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Overall, Sula was a very interesting book. It's one of the few books I've read that deeply analyzed the upbringing of individuals and how it effected them for the rest of their lives. In Sula, that was the key focus; the relationship between Sula and Nel showed the effects of their individual childhoods.

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Starting with Shadrack would have immediately thrown the read into the mess of the society at the time. It would have set the reader up for the turmoil in Sula and Nel's friendship and their lives.

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Starting with Shadrack would have put the reader into immediate confrontation with his wounded mind, and called greater attention to the traumatic displacement the capitalist war has on black people.

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If there was no gaze I would likely not be bound to what society deems as the standard. I would set my own standard for "normal" as opposed to having someone else set it for me.

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Without a gaze, you will be more free to express yourself because you are not influenced by your internalization of your environment. Frankly, it is difficult to imagine how we will function without the gaze because it is so heavily embedded within our environment. You would be envied for your carefree attitude but cautioned because you may be seen as more selfish.

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Morrison tackles racism and segregation as a facet, not the defining trait, of the Black experience; Sula tackles community through the lens of its characters' grief and euphoria, contrasting the literary archetypes of Black characters.

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Morrison achieves her goal by giving a much deeper meaning and explanation to African-American vernacular. At different points in the novel, with a deep analysis of the speech of different characters, the reader can see the reasoning behind it which is caused by their complex and difficult upbringing.

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Morrison attempts to create characters that allow African American writers to expand their writing beyond the constraints of "acceptable" writing. She does this by creating characters that are incredibly flawed, while also ensuring that they aren't direct representations of their minority. Thus, their flaws are due to character, not background.

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1. The friendship between women when unmediated by men is more peaceful and less chaotic, as male presence tends to disrupt the balance of similarity and familiarity.
2. Not many without being shamed because they're already living for constant approval of doing the right thing by societies standard and going beyond that means not being a proper member of society
3. The risks of individualism in a socially static society is losing respect in relation to where you are in society, and can be isolating.

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1. A relationship unmediated by men between women is a powerful, attractive force. Something which transcends and pushes societal norms, while sustaining the women both mentally and physically.
2. Black women are free to pursue two general routes. One which conforms to the familial ideals of supporting the husband and kids (Nel), and going to pursue your own path unbound by others.
3. Individualism in a racially uniform and static society may result in the alienation and rejection of the individual.

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1. Sula implies that friendship between women can be one of the most influential and vital relationships one could have. Morrison conveys through Sula and Nel's relationship that friendship is able to withstand the many obstacles that are trying to rip apart their relationship.
2. Black women have many opportunities outside of their own society's approval, as shown by Sula leaving the Bottom and disregarding the negative views her society had about her departure.
3. A risk of individualism in a determinedly individualistic, yet racially uniform and socially static, community is that individualism can be looked down upon by one's community because it of its deviation from what society believes to be the "norm."

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1. Friendship between women when unmediated by men is strong and easy going. The addition of men creates a subtle competition and complicates the dynamic of friendships
2. The choices available to black women outside their own societies approval are limited due to prejudices in society. Race and gender account for two factors that dilute the opportunities available for black women to be deemed as approving
3. Individualism in a uniform society is discouraged by the majority. The natural tendency of humans is to retain their power and for someone to live a more individual life in a uniform society is seen as inferior and a threat to their current lifestyles

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1. The friendship between women when unmediated by men is pure and powerful, as can be seen through the childhood of Nel and Sula.
2. Black women do not have much freedom in their decisions due to the social scrutiny that will follow when she deviates from societal norms.
3. Individualism is not welcomed in a socially static community, as can be seen through Sula's experience in The Bottom. As she was considered the "odd" one, she was demonized and blamed for all negative things that happened in the neighborhood.

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In the book, Sula and Nel's friendship show how strong a friendship between Women can become, especially without the interruption of Men. For the second question, it is represented by Sula leaving the bottom despite what people think. For the last question, I believe the risks of individualism, are that you won't always fit in. If you never get help from someone, or help someone else, people don't always want to be around you if you just sit there in silence. However, in Sula, when Nel or Sula need help, they are always there for each other, therefore building their bond.

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1. Sula and Nel's friendship was extremely strong and was their most important relationship before men were involved, however it crumbled when they got older and relationships with men became more dominant aspects of life. When Nel got married to Jude, Sula knew Jude would take priority over her and felt like she wasn't needed in Nel's life anymore, which reveals that friendships between women are heavily influenced by the men in their lives. Another example would be how Sula and Nel ended their lifelong friendship after Sula slept with Jude.

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1. Friendship, when unmediated by men, maintains the main values of conventional "friendship." That is, one must not lie, one must be kind, one must be loyal, etc. etc. But, the ideal form of feminine friendship never is able to reach that due to the inherent male biases that exist within our environment. From the sexualization of close feminine intimacy, to the sexist values that women with high internalized misogyny project onto others, true, pure, female friendship is sabotaged by male regulation. That is not to say that good, male exclusive friendship does not exist, rather it is at constant battle with the issues of male biases around us.
2. Black women are inherently restricted in the choices that they make. The exist that the tangent between blackness and womanhood, two traits that are perceived as inferior within a white male, dominated society. They are at constant odds with the over sexualized Jezebel stereotype, or the masculinized "mammy" caricature, and thus, Black women are restricted in how they feel and react to their environment.
3. Individualism in a racially uniform and socially static community is looked down upon, especially if you are a minority. you are perceived as inferior and the fear that you may confirm any negative stereotypes about your background is an added stress that must be dealt with. Stereotype threat, along with suppressed individualism is not a good mix, and inherently suppresses creative freedom and self worth.

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1. Friendship between women thrives when it is unmediated by men. As soon as men became involved in the lives of Nel and Sula, issues in their friendship arised.
2. Not that many choices are made available to black women outside of societies approval. They may choose to venture outside of the societal standard but that will lead to being labeled as an "outcast" and for others in the community to despise and look down on them.
3. Individualism is a celebrated aspect of a person, but too much of it leads to not fitting in properly with the rest of society.

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1) Friendship between women without men is carefree, fun, individually fulfilling, and less dramatic.
2) There are many choices for what to do when you leave behind your own society's approval. This is displayed by Sula doing whatever she feels like and not caring about what people think of her.
3) The risk of invalidism in a determinedly individualistic, yet racially uniform and socially static community is that you will be an outlier and not fit in.

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In her first question, Sula and Nel's friendship is an example of friendship between women unmediated by women.
In the next, Sula leaving to go to college traveling shows that even something as ambitious as this is seen as outside of their own black society's approval.
Finally, the risks of being individual in a uniform and static society are clearly shown when Sula is quickly villainized by the rest of the bottom for her actions.

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1. Friendship between women when men are not intervening is peaceful. There are no distractions and the women can focus on each other without jealousy.
2. Black women don't have choices outside their societies approval or their society will look down upon them. If they deviate from the standard, they can be blamed for everyone's problems.
3. Individualism can be looked down upon and self reliant people are viewed as if they are doing something wrong.

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Friendship among women is disloyal as it will always be a second priority to relationships with men. When a black women specifically goes on an "abnormal" path they are isolated by society and looked down upon. Individualism is something that is frowned upon by society yet it is something that is very relative to ones race, social status, background, and community.