Sula: The Formation and Reconstruction of Black Women’s Identity

Abstract

Morrison has portrayed a series of strong and courageous black women full of vitality with her profound theme and superb artistry, such as Sula, which is an early work of hers. Under the social environment full of race, gender, and class discrimination, they pursue or choose their own ideal identities and lifestyles, and reap different destinies and endings. This paper analyzes the identity problem of black women in Sula through the black women’s perspective in terms of the background, storyline, main characters, and behaviors of the novel, aiming to reveal the plight and oppression suffered by the black women, as well as praising their pursuit of freedom and equality and their unyielding spirit. Thus, it helps readers to re-understand this work from a new perspective.