Abstract
This paper examines Toni Morrison’s Sula through the intertwined frameworks of Black girlhood and homoeroticism, with a focus on the friendship between Sula Peace and Nel Wright. By analyzing moments of intimacy, dreams, and kinship terminology, I argue that Morrison portrays their bond as both a survival mechanism against oppressive social structures and as a site where homoerotic desire emerges. Concepts such as “fictive kin,” “chosen kin,” and “quare” are used to show how Morrison complicates traditional categories of friendship and queerness in American literature. Ultimately, the novel positions Sula and Nel’s relationship as one of enduring love that exceeds familial and marital bonds, demonstrating how Black girlhood offers a crucial space for belonging and recognition.
Recommended Citation
Still, Summer A.
(2026)
"‘“We was girls together”’: Black Girlhood and Homoeroticism in Toni Morrison’s Sula,"
Caroliniana Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 1:
Iss.
1, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/usc-curj/vol1/iss1/8
Included in
African American Studies Commons, American Literature Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons, Queer Studies Commons, Women's Studies Commons