A Comparison of Sula and La Mala Educacion

In contemporary society, common themes are those of superficial success and beauty. In the midst of this modern confusion over what constitutes “significance,” the importance of a theme like friendship is often lost. Due to this lack of friendship-based storytelling, there is a connection between the few stories that contain characters for whom friendship is a driving force. One such story is set up by writer Toni Morrison in her novel, Sula, another by filmmaker Pedro Almodovar in his film, Bad Education.

Sula is a story centered in a small town called Medallion, Ohio. The novel tells of generations of the families that inhabit this town, and focuses chiefly on the youngest generation-that of Sula Peace and her best friend, Nel Wright. The two girls become friends, finding comfort in their similarities. Together, they grow into women and have a bond that, while unspoken, is strong enough to ultimately overcome any adversity. Nel is married at a young age and settles into the life of a housewife, while Sula ventures out into the world, attends college, and doesn’t return for ten years. Despite this separation, upon their reunion, the affection between the women is as strong as the day on which they parted. This kind of bond is uncommon at best, and the love between the two, though it grows strained, is constant.

Seemingly undermining this constant love and performing what most would consider the ultimate betrayal, Sula sleeps with Nel’s husband, Jude. Jude leaves his family; Nel is heartbroken and distances herself from Sula. Nel is convinced that what weighs on her is the absence of Jude; she believes that she misses him and cannot forgive Sula for what has happened. She begins to see a gray ball over her shoulder made of “muddy strings” (109) and hair. Nel does not know what the ball is or why it follows her, but she fears it. Finally, at the end of the novel, when Sula dies and Nel overcomes her grudge, the ball explodes, and Nel realizes that the ball was her own sorrow for missing her best friend, not her husband. Through all things-even what seems a complete betrayal, and the hurt feelings that follow-the friendship between Sula and Nel survives.

A friendship much like Nel and Sula’s develops in Almodovar’s Bad Education. Enrique and Ignacio meet and become friends when they are very young, in religious school. They quickly bond over their love of the cinema-particularly Sara Montiel-and soon, discover a love for each other. The two boys explore their sexuality together and become very close, as a result. In the midst of their blossoming relationship, the school’s principal, Father Manolo, develops feelings for Ignacio and begins to act on them. The Father soon realizes that there is something between the two boys and separates them by expelling Enrique from the school. Several years later, masquerading as Ignacio, his brother Juan enters Enrique’s office, offering a script for a film and himself as an actor. From the start, Enrique senses a problem with his “friend,” not recognizing him at all, and rightfully so, as Juan is not who he claims to be. Enrique’s uneasy feelings around Juan demonstrate the power of his and Ignacio’s relationship, as the audience can read in his face that he never quite trusts Juan. After the film is made and all of the mysteries are solved, Juan gives Enrique a letter Ignacio was writing just moments before he died. This letter is a symbol of the love between the two friends-Enrique being the last person Ignacio thinks of before his death. The film’s close, an epilogue of sorts, informs the audience that Enrique continues to make films with passion to this day, a testament to the passion he first discovered with his childhood friend. Ultimately, the friendship of Enrique and Ignacio is greater than the intrusions of those around them, much like that of Sula and Nel in Morrison’s novel Sula.

Stories of great friendship are all connected, just as those who share in a great friendship. The relationship of Sula and Nel, and that of Enrique and Ignacio are such great friendships, because they overcome whatever is thrown at them. This is why the theme of friendship is greater than those of superficial matters-friendship endures.