The Dangers Of Emasculation In Toni Morrison's Sula

Even though there is no successful and fulfilling marriage portrayed in the novel and most of the men who live at the Bottom consequently leave their families or lovers, all women, except for Sula, share the opinion that it is better for a woman to be married than to be single. The male characters in the novel are facing the threats of emasculation which derived from their historical experience in the American society and they are willing to prove their manhood by obtaining suitable working positions and by the assertion of dominance over the community’s women. Nel’s husband Jude is one of those men who are in need to prove something. Jude wants to feel like a man and he thinks that a wife and a job in the construction of a road, which is

She had been looking all along for a friend, and it took her a while to discover that a lover was not a comrade and could never be- for a woman” (121). Women’s friendship has always been crucial for Sula and she loses the only person to whom she could trust, who protected her and who understood her. Nevertheless, even Sula learns how the painful absence of a man can be in her relationship with Ajax. Their relationship is supposed to be a physical one because Ajax is not looking for a woman to settle down with. The problem arises when Sula’s attitude towards the nature of their relationship changes. Sula experiences, feelings which are completely new to her, she begins to worry about her looks and is nervous and keen to see Ajax. One night, Sula prepares a dinner for herself and Ajax and puts a green ribbon in her hair to look more attractive for him. Ajax is afraid of any commitment, he is interested in Sula but not in the way she would like him to be; he is not a family type and does not want to belong to a woman. Ajax loves nothing more than his personal freedom. Ajax’s mother has taught all her sons that they need to be kind to women and has given her sons an absolute freedom. Therefore, Ajax cannot stand the fact that Sula starts to act as the rest of the women in the town and wants to have him all for herself. Ajax is disappointed by Sula’s need to possess him and therefore, no more words need to be said and he leaves her because he had thought Sula was different from the community’s women. When troubles occur in a relationship, Ajax, just like BoyBoy or Jude, leaves the Bottom. However, Ajax is the only man in the community who does not reject Sula. The stories Ajax has heard about Sula make him curious because she reminds him of