Organisms in nature rely on one another for their well being.  However, sometimes those organisms become greedy and decide to take in the relationship, instead of sharing with their symbiotic partner.  Through this action, it takes on parasitic characteristics.  In Toni Morrison’s work, Sula, Sula Peace and Nel Wright demonstrate how a symbiotic relationship goes awry.  When one partner betrays the other, by taking instead of giving, the other partner suffers.  Nel and Sula’s relationship suffers because Sula unfortunately takes actions that lead to partaking in a parasitic relationship where she begins to wither away.  Nel refuses the parasitic lifestyle and relationship, which causes Sula to wither away.  In the midst of her death, Sula finally realizes that she needs the symbiotic relationship with Nel to survive.  The interactions between Sula and Nel began symbiotically; however, it develops into a parasitic one with the dependence of Sula on Nel.  

            The symbiotic nature between Sula and Nel began during their adolescent years.  Sula depended upon Nel for sturdiness and comfort, while Nel preferred the unpredictable nature of her counterpart.  They used the other’s lifestyle to compensate for their shortcomings by placing themselves in the other’s surroundings.  When Sula visited Nel’s home, “Nel, who regarded the oppressive neatness with dread, felt comfortable in it, with Sula” (Morrison 29).  In the same way, Sula found comfort within the walls of the Wright home.  They took solace in each other’s presence.  Each one finds comfort in what the other finds bothersome.  Sula dislikes her disheveled house, and wishes that she could live in the clean house of Nel's.  Nel likes the homeliness of Sula’s house.  As their relationship progressed, they began to act as an individual, or a symbiotic relationship where “associations are peaceful…cooperations between two entirely different types of organisms” (Simon 13).  Symbiosis describes the friend’s relationship, because they depended on each other for everything.  “Sula and Nel’s friendship, “was as intense as it was sudden.  They found relief in each other’s personality,” because they find their niches in eachother’s environment (Morrison 53).  When Sula accidentally killed the boy named Chicken Little, by throwing him into a river, Nel stuck by Sula.  They both took responsibility for the accident, even though Sula was the only participant.  At Chicken Little’s funeral, “[Sula and Nel] held hands and knew that only the coffin would lie in the earth; the bubbly laughter would stay aboveground [with them] forever” (Morrison 66).  Through this incident, Nel acts like “the poisonous tentacles of a sea anemone” who protects the “brightly colored clownfish”(Simon 72-73).  Their relationship up to this point, is a coexistence of happiness with each other. 

    The change of the relationship from symbiotic to parasitic begins with Sula’s return to the Bottoms, signaled by the immense number of robins that entered the town.  Just like Sula, the appearance of the robins came as a surprise to everyone except Nel.  Nel understood this natural phenomenon signaled the beginning of a string of unexpected events brought on by Sula’s return.  Their friendship was so strong, that Nel “knew that [the robins] [were] all due to Sula’s return to the Bottom.  It was like getting the use of an eye back.  Her old friend had come home” (Morrison 95).  Their relationship dwindled when Sula left to find a more prosperous life.  She did not think that she needed the friendship that Nel bestowed upon her, but she did.  Without Nel, she had numerous parasitic relationships with men, in order to replace the symbiotic relationship that she lost when she left Nel in the Bottoms.  Sula needed fulfillment, and she gave Nel fulfillment, and vice versa.  They did not realize they needed one another until the friendship ended.

            Betrayal lead to the separation of the symbiotic relationship between Nel and Sula.  However, “The efficient parasite does not seriously harm its host through its individual activities” (Simon 15).  Jude, Nel’s husband had a fondness for Sula and Nel when they were all younger.  Sula left town to pursue an education, and Jude settled for marrying Nel.  Together they betrayed Nel, but Sula’s betrayal hurt Nel the most.  This event was the turning point of Nel and Sula’s relationship.  After this incident, Sula started to decay.  They no longer benefited from each other’s company. 

Throughout this order of events, Sula was confused.  They had always shared men, and Sula did not understand why she could not share Nel’s husband too.  They were best friends who shared everything.  Why was the situation different now?  Now Nel’s “ thighs were truly empty and dead too, and it was Sula who had taken the life from them” (Morrison 110-111).  Sula took Nel’s primary symbiotic partner from her.  Her thighs were left empty at the pleasure of Sula’s.  Nel’s happiness left when her thighs went dead.  Since Sula now had no man, and no Nel, she found herself a new man.  Ajax.  Ajax was “a heroic warrior in mythological stories.  During the Trojan War, he was second only to Achilles in bravery.  When Achilles was killed, Ajax demanded his armor for himself, instead it was given to Odysseus.  Ajax went crazy and committed suicide by falling upon his sword” (O’Neill 82).  Sula wanted Ajax to stay with her, and be her new symbiotic partner.  She needed a permanent replacement for Nel.  However, Ajax wanted nothing to do with a permanent relationship.  He chose to metaphorically commit suicide and leave Sula.  Even if he did once love her, he knew that the relationship between them would eventually turn parasitic.  He would not be a good symbiotic partner for Sula.  The man that Sula had clung to for protection left quickly without so much as a note.  She said after he left, “I didn’t even know his name.  And if I didn’t know his name, then there is nothing I did know and I have known nothing ever at all since…  Nel was the one who told me the truth” (Morrison 136).  Now Nel was gone, and the relationship between them was parasitic.  Without Nel for support, Sula would slowly kill herself.

 Sula was her own parasite, in that “ a single parasite may cause considerable injury to, and eventually kill, the host,” which she did (Simon 15).  She internally killed herself by slowly eating away at her soul, which was also a part of Nel.  Parasitic relationships can never last very long.  However, Sula was unaware of that fact.  Without Nel or Ajax, Sula had no one.  This very problem began her demise and ultimate death.

            The break between the surrogate host and the parasite, left Sula feeble and on the brink of death.  She had nowhere to turn without the original host.  Sula depended on Ajax as her host after Nel left.  Now that Ajax had left, a host no longer remained.  She fed off of no one.  Like Sula, most parasites “are dependent…. and would quickly die out if host animals were not available” (Simon 16).  Sula went from having a blissful symbiotic relationship with Nel, who would never treat her badly, to a parasitic relationship, which eventually lead to death.  She needed Nel so much, that Sula talked about her even after death.  After Sula drew her last breath, she said, “it didn’t even hurt.  Wait’ll I tell Nel” (Morrison 149).  Her thoughts remained with her original interdependent partner.

            Sula went through an obstacle course of emotions and relationships.  Poor choices were made, which led to her ultimate demise.  However, her demise was her own choice.  Sula chose what she thought she wanted, despite knowing what was really needed.  That need demanded a strong relationship with Nel.  It was a comfort to know that there would always be some one there for her.  Betrayal of the symbiotic relationship led to the inevitable outcome of becoming a parasite.  She made the decision, and had to live with the consequence.  Death would be her final consequence.               

Works Cited

Bulfinch, Tomas.  Bulfinch’s Mythology.  New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1947.

Dudley, Ruth H.  Partners in Nature.  New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, Inc., 1965.

Morrison, Toni.  Sula.  New York: Penguin Books Ltd, 1973.

O’Neill, Cynthia.  Goddesses, Heroes and Shamans.  New York: Larousse Kingfisher Chambers Inc., 1994.