Literal Sexuality

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses and analyzes the novels "Sula" by Toni Morrison and "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner. Specifically, it compares and contrasts how the authors use sexuality in both novels. The paper contends that both these novels represent sexuality in different ways. The paper explains that "Sula" is a coming-of-age novel where two young women discover and then revel in their sexuality, while "As I Lay Dying" is a novel about the end of life and the sexuality of the aged and the mature. They both indicate that sexuality is apparent at any age and that it is one of the most enduring and often controversial themes in novels of all kinds.

From the Paper:

"William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying" is the story of a mother's final journey, and Toni Morrison's "Sula" is the story of two young girls on their journey through life. Both include sexuality as one of the themes of the novel, but it is more prevalent in "Sula," because these women are discovering themselves and their sexuality. In fact, the main character, Sula, and her family simply ooze sexuality. Morrison writes, "With the exception of BoyBoy, those Peace women loved all men. It was manlove that Eva bequeathed to her daughters" (Morrison 41). These are women who like sex, but more importantly, they are assured of their own sexuality, and that is an important theme in the story, because it differentiates between the two types of black women Morrison portrays."

More papers on Literal Sexuality:

• Book Review # 132423 : "Langberg's "Counseling Survivors of Sexual Abuse"
• Comparison Essay # 27336 : "Sex in "Genesis" and the "Epic of Gilgamesh"
• Analytical Essay # 30077 : "Another Country"

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