Sula's Argumentative Analysis

In reading this essay, we found that we agreed with the argument that there is somewhat of a ‘pecking order’ of oppression that results from the intersection of race and gender. We disagreed with, however, the idea that Sula’s version of agency is the only version or ‘correct’ version, and that Nel and Helene somehow betray their race by not having the same type of agency. We believed that the intersection of race and gender creates a different type of discrimination: a white woman and a black woman will have different experiences based upon their skin tone, and even though they are both women, are also not equal in social and institutional status. We argue that black women are at the bottom of the ‘ladder’, and white men are at the top. In
arguing about Nel and Helene’s agency, we argue that Sula’s character is overly glorified, and that Nel’s personal version of agency is valid and acceptable. We also argue that Nel and Helene in no way “betray their race” by having different versions of personal agency. It is human nature to relate- mentally and emotionally- to another person.
It is also human nature to make assumptions, whether those assumptions are based on personal thoughts or shared experiences. This is not inherently bad, but it can quickly become detrimental to some when discussing the intersectionality between race and gender. For example, a traditionally feminist white woman will often look at a black woman and see her as someone who faces the same level of discrimination as her and has the same experiences, since the black woman is a woman. However, what the white woman is missing in this scenario is the fact that race provides privilege as well as gender. The white woman may know this applies to black and white men, but her personal experiences with sexism and white privilege will prevent her from recognizing this in
herself.
In this way, it can be said that it is also human nature to put people in boxes in how we view them. If a white woman cannot personally relate to the experience of being racially discriminated against, but she can relate to being discriminated against because of her gender, she will- either consciously or, more likely subconsciously- not recognize the privilege she holds compared to a black woman. This theme is extremely relevant in Sula.
Through Sula, the reader begins to see a power dynamic- a sort of pecking order- in which black women are seen as insignificant to white women. What is most interesting is to look into the ways that this dynamic came about. One can visualize a scale that has two forms of oppression on each side that are keeping it balanced. Once this scale is thrown off balance, a chain reaction begins. An example that may create a balanced scale would be a white woman and a black man. The femininity of the woman balances out the blackness of the man. However, when a black man is put on one side and a white man on the other, the scale is unbalanced, and the white man rises to the top. The black man, now at the bottom begins to feel oppressed, and in order for him to rise to the top of the scale, he must put a black woman on the other end. The black woman now feels oppressed, but there is no person lower on the social food chain to balance her out. In a way, the feeling of racism can lead to contributing to sexism. This is the common dynamic in Sula. Each person on the scale is looking for someone to either balance them out or allow them to rise to the top. At the end of this chain reaction is Sula herself, who decides that she doesn't want this to be her future; she doesn’t want to be someone who never gets to leave the bottom of the scale. This is where she gets her power, from the determination she feels to not constantly be the last one in the racial pecking order.
One reason that people have a difficult time acknowledging intersectionality is that they don’t want to put people in multiple categories. It is human nature to put people in boxes, and it can become tricky to place in multiple boxes, such as race, gender, wealth, and sexuality. It is especially tricky to look at people as more than their gender or the color of their skin, especially if a white woman were to look at a black woman. Most white women would view the black women simply as another woman who can have shared experiences of sexism. However, the blackness of the other woman cannot be denied here, because the black woman has different experiences due to her race.
One concept that we, as a group do not agree with is the claim that Sula has a much easier time achieving agency than Nel. Yes, Sula is a much more outward person, while Nel is shy and reserved, and yes, Sula’s idea of agency is to fight for equality and terminate gender roles. However, this does not necessarily mean that Nel strives to achieve the same agency as Sula. Each individual has their own individual agency, and though some may be similar in their wishes, no one shares the exact some agency with another. This is not to say that Nel does not believe in many of the same concepts as Sula. They have a mutual agreement that fighting for their rights as women, along with as African Americans, is extremely necessary. However, they project this wish in different ways. Extraverted Sula steps out in the world, actively and openly fighting, never afraid to be blunt and step out of stereotypical gender roles. Nel however, acts in a more reserved way. Just because Sula’s agency is a concept that Nel agrees with does not necessarily mean that this is her personal idea of agency. Therefore, Nel does not have a more difficult time reaching agency, for her agency may be the sit back and work through her difficulties internally. There is an idea argued about in Jordan Lynton’s essay that analyzes the agency of the characters in Sula, that there is a suggestion that Helene “betrayed her race” by giving the train conductor in the train a smile.
We as a group disagreed with this concept completely. In Toni Morrison’s novel, Sula, there is a woman named Helene. She’s the daughter of a prostitute, and has spent most if not all of her life trying to become the opposite of her mother, to avoid the negative stigma that surrounds that birth. This avoidance of her past includes looking down upon those who she believes are below her, such as the Peace family. When Helene gives this smile to the white conductor, there were two African-American soldiers who witnessed this dazzling smile directed at a white man, and confronted it with utter disgust. It was as if suddenly, she overstepped a line that society had clearly set out for her. From this line, it appeared that she stepped into a territory where African-American men decided that they could no longer control her, someone who’s from the only part of this “pecking order” that they, as African-American men, were deemed higher than. It was a smile where she supposedly “used her femininity.” The aforementioned African-American soldiers in the segregated part of the train refused to assist Helene when she needed it, watching the scene with total indifference, likely to save themselves from the trouble she currently faced on her own. As a last resort, as her
young daughter Nel put it, Helene became “custard.” In this moment, everything that she worked hard to not be seen as failed her all thanks to a societal standard, and the view of the time period that she is nothing more than an object that should forever remain connected to one community, so that she can serve as the lowest group on the totem pole, African-American women.
We disagreed with the accusation of “betrayal” because the whole accusation itself is based on an objectifying concept. In this way, she becomes somewhat similar to Sula later on in the novel, the difference being Sula intentionally pushed at this boundary set up for her by sleeping with white men, and refusing to settle down and marry an African-American man. She is still objectified throughout all of this, but now, this attention was drawn to the fact that she cannot be controlled by any one group of people, albeit it is viewed negatively. Helene simply stumbled upon this place on accident, as a desperate attempt to dodge the oppression she was facing in the moment. It’s like Sula was experimenting and touched an electric fence even though she was always told not to touch it, while Helene tripped and accidentally bumped into the electric fence, and so she got burned. Helene her whole life tried her best to follow the standard path set out for her- marrying and joyfully taking up the role of a mother, but it didn’t save her from judgment like she hoped it would in the end.
We found that while Lynton’s analysis of intersectionality was intelligent and thoughtful, it was missing crucial points when specifically related back to Sula. The points Lynton made were based on some truth, but not completely thought out. It seemed that Lynton considered Sula’s personal agency to be the only acceptable agency for a black woman in that novel- or in general- and we disagreed with that. However, we agreed with Lynton’s point that there was obviously a ladder of oppression affecting the society in Sula.