Social Norm In Toni Morrison's Sula

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Sula, Florens, and Bride all represent a desire to find control in Toni Morrison’s novels. Sula constantly rejects social norms and follows her own code up until the moment she dies. When the Blacksmith lashes out at Florens for hurting Malaik, she finds the willpower to retaliate in turn. Bride tries to break away from the negative expectations that Sweetness imparted on her due to colorism. Of the three characters, however, only Sula is successful at obtaining control. Both Florens and Bride cannot completely free themselves, regardless of their desire to.
Throughout the entirety of the novel, Sula clearly shows that she follows her own rules above all else. In childhood, she cuts off part of her thumb in order to scare away some boys, showing …show more content…

Though she is eager to hunt down the Blacksmith, the journey was prompted by Rebekka telling her to bring him back and save her life. Despite her feelings for him, she was not able to search for him of her own free will because she is a slave. She had no choice but to wait until Rebekka sent her on her journey. When she arrives at the Blacksmith’s house, she wants to leverage some control over the situation but cannot. Though she is upset about the Blacksmith leaving Malaik in her care, she does not immediately protest. It is only when the Blacksmith renounces her for hurting Malaik that she shows autonomy. She retaliates against the Blacksmith by grabbing a hammer and trying to hit him: “Now I am living the dying inside. No. Not again. Not ever. Feathers lifting, I unfold. The claws scratch and scratch until the hammer is in my hand” (167). Still, after she is subdued, the Blacksmith sends her back to stay with Rebekka. Florens clearly wants to explain her story to the Blacksmith, but all she can do is carve it into the walls of a room and hope that he will read it someday. Regardless of what she wants, Florens cannot reject slavery and gain complete

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