The Behavior Cycle Walk down the street; ring a bell and tell everyone you see to commit suicide, sell your leg to support your family, or sit in your room and listen to music for eternity. These people are not only accepted, they seem to gravitate towards a small town simply named “the bottom.” This town is the center of life in Toni Morrison’s novel Sula. A story about Nel Wright and Sula Peace: two friends who devote their lives to each other in search of a lasting friendship. Throughout the novel, there are several conflicts within families that contribute to the chaotic bliss of the town. One of which is of Nel’s mother, herself, and her friend Sula. Nel’s parents are shown in the novel to be stern and demonstrative. In part two, the narrator says “Her parents had succeeded in rubbing down to a dull glow any sparkle or splutter she had.” This metaphor states that Nel’s parents stunted her creative spirit. The author provides a means for the reader to understand the reasons behind Nel’s behavior, and to perhaps ask the reader to sympathize with her and her handling of Sula in part one. The way that Nel’s parents treated her was accepted by Nel, and she even goes as far as to adopt the method of acting with Sula. In part two, the narrator states “Except for an occasional leadership role with Sula, she had no aggression.” In this part, the narrator focuses on Nel’s gentle personality with an occasional exception being with Sula. This highlights one of the novel’s