The Battle between Community and Its Nonconformists —A Comparison between Sula and Emily in Their Relationships with the Communities

Abstract

A community always expects conformity from its members. Any individual who challenges community norms will be coerced to conform via segregation or rumor. This paper compares community characteristics, community conflicts and effects of segregation and rumors of the protagonists Sula in Toni Morison’s Sula to Emily in William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily. Although the protagonists Sula and Emily act differently, they both suffer from community segregation and gossip. The tragedies of the two heroines illustrate the discipline and punishment a community inflicts upon its nonconforming members.