Theme Of Racism In Toni Morrison's Sula

In Toni Morrison’s novel, Sula, Morrison utilizes the racist incidents within the Bottom to illustrate the submissive, degrading, and foolish influence of racist America on African Americans, while still successfully capturing the dignity and sense of community of the African Americans, ultimately demonstrating the stupidity of racism. Morrison first depicts African Americans as wanting to conform and assimilate into the white American culture through Helene’s Wright behavior towards her daughter, Nel Wright. By disliking Nel’s physical appearance, Helene represents the discrimination many African Americans have against their heritage and roots; therefore, she submits to the racism. The stupidity also becomes apparent because of Morrison’s

Morrison presents African Americans as conforming to the principles of society and utilizes Helene’s behavior towards Nel to exemplify it. Helene constantly reminds Nel to “pull her nose” so she could “grow up” with a “[nicer] nose” (55) and uses a “hot comb” (55) each week to have “smooth hair” (55). The act of altering Nel’s appearance displays Helene’s belief of Nel’s physicality to not be up to par with society’s standards, therefore discriminating against her African American heritage. The characteristics that Helene chooses to change make Nel unique to her African American heritage; therefore, by altering Nel’s image to that more of the white race, Morrison exemplifies the way discrimination influences African Americans to assimilate into the racist American society. Illustrated by the self-degradation of African Americans, Morrison displays the submissiveness and stupidity of racism. When the white conductor rudely confronts Helene, she “turns to jelly” (22) and has “an eagerness to please and apolog[ize] for living” (21). Helene’s responses display her belief that submitting to racism will end it; on the contrary, her submissiveness to the conductor’s bigotry act proves only to degrade and dehumanize her, illustrating the manner in which racism degrades African Americans. Rather,

The discrimination against the white race begins with a gradual distinct treatment of the African Americans who appear to have a trace of the white race. Helene proves to have a more formal dialect as she asks for “the bathroom” (23) and the black woman cannot understand until Helene finally refers to it as “the toilet” (23). The difference in word choice distinct Helene from the African Americans in the Bottom. The fact that Helene also has fairer skin than the African Americans gives the black woman a reason to believe Helene has a trace of white. Therefore, when Helene approaches the black woman on the train, “[the woman fastens her eyes]…on the thick velvet, the fair skin, [and] the high tone voice” (23), as if surprised and shocked to see an African American women appear in such a manner. The discrimination then gradually develops and it becomes unacceptable to associate with the white race. For example, the rumor of Sula “[sleeping] with white men” (112) was considered an “unforgiveable thing” (112) for which “there was no way back” (112). The rumor caused the African American community to think of her as “disgust[ing]” and “[filthy]” (113). The uncertainty of Sula sleeping with a white man holds enough for the