Juxtaposition Of Ajax In Sula

The novel Sula, written by Toni Morrison, explores the life of Sula in Medallion from the perspective of a black woman. The town of Medallion is depicted as socially oriented, with people living under societal values and norms. The town is divided into the white side and “The Bottom’’ where Sula resides, which is rampant with poverty, discrimination, and limited opportunities.Hannah, Sula’s mother, plays an important role in guiding Sula’s path by impacting Sula’s early view of love. Sula also faces challenges with males throughout her life, which further shapes her views on love and relationships.Throughout the novel, various characters are also introduced, such as Ajax, Sula's first love; Nel, her best friend; and other men beyond Medallion, …show more content…

Initially, Ajax treats her differently from the other men as he listens to her feelings and thoughts, appreciates her attempts to connect emotionally, and accepts her for who she is. However, later on, he prioritized his aspirations of becoming a pilot above her and abandoned Sula. The betrayal and abandonment taught Sula that love is permeable. Morrison compares Sula to a doll with the use of juxtaposition. Sula placed a lot of faith in Ajax and was loyal to him, so when he betrayed her, she was unable to move on, unlike her mother. Sula says, “I did not hold my head stiff enough when I met him and so I lost it just like the dolls.”(136) “lost it just like a doll” refers to the loss of a doll’s head, caused by frequent play. By connecting this to Sula’s experience, Morrison implies that Ajax damaged Sula by toying around with her feelings. This experience demonstrates the consequences of Sula’s decision to derail from her initial belief and her action of investing her feelings in a man. This strengthened her belief that she should emotionally detach herself from