Sula
Toni Morrison's novel "Sula" is extremely complex and interesting. It has various themes and elements that may seem confusing at first, but when put all together make perfect sense. This novel leaves a lot of room for different kinds of criticism. I have chosen to look at the novel as a Gender Critic and a Reader Response Critic. These two forms of criticism are very different and would offer opposite perspectives on the novel. This would help in trying to make more sense of the novel. "A Gender critic examines how sexual identity influences the creation of literary work." {Kennedy) In other words, a gender critic looks at the roles of both sexes in a work and tries to understand how they affect the story. In "Sula", the roles of the sexes are clearly defined. In the novel the women take the role of the cook, the cleaner, and the one who takes care of the children. One of the women in the book, Nel, is often seen d
They have no feelings of guilt when the cheat on their wives, and no remorse about leaving their families. The way Sula is perceived is in the hands of the person who is reading the novel. Both the Gender critic and reader response critic have many valid points on the way text should be interpreted. Many readers probably find this act vile, hideous, and evil. However we learn later on that Sula had enrolled in college and is breaking away from the normal mold of society where a woman is meant to stay home to cook and clean. It is best to have an open mind while reading this book and ultimately it is up to the reader in what he takes from it. In the novel Sula's grandmother burns her grandson Plum alive while he is sleeping. In "Sula" the men are often portrayed as mere sexual objects, dogs that will sleep with anyone or anything. Another interesting aspect that a gender critic might look at is the role of men in the novel. Later we learn that Plum was on drugs and actually had been suffering after he served in the war. Because of this she is hated by most of the inhabitants of "The Bottom". In the case of Sula, this can be true. " (Kennedy) A reader response critic believes that each reader has his or her own interpretation of the work. This was common for a household during that time period.
Common topics in this essay:
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Response Critic,
Sula Readers,
Toni Morrison's,
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reader response,
response critic,
Intro Literature,
novel sula,
gender critic reader,
novel gender critic,
roles sexes,
critic reader response,
sense novel,
stay home,
novel gender,
critic reader,
main character,
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Acceptance Essays
