Rhetorical Essay about the book SULA by Toni Morrison

Rhetorical about the book SULA by Toni Morrison - Essay Example Overall, the story revolves around Nel and Sula and how their friendship transforms over years. The main arguments presented include those regarding friendship, faithfulness, disloyalty, and forgiveness. Over time, the forms of friendship are shown to change. Initially, the book presents Nel and Sula to be very good friends. Nel is brought up by her mother so that she is well mannered and an obedient daughter. Nel does not like the way her mother treats her. It is mentioned in the book that Nel likes Sula’s house better as her mother is not scolding or screaming at her (Morrison 29). On the other hand, Sula does not like her mother as she sleeps with other men, and doubts her mother even likes her. One day Sula finds out her mother does not like her either. She feels sad and channels her grievance to Nel whom she feels really close to. In an attempt to be someone different than her mother – who sleeps around with many different married men – Sula eventually becom es more like her mother later on. Sula did not like her mother’s attitude and talks to Nel about it. After Nel gets married to Jude, Sula leaves the Bottom and returns after years. Initially, it seems as if Sula is very happy to meet her again and they are good friends until Nel finds Sula and her husband cheating on her. Nel who already has three children from Jude is extremely sad at seeing her very good friend with her husband. Jude decides to leave Nel after being caught with Sula (Morrison 105). Nel feels devastated and feels like crying, but the way she had been brought up does not allow her to show her emotions openly. The way Nel and Sula’s friendship slides as a result of the sudden change in Sula’s personality after years seems hurtful and illustrates the impermanence of friendship. Another argument made is that regarding betrayal and disloyalty not only in the conventional sense but also inadvertently happening and resulting in the characters getting hurt. Betrayal is obvious at various places. After Sula hears her mother saying that she does not like her, she feels said and betrayed. Her communication with Nel is good and she is able to share her thoughts with Nel. Nel and Sula had always been really good friends and after Sula returns 20 years later to the Bottom, Nel seems to be betrayed by Sula for being selfish and taking her husband away from her. Later, when Sula dies, Nel feels guilty of not having been a good friend and not having understood Sula. The story ends with a grieving Nel who finally forgives Sula. In another part of the book, Nel and Sula experience the death of a little boy named Chicken Little. Both Nel and Sula were swinging Chicken Little by the river when his hand slipped and he went underwater (Morrison 170). In a desperate need for help, Sula runs to Shadrack, but all he has to say is â€Å"always.† She gets afraid and both girls decide not to tell anyone about what happened. Sula feels guilty, but Nel reassures her that it was not her fault but was merely an accident. However, Sula seems to have taken the blame, and this causes her to change for good. Years after Sula’s death, Nel goes to visit her grandmother who says that she saw Nel letting Chicken Little drown. Sula’s grandmother blames both of them for his death. Later Nel does realize that it was really her fault as she enjoyed watching him drown rather than