Evil in Sula, Yellow Wallpaper, and Love Medicine
Sarah Osborne
Ms. Stein
CIS Literature
4/11/2014
No Rest for the Wicked
“I started out thinking that one can never really define good and evil. Sometimes good looks like evil; sometimes evil looks like good,” this quote by T. Morrison highlights the fact that evil is relative. Although evil can be, in many ways, self-defined, many characters in novels can be perceived as one thing while they are another. Written works such as, Sula, Love Medicine, and The Yellow Wallpaper contain several examples of good vs evil that take a closer look to deceiver. First, in the novel Sula, there are several characters that prove that looks can be deceiving. For example, the character Sula is perceived as a terrible person in the book. The people of the Bottom hate her for everything that she is, despite the fact that she followed the example of her mother. The story states, “The death of Sula Peace was the best news fokls up in the Bottom had had since the promise of work at the tunnel” (150). They accuse her of things that, in their society, were deemed horrible and not moral. When Sula attempts to help a child she is only further accused of wicked ways. Sula only does what she knows, and only hurts Nel because of her blindness to what their relationship has become. As well, Nel’s mother is seen as a good person in society. Helene attends church as does what is proper. The story states, “Helene Wright was an impressive woman, at least in Medallion she was” (18). However, in an attempt to be a good mother Helene pushes her opinions down Nel’s throat, leaving imagination away and replacing it with a sense of alienation. Helene wants people to see her as a wonderful woman, but her actions and motives seem only to follow selfishness and a need for importance. Moreover, Jude does what is right by society. Jude attempts to work, he takes care of his family, he does everything he was meant to do. The story states, “Along with a few other young black men, Jude had gone down to
Ms. Stein
CIS Literature
4/11/2014
No Rest for the Wicked
“I started out thinking that one can never really define good and evil. Sometimes good looks like evil; sometimes evil looks like good,” this quote by T. Morrison highlights the fact that evil is relative. Although evil can be, in many ways, self-defined, many characters in novels can be perceived as one thing while they are another. Written works such as, Sula, Love Medicine, and The Yellow Wallpaper contain several examples of good vs evil that take a closer look to deceiver. First, in the novel Sula, there are several characters that prove that looks can be deceiving. For example, the character Sula is perceived as a terrible person in the book. The people of the Bottom hate her for everything that she is, despite the fact that she followed the example of her mother. The story states, “The death of Sula Peace was the best news fokls up in the Bottom had had since the promise of work at the tunnel” (150). They accuse her of things that, in their society, were deemed horrible and not moral. When Sula attempts to help a child she is only further accused of wicked ways. Sula only does what she knows, and only hurts Nel because of her blindness to what their relationship has become. As well, Nel’s mother is seen as a good person in society. Helene attends church as does what is proper. The story states, “Helene Wright was an impressive woman, at least in Medallion she was” (18). However, in an attempt to be a good mother Helene pushes her opinions down Nel’s throat, leaving imagination away and replacing it with a sense of alienation. Helene wants people to see her as a wonderful woman, but her actions and motives seem only to follow selfishness and a need for importance. Moreover, Jude does what is right by society. Jude attempts to work, he takes care of his family, he does everything he was meant to do. The story states, “Along with a few other young black men, Jude had gone down to