Sula's View of Gender

              Sula’s main point  regarding her gender was that she could act like a man if she wanted to.  On her death bed Nel tells her “You a woman and a colored woman at that.  You can’t act like a man.  You can’t be walking around independent-like, doing whatever you like, taking what you want, leaving what you don’t” (142).  Sula immediately dismisses this idea replying, “You say I’m a woman and I’m colored.  Ain’t that the same as being a man?  Because Sula sees herself as a man, she feels that she can behave anyway she wants.

            I have conflicting thoughts about Sula’s reasoning.  I absolutely agree her gender should not affect how she behaves, and she should be able to behave as any man, but I do not believe that the behavior Nel described is something anyone should aspire to no matter if they are a man or woman. Whether Sula sees herself as man or a woman should not be used as an excuse for her own selfishness. I can, however, see why she would think that: none of the male characters in Sula have any redeeming characteristics.  BoyBoy leaves Eva, Jude leaves Nel, and Ajax leaves Sula. These are the only men Sula has as examples of the life a man should lead. Nel also believes that these are the characteristics of men; to her being a woman is a good thing. I also disagree with this view. To Nel womanhood means taking what is given to her. I think that both Nel and Sula use gender to justify their own views of life.