Beloved
Long Question
U. G – 3
1. How does the character of Beloved portray herself as a
supernatural creature in the novel “Beloved” by Toni Morrison?
The name of any literary piece attracts the attention mostly of a reader. Here also
we can see that, Toni Morrison has also used a title that is really interesting.
Though, we will get some supernatural vibes in this novel, but the title initially
doesn’t late us realise that fact. Here, the central story revolves around the
protagonist Sethe, former slave and a caring and nurturing mother with the
involvement of a ghostly appearance of a girl.
This novel begins in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1873 which involves a story of the former
slave Sethe, showing here the intolerable torture and physical as well as
psychological oppression on the slaves. This shows a clear picture of the
domination of White-skinned people on the Black-skinned people. It can be called
a historical fiction that is set after the background of American Civil War which took
place in 1861.
Sethe lived with her daughter Denver in their 124 house in Cincinnati. Sethe’s
husband Halle and her mother-in-law Baby Suggs died after some horrible
incidents. How two sons Haward and Buglar escaped the house after some ghostly
incidents. Actually, Sethe murdered her elder daughter and thus committed
infanticide to prevent her from going back to the horrible life of slavergir
Though Sethe’s act of infanticide may appear as an act of extreme cruelty but still
we have to say that it is absolutely an act of love and affection of a mother. Actually,
Sethe did not want her children to tolerate and that same pain and sufferings as
she did. And, finally when the house of 124 became haunted with the presence of
a malevolent spirit, Sethe was happy. Actually, Sethe considered that embodied
spirit to be her murdered daughter who told her name Beloved. Sethe was actually
feeling very guilty and she begged pardon from that strange girl.
But, finally that girl named Beloved overpowered Sethe and started to manipulate
Sethe making an unbreakable situation for Denver in their house.
Some of the cities believe that the girl named Beloved may be an escaped slave
who went through a lot of torture and lost her mental stability. Some critics also
think that this girl may be the ghost of Sethe’s dead mother. But, most of the cities
believe that the girl named Beloved is embodied spirit of the murdered daughter
of Sethe. Because, she asked some questions to Sethe that only were known to
Sethe herself. Though, nothing has been disclosed about the identity of the bizarre
character called Beloved. Though she leaves the house of 124 very suddenly and
after that Sethe gets upset. So, we can say that the character of Beloved has
become a point of attention to the readers as the novel moves forward and this
character undoubtedly brings appreciation and fame to the novelist for her magical
quality of creation.
