Critical Literary Analysis of Sula

Critical Literary Analysis The novel that I read is called "Sula" written by Toni Morrison. This novel is about the lives of two women named Sula Peace, and Nel Wright. They became friends while living in the black community called "The Bottom" outside of Medallion, Ohio. They go through many obstacles together throughout the novel. We get to see them grow from young girls, to adults.

Sula is told in the third person (omniscient). Therefore, the narrator is able to let us in on the inner thoughts of nearly every character in the novel. This helps readers reverse judgement since the narrator doesn't judge the characters either.

There are a lot of themes within the novel "Sula". One of them that stood out the most to me was betrayal. The theme of betrayal caught my attention, because it was something that I could relate to. I have been betrayed a few times by people close to me, so it wasn't really hard for me to relate to how Nel felt. I believe this theme would be relatable to any reader who reads this novel. Relating to themes and characters in novels is so important, because the purpose is for we, as the readers to relate to them feeling very engaged in reading the novel.

Betrayal lead to the separation of the close relationship between Nel and Sula. Jude, Nel's husband had liked both Sula and Nel when they were all younger. Sula left town to pursue an education, and Jude settled for marrying Nel. Together, Sula and Jude betrayed Nel by sleeping together, but Sula's betrayal hurt Nel the most. Sula was confused. They had always shared men; they were best friends who shared everything. Sula did not understand why she could not share Nel's husband as well. The reason for Sula's actions is her mother, Hannah. Hannah's influence on Sula remains constant and profound throughout the novel. By sleeping with her friends' husbands, Hannah teaches Sula to regard sex as "pleasant and frequent, but