward and a lesson to be learned, “Her chin was in her hand and she sat like a visitor from out of town waiting for the hosts to get some quarreling done and off with so the card game could continue”(106). Sula thought even Nels husband was for anyone to have, seeing her mother with men that had wives most likely made her believe no one was off limits. Sula began to evidently show the characteristics she had once observed in her

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