An Analysis of Sula: Masculine or Feminine?

Toni Morrison’s Sula is a novel with a diverse set of complicated characters who defy the stereotypes society has set out for them. For example, Eva is supposed to be the basic matriarch who cares for her children and grandchildren, but she ends up killing her son after he comes back traumatized from the war. Nel is also a character whose morals are questionable: she was painted to be this innocent child, but she is a bystander in a murder and doesn’t do anything to stop it. Both of those women are interesting characters, but the most interesting one is Sula, who will be the focus of this paper. While Eva and Nel do conform to some of the standards set for them, Sula arguably doesn’t conform to any. As a woman, Sula is expected to be feminine, but instead she also displays masculine characteristics. Throughout the story, Sula is a very controversial character, which can be explained through the existence of these traits. She is labeled as an outcast from the very beginning, and even after her death she is still seen as someone who would only cause trouble everywhere she goes.

To start, it is important to establish what it means to be masculine and feminine. In 2011, there was scientific paper written comparing masculine and feminine traits in male and female nursing students. They were testing whether or not male nursing students are as feminine as female nursing…