What different models of female sexuality are represented in the text?

For the final essay, you should compose an argumentative essay in which you demonstrate your analytical reading and writing skills as you apply them to Toni Morrison’s Sula. Below you will find a list with potential topics, although you can propose your own (in such case, make sure you get my permission to write about something different before you begin to work on your paper).
You must also incorporate at least two academic (non-fictional) sources in your analysis; moreover, Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, Wikipedia, abstracts, book reviews, and newspapers or magazine articles should not be used at all. You should also consider the guidelines and grading criteria included below. The major (although not the only) requirement for this paper is that your argument should be based on a critical close reading of the text. In other words, DO NOT use the text as an excuse to talk about a different or larger topic throughout the entire paper.
POSSIBLE TOPICS:
Sula vs. Nel: Nel and Sula’s relationship is mystical and passionate: they met “in the delirium of their noon dreams” (51) and are described as inhabiting one body and mind. How do they converge and diverge as soul mates and friends? How do their differences play a role in others’ perceptions of them? Why does Nel allow her parents to strip her of any internal spark, whereas Sula argues with her grandmother that she’ll “split this town in two … before I’ll let you put it out” (93)? What kinds of values does each character represent? What is their connection to the community like? How does the friendship between them evolve? What issues affect it?
Female Sexuality: How is Black female sexuality depicted in Morrison’s novel? What different models of female sexuality are represented in the text? Who embodies each of those models? How do the characters react to overt expressions of Black female sexuality? What is the connection that the novel establishes between Black female sexuality and Black female agency?
Violence: Almost every character in the novel has some sort of brush with violence. Keep in mind the complexities of the violence to avoid creating a laundry list of violent acts in your paper; simply listing violent occurrences is not analyzing, which is what you want to do. Look at the range of emotions involved in various violent acts or thoughts. What role does violence play in the lives of the inhabitants of Medallion? Are the violent deaths extreme or realistic?
Friendship or Love: In what ways is the love in the novel a salve for the many horrific occurrences? How is the love not enough to appease the characters in light of their extreme suffering? Some scholars go so far as to call Sula a queer text, because of the relationship between Sula and Nell. Explore the friendship and analyze how it functions. When writing about emotional topics, do not neglect the range of emotions involved in the different kinds of love present in the book. Try not to simplify this topic, since it is one that can initially be appealing to write about because it may seem an easy subject to tackle. You can maintain the complexity if you reflect on the less obvious examples of love, and try to discover people’s motivations. Interpreting ironic statements about love might be a place to begin for an essay.
Racism in America: How do some of the characters in the novel experience racism? There are blatant forms of racism in Sula’s world, but Morrison also presents the subtleties and complexities of racism that can be missed with a cursory look at the book. Explore the roles that racism plays in the novel.
Alienation caused by abandonment: Sula’s profound loneliness would make for a compelling essay. What is ironic about her loneliness, given that she is bored so easily by others and refuses to conform, even if she will have no friends? How do the people of Medallion manage to maintain a sense of hope in the face of racism and abandonment by society at large? Answering these questions will lead you to a synthesis of the numerous personal struggles that people have in the novel when feeling abandoned.
Other: Please feel free to select your own topic for your Sula essay. This must be approved before you can begin the assignment.
REQUIREMENTS:
Five to Six pages in length (not including your works cited page)
Your paper must be a complete argumentative essay.
Your essay must contain an identifiable, complex, arguable thesis.
Your argument should be based on a critical interpretation and close reading of the text. You should not spend significant time reporting or summarizing.
You should incorporate at least two academic (non-fictional) sources in your argument.
You must use MLA style formatting for the page, the in-text citations, and the works cited page.
MLA FORMAT: Your paper should have 1-inch margins and 12-inch Times New Roman font, and should be double-spaced and paginated. Make sure that you write your name, course number, type of assignment, and due date on the top left corner of the paper. Remember also that your paper has to follow MLA style conventions

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