She is trying to find a friend who she can confide in. In her search for some relief of the "loneliness" (123) that she feels and her search for a friend, she commits many acts that are harmful to others, such as sleeping with Jude. The only evil action would be one that is not directed towards friendship. She is not so much trying to find the "sadness that she yearned for" (122), as she is trying to share it with someone such as Nel. As long as Sula tries that, she can’t judge herself to be evil, even though her sexual behavior makes her seem evil to society. Sula believed that, "as her experiences multiplied she realized that not only was it not wicked, it was not necessary for her to conjure up the idea of wickedness in order to participate fully" (122).Toni Morrison makes a powerful statement about evil through the friendship between Nel and Sula. When Sula sleeps with Jude, a direct conflict between their different conceptions of evil surfaces. Sula feels no shame, because her conception of evil includes only actions not directed towards friendship, while her sleeping with Jude was an attempt at forming a friendship. However, Nel is hurt, because Sula "had no thought at all of causing Nel pain when she bedded down with Jude" (119). Before "they had always shared the affection of other people" (119), things have changed since they parted. Nel had just gotten married, while Sula left for the city. During this time their views became more and more different, as Sula became promiscuous and rebellious, Nel adopted society's morals. Because of this time apart and a change in values Sula was "ill prepared for the possessiveness of the one person she felt close to" (119). However, the two begin to discuss their differences, and Nel tells Sula her problem with her by saying, "You can't be walking around all independent-like, doing whatever you like" (142), to which Sula says, "It matters, Nel, but only to you" (144). This...
