Testing Friendships in Sula by Toni Morrison

Every individual’s life is shaped by personal relationships that they have with others. Whether there are complications in the friendship or not, the person’s life is changed in some way. In Sula by Toni Morrison, friendships are put to the test. Single mother-child relationships and other friendships have hardships that they must overcome. Friendships between women when unmediated by men in a mother and child relationship create difficult decision-makings and ways of life, yet friendships between friends are less complicated and stronger without them.

The mother and child relationships greatly affect the identity development in the kids. As seen in the community, the mother-child relationship is important in the sense that the mothers help shape their children’s future and aid them while understanding the world. Eva was a good mother from the beginning. She always wanted the best for her children before taking care of herself. Though hard to understand by her children, she killed Plum to relieve him from his heroine addiction and to make her life a little easier. “Rocking, rocking, listening to Plum’s occasional chuckles, Eva let her memory spin, loop and fall… ‘Mamma, you so purty. You so purty, Mamma.’ Eva lifted her tongue to the edge of her lip to stop the tears from running into her mouth” (46-47). Eva’s love for Plum is clearly shown. With his addiction, he was unable to live on his own and this required a lot of money and time; time in which Eva did not have to help. Because he was so far into his drug problem, it would take a lot of money to put Plum in therapy or to help him overcome the addiction. By Plum no longer being alive, this is one less child to worry about feeding and providing support for. It was a difficult ...

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... life because Nel felt betrayed. Even though their friendship had not survived, Nel’s desire for a friendship with a female remains strong because she misses her other half. Alone, Sula and Nel had a great friendship. Once Jude got involved everything became more complicated. Because a man was mediated into their friendship, they lost the strong bond between each other that they wished would last forever.

Friendships when men are involved are much different than when men are unmediated. In a mother and child situation, a man unmediated leaves the mother alone to earn money and support her family. The mother is the only figure that the children have to look up to and this is why she must face difficult decisions and ways of life. In other friendships, involving men can cause complications. It can destroy a bond between females and ultimately weaken their friendship.