Thoughts on Sula
Thoughts on Sula
In her essay, Stevenson presents a very clear, though complex, depiction of slave sexual and marital relations; sex was generally encouraged only between married couples and pre-marital pregnancy led to marriage, and, in terms of monogamous relationships, fidelity was highly valued. Most important in her analysis is her assertion that “[Slave kin] emphasized the value of demonstrating respect for other slaves.” (172, emphasis mine) 
As one would expect, the Bottom community that Morrison creates in Sula maintains these values in regards to sexuality – the moral code that helped slave communities survive and endure the torture and degradation inflicted on them became an integral part of African American community life. Hannah was not ostracized because she still seemed to respect the other women in her community. Sula, on the other hand, openly disrespects not only her fellow women, but Nel, her closest friend. She not only slept with Jude, but did so in Nel’s and his bedroom, in a place of sanctity and where Nel could see her. Moreover, Sula and Jude continued after Nel entered the room, and neither one ever showed remorse. The horror in this adultery scene lies not necessarily in the act, but in the lack of respect for Nel, her love for J, and her value of the sanctity of marriage.
One must wonder, though, if the women in this community used the idea of respect (which is abstract) as an excuse to hate Sula. After all, adultery is adultery. Hannah violated the same marriage pacts that Sula did, so if that were really the issue, Hannah would have been equally persecuted. Sula’s watching Hannah burn, though a fact, was not witnessed by any of the women in her community, but it was emphasized in order to hate her more deeply. None of them knew the circumstances behind Eva’s removal, either, as Eva never left her home, but that was used as fuel as well. Not to defend Sula – she was, in my opinion, terrible for all of these reasons – but the role constructed for Sula by her peers is not something to be ignored.
Finally, I find it curious that while most of Medallion seems to embody the monogamous marriage rules that Stevenson describes, Hannah embodies the polygamous relationships Stevenson describes as another facet of slave culture. Stevenson cites Massie: “Do ya kno’…dem women never fou’t, fuss, an’ quarrel over dem men folks? Day seemed to understand each other,” (164), which is rather similar to the lack of jealousy on Hannah’s part and anger on the wives parts. The existence of this split in Medallion, and the complacency with which it exists, seems to reflect on the varying sexual dynamics of plantations.
Tags: morality, respect, sexual regulation, slaves, social construction, women
