Beloved by Toni Morrison

Thesis statement

Beloved by Toni Morrison, is a piercing novel of powerful images, of captivating tenderness and constant self-abasement. The conflict is centered on the ravages caused by slavery in America, which prompts the protagonist, sethe, to flee the ironically named Kentucky plantation, Sweet Home, in search of a life of dignity and freedom in the free state of Ohio. This contemporary novel succeeds in proving the immense power of the spirit, the power of the memory and the power of love.

Introduction

Toni Morrison's Beloved is the construction of ones identity. The novel depicts the lives of several ex-slaves and exposes the oppression and devastating consequences slavery had, and continues to have, on their lives. Once free, the slaves attempt to reclaim their individual identities and collective humanity, but the effects of slavery still haunt them, preventing them from being able to live in and enjoy the present or think about the future. Morrison states, “Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” (Antony 111).

The novel illustrates the characters' struggle to obtain a true sense of self, a process that can only be successful if done both individually and on a collective level.

Morrison shows that ones identity is crucial to her success and happiness in life and a person can only identify herself as a separate entity through both individual and collective effort.

I have chosen this research because the subject identity was my obsession just like any other person, so I employed Morrison's Beloved as an excuse to fulfill my desire, Because this novel is an internal man traveling for more self-understanding.

Discussion

Toni Morrison's Beloved tells the tale of a group of African-Americans who have run away from their lives as slaves and now must cope with the realities of starting a new life away from slavery. Morrison describes the difficulties the slaves endure in the present, resulting from their difficult pasts. Letting go of the harsh memories that remain in the freed-slaves' minds follow them into freedom. White, overpowering, slave owners caused the suffering that these African-Americans have difficulty forgetting. The cruel actions of systematically dehumanizing another race are unjustifiable and will never be excused. Yet, while telling the story of Sethe, Denver, Paul D., Beloved and others who slavery affected, Morrison does not make all of the white characters awful. Instead, she works to balance the view of contemporary culture in her story. By not making each white character evil and by not making each black character wonderful, she provides a balanced view(Antony, p111).

Of course, it is difficult for any author whom writes about the slavery period in America to not make each white character immoral and villainous. However, Morrison wants to balance the view of contemporary culture on this period. To do this, she avoids making the reader despise each white character and create biases towards these characters. Morrison is able to broaden the typically modern view that each white person during the slavery period was immoral(Robbinse, ...