A Self-Finding through Destruction: Through the Analysis of Sula’s Behavior, in the Text of “Sula”
AUTHORS
Mia Kim,Associate Professor of Jeonju University
ABSTRACT
This paper speaks of the displacement and fragmentation of black identity. This also shows human being's inner estrangement and the failure to establish meaningful relationship with the community in modern society through the main hero of this novel, Sula in 『Sula』. Sula went through the cruel processes of life like self-destructive narcissism, no-ego etc in her long life journey. Sula had to be isolated and persecuted from the other women in the community they had grown up together. They never allow her any freedom threatening the stereotyped social norm they preserved, even though everybody knew that the norm was wrong. They constantly require each other to live as the sacrifice of the social custom. The people in social community constantly pursue alter-ego from the overwhelming reality. They make Sula a scapegoat of the fixed social norm. There is no future and no vision for the future. However, in the long run, Sula dies after sowing the seed of positivity for future as a complete existence with the subjectivity. There is a movement of women for change after her death. The sacrifice of Sula who was a real woman with solid subjectivity makes a huge change for this black community. This paper will prove that a woman's reckless challenge who had a strong ego and subjectivity helps the people belonging to the closed and patriarchal society to open a new chapter of their life. In the practical sense of fusion of psychology, art, politics and culture, this research will enlighten the basic issue of women's self-finding living their life in modern society and it would be a meaningful process for modern women to live their life more positively and actively with the complete self-subjectivity.
KEYWORDS
Self-Destruction, Fragmented Subject, Self-Finding, Community, Co-Existence
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