Toni Morrison's Sula narrates the divergent mindsets of two childhood friends, Sula Peace and Nel Wright, as they grapple with social norms, relationships, and their impact on one another. Sula and Nel possess conflicting personalities that largely shape their upbringing and the social constructs within which they operate. The characters' interactions with their parental figures highlight the intricate ways in which interpersonal relationships shape individual outlooks and perceptions of society’s expectations.
The tumultuousness of Sula's childhood is reflective of the lack of structure and predictability that epitomizes her upbringing. Her grandmother, Eva, is manipulative and harsh, while her mother, Hannah, is absent, leading Sula to develop a sense of independence and disregard for societal norms. Nel’s surface personality
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Sula's relationship with her grandmother is marked by cruelty and manipulation, while Hannah’s parenting style exposes Sula to the independence and power that women can attain when they assert themselves despite Hannah’s seeming lack of affection for Sula. Hannah’s sexual ‘freedom’ affords her specific benefits that cause Sula to associate promiscuity with good. Nel's relationship with her mother, by contrast, is suffocating, causing Nel to feel trapped by her mother's harsh expectations. Nel's marriage to Jude exemplifies the weight of societal expectations, highlighting her desperate need to conform to the standards of a patriarchal society. It is this marriage that further demonstrates that, while Nel appears on the surface to willingly fit in with society, she is a deeply troubled individual who is struggling to find her place in the world. Again, the impact of Sula and Nel’s parental guidance provides significant background for their actions, as the former was surrounded by freedom and the latter