Topic of Sexuality in 2 Novels

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This study will discuss the topic of sexuality as it is treated by Toni Morrison in her novel Sula and by Maxine Hong Kingston in her autobiographical The Woman Warrior. The study will focus on the differences in the ways the main characters learn about sexuality. It will also focus on the differences and similarities between the African-American and Chinese-American cultures in the ways they view sexuality, and especially the sexuality of females. In general, the African-American culture is more open and liberal with respect to sexuality, and the Chinese-American culture is more closed and conservative. The women in Morrison's novel are more free to express themselves sexually, while the women in Kingston's book are discouraged from such free sexual expression. At the same time, the woman who decides to live an openly sexual life will pay a price for such freedom in the African-American culture, as we see in the case of Sula.

In Morrison's African-American world, sexuality seems to be a part of every aspect of life. Sexuality is a way for African-Americans in this novel to express their desire for a connection to life in the midst of poverty and prejudice:

He might see a dark woman in a flowered dress doing a bit of cakewalk, a bit of black bottom, a bit of "messing around" to the lively notes of a mouth organ.

. . . The black people watching her would laugh and rub their knees, and it would be easy . . . to hear the laughter and not notice the adult pain that rested so

. . .
nical philosophy of sexuality. As for herself, her own sexual life has not brought her peace. Nel may be unhappy in her sexuality, but at least she has the respect of the community to ease her pain. That community binds together against the sexual threat of Sula. Sula is left both unhappy and alone as a result of her sexual liberation. Nel has lived to give pleasure to others, while Sula lives only for herself, sexually and otherwise: "She lived out her days exploring here own thoughts and emotions, giving them full reign, feeling no obligation to please anybody unless their pleasure pleased her" (Morrison 118). However, this sexually free life has left her empty: The men . . . had merged into one large personality: the same language of love, the same entertainments of love, the same cooling of love. . . . They taught her nothing but love tricks. shared nothing but worry, gave nothing but money (Morrison 120-121). Kingston's book begins with a terrifying story about the main character's aunt. That aunt had been impregnated by a man who was not her husband. She and her entire family were terrorized by the villagers. The aunt had her baby in a pigsty and was found dead with that baby in a well the next morning (Kingston 3-5). T
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1684
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

Topic of Sexuality in 2 Novels

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