Nel's Behavior in the Novel "Sula"

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Sula
How far can a friendship go? And what are some things that one can do for a friend? Sula is a novel written by Toni Morrison. It revolves around the bittersweet friendship of two Black women, Sula and Nel. Their personalities complement each other; one is obedient, and the other is not. These women have been inseparable since childhood and treat each other as sisters. Their friendship began unusually, but as time passed, they learned more about each other’s lives and life generally. However, as they grow older, a series of events in their lives have somehow destroyed their friendship. This paper focuses on the changes that occurred to one of the novel's protagonists, Nel. She demonstrates how subtle shifts in a person’s personality and attitude can have far-reaching consequences.
Nel as a Child
Nel Wright is the only child of Helene Wright, a single parent. Helene is a woman who upholds her values and believes that she needs to be obedient to live a peaceful and prosperous life. Her grandmother raises her. Her mother is called a whore, and she vows never to be like her mother. As a result, Helene is raised by her grandmother to be a rule follower. In their community, she is known as a virtuous woman and a successful mother who attends religious gatherings and serves veterans. Helene wishes for her daughter to act and think like her. Thus, she raises Nel in her way. She raises Nel to be clean, quiet, obedient, and orderly inside or outside their home (Morrison 16–29).
Helene receives a letter about her dying grandmother. Helene hesitates to visit but still does, bringing Nel with her. On this train ride, Nel witnesses how her mother is humiliated. Helene is discriminated against since she is Black, and the train has clear divisions, there is an area designated for Whites, and there is an area designated for Blacks. In addition, Helene carries heavy luggage, but no one dares to help her. As their condition on the train worsens, there is no designated comfort room for the Blacks, so they need to urinate on the grass. Because of all the incidents, Nel feels ashamed of her mother, and she resents her (Morrison 16–29). When they arrive home, Nel faces a mirror and says, “I’m me. I’m not their daughter. I’m not Nel. I’m me. Me” (Morrison 28). At this point, Nel wishes to establish her own identity rather than rely on the opinions of others.
Nel later meets Sula. Sula is also an only child who does not have a father. However, Nel’s personality is quite different from Sula’s. Sula is a wild, loud, and unpredictable girl. Helene disapproves of their friendship because of Sula’s morally questionable behavior. They are inseparable, and there have been several occasions that have strengthened their bond. They have become more aware of the natural world as they have grown older. They are both aware that they can easily attract men and enjoy the attention they receive (Morrison 50). However, their plan to look for boys to flirt with goes wrong one day. They find Little Chicken instead of handsome men. Sula is involved in an accident that kills Little Chicken. Sula seeks assista...