Sula Character Analysis

A symbiotic relationship is a cooperative, mutually beneficial relationship between two people or groups. All living beings, weather you are the president of the United States or a homeless person living in a shelter, depend on symbiotic relationships to live a healthy and productive life. However, sometimes these persons can become greedy and decide to take more of the relationship than what they are putting in it. When this occurs, the relationship takes on parasitic characteristics. In the novel “Sula,” by Toni Morrison, Nel Wright and Sula Peace demonstrate how a friendship can start out as a symbiotic relationship and quickly spiral into an unhealthy relationship. When one person in the relationship betrays the other by taking instead of giving, the other person will suffer. This is exactly what happens in Nel and Sula’s relationship. This happens to there relationship because Sula makes some bad decisions which lead into a parasitic where she begins to deteriorate as a person. Nel refuses to take part in the same lifestyle as Sula. In the midst of her death, Sula finally realizes that she needs the symbiotic relationship with Nel to survive. The interactions between Sula and Nel began symbiotically; however, it develops into a parasitic one with the dependence of Sula on Nel.

The symbiotic relationship between Sula and Nel began in their early childhood years. Sula depended on Nel for comfort and stability, while Nel was drawn to Sula because of her unpredictable nature. They used the other's lifestyle to compensate for their shortcomings by placing themselves in the other's surroundings. When Sula visited Nel's home, "Nel, who regarded the oppressive neatness with dread, felt comfortable in it, with Sula" (Morrison 29). In the same way, Sula found a type of comfort within the Wright household. They took solace in each others presence. Sula and Nel each find comfort in what bothers the other. Nel finds the disorganization and homeliness of Sula’s household appealing, while Sula hates her house and wishes she could live in an organized household like Nel. They found relief in each other's personality," because they find their niches in each other's environment (Morrison 53). When Sula accidentally killed Chicken Little by throwing him into a river, Sula stood by him. Nel took some responsibility for the accident, even though Sula was the only participant. At Chicken Little's funeral, "[Sula and Nel] held hands and knew that only the coffin would lie in the earth; the bubbly laughter would stay aboveground [with them] forever" (Morrison 66). Their relationship up to this point is a coexistence of happiness with each other.

You begin to see the change of their relationship from symbiotic to parasitic when Sula returns to the bottom, which is shown by the flock of robins that enters the town. Just like Sula, the appearance of the robins came as a surprise to everyone except Nel. Nel understood this natural phenomenon signaled the beginning of a string of unexpected events brought on by Sula's return. Their friendship was so strong, that Nel "knew that [the robins] [were] all due to Sula's return to the Bottom. It was like getting the use of an eye back. Her old friend had come home" (Morrison 95). Their relationship deteriorated when Sula left to try and attain a more fulfilling life. Sula felt as if she didn’t need the friendship of Nel, but she did. Without Nel, she had numerous parasitic relationships with men, in order to replace the symbiotic relationship that she lost when she left Nel in the Bottom. They did not realize they needed one another until the friendship ended.

Betrayal is what ultimately leads to the end of the symbiotic relationship between Sula and Nel. Jude, Nel's husband had a fondness for Sula and Nel when they were all younger. Sula left town to pursue an education, and Jude settled for marrying Nel. Together they betrayed Nel, but Sula's betrayal hurt Nel the most. This event was the turning point of Nel and Sula's relationship. After this incident, Sula started to decay. They no longer benefited from each other's company.

All of theses events were confusing to Sula. They had always shared everything and Sula didn’t see why this was any different. Now Nel's " thighs were truly empty and dead too,