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Khojiakbar. Final Paper (Changed)
Khojiakbar. Final Paper (Changed)
Khojiakbar. Final Paper (Changed)
Fall 2023
Toni Morrison, a famous American writer, is known for her impactful books that
delve into the African American experience. Her novel “Beloved” is considered a
masterpiece in American literature and has received prestigious awards like the Pulitzer Prize
and the American Book Award. Carole Boyce Davies aptly notes that “Beloved” by Toni
associated with motherhood that they have ever encountered (Saxena, 698).
Around the world, the bond between a mother and child is often seen as the most
perfect and close connection, thought to mirror the love of God for his creation. However, in
Morrison's “Beloved”, the portrayal of maternal love is different. The story follows Sethe, an
African-American woman who escapes slavery with her children to protect them from the
cruelty she endured. Pursued by her former owner, Sethe decides to kill her children to
prevent their capture, succeeding in ending the life of her first-born daughter, Beloved. This
twist on maternal love, tainted by the pursuit of freedom, sparks debate among readers and
critics. This paper seeks to explore the theme of motherhood in “Beloved”, looking closely at
how Morrison takes back this important part of being human. It highlights the lasting strength
During the era of slavery, African American women encountered a difficult situation
when it came to being mothers. The circumstances prevented them from having the chance or
freedom to care for their children and fulfill their natural roles as nurturers and mothers,
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particularly to their daughters. This had severe effects on the mental well-being of the women
The story revolves around Sethe, an African slave kept on a Kentucky plantation
named Sweet Home. It explores her experiences as a mother, facing both highs and lows. The
plantation is run by the Garners, a couple without children who treat their slaves relatively
well. Sethe is fortunate because she can choose a male partner among the five slaves on the
plantation and has four children with him. This gives her some control over her life, a rare
thing for enslaved women. Due to the comparatively kind treatment by her owners, Sethe
dares to imagine a future where her children can break free from slavery, showing her
“Beloved”, where Toni Morrison delves into the fundamental nature of motherhood. Sethe's
recollections are saturated with a profound maternal emotion, depicting the love and anxiety
of a mother compelled to commit a heinous act to shield her children from slavery. The novel
is permeated with Sethe's sorrow over the loss of her children, emphasizing the deep
connection between a mother and her offspring. The connection between Sethe and her own
mother is mirrored in her relationship with Beloved. This relationship involves a mix of
closeness, loss, betrayal, and healing. At first, Beloved is a lonely and loving girl, but she
becomes possessive and demanding, almost harming Sethe with her harshness. Sethe is
troubled by Beloved's presence because any form of ownership between people tends to be
harmful. The book poses an important moral question: should only Sethe be blamed for
“Beloved”. This oppression ultimately leads to the murder of young children and the
breakdown of family relationships within the black community. The sexual oppression of
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black women by the institution of slavery drove Sethe's mother, Baby Suggs, Ella, and other
black women to act outside of acceptable boundaries of motherly love. The mother of Sethe,
who remains unnamed, shows how the exploitation and treating black women as tools solely
for reproduction drove them to seek extreme revenge. Nan, the woman who takes care of
Sethe, shares the story of Sethe's mother. The tale unveils a woman who, enduring many
rapes, had several children of both black and white descent. Despite this, Sethe's mother
decides to leave all her children except for Sethe, who is black. Nan also reveals that she and
Sethe’s mother were both repeatedly raped by the crew during their voyage on the slave ship,
a common practice. These painful memories are powerful examples of how African mothers
fought back against their sexual oppression through what can be described as “love murder,”
using infanticide as a means of resistance. They regained control and freedom by taking the
lives of their children before they could be enslaved. It appears that infanticide became a tool
of resistance for black women against their oppressive rapists (Saxena, 700).
In the book, Sethe's deep love for her kids is clear. She says she loved each and every
one of her babies, including herself. Sethe takes pride in giving birth to her children and
escaping slavery, with help from others and her own cleverness. Her love for her kids goes
beyond just taking care of them; it's a kind of self-interest she never knew she had before.
Sethe tells Beloved many stories about her love and commitment to her daughter. She
talks about how she made sure to get milk for her, protected her from flies in the grape arbor,
felt pain when she saw her baby bitten by a mosquito, and would even sacrifice her own life
for Beloved. Sethe tries to explain how slavery affected her ability to be the mother she
wanted to be.
Sethe's love for Beloved is intense and can even be dangerous. Her "murderous-love"
reflects the mental challenges faced by mothers trying to secure a free future for their
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children. Her experiences as both a daughter and a mother show the hidden stories of black
women.
In “Beloved” the separation of daughters from their mothers appears several times.
The book explores the idea of a love relationship between a mother and daughter that doesn't
work out. It also shows how being a mother in the American slave culture affected women
psychologically. Women were not allowed to love and take care of their own kids, causing
them to become distant from them. The sadness of a woman being separated has a big impact
Sethe's affection and excitement for her kids are clear when she sends them on a
wagon with Ella and other women to Halle's mother in Cincinnati, Ohio. Even though she's
pregnant with Denver, Sethe proudly says, "I had milk, I was pregnant with Denver but I had
milk for my baby girl" (9). This statement is important because it highlights how African
Americans were deprived of the ability to form connections and own things, making Sethe's
According to Wyatt, Morrison's portrayal of Beloved connects her to the many black
women who endured suffering and death during slavery. Morrison links Beloved's spirit with
the body of a woman who died on a slave ship, drawing attention to the harsh sexual
Horvitz suggests that in Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved is a special character that
symbolizes important themes. According to Horvitz, Beloved represents a ghost child with a
connection across generations and continents, teaching Sethe about the vital value of
memories and stories from her maternal family line (Horvitz, 98).
In the novel, each woman, starting with Sethe, has to face the reality that slavery has
tainted their ability to provide nourishment through breastfeeding. Milk, which is usually
linked to nurturing and motherhood, becomes mixed with blood as black women resist their
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dehumanization through acts of infanticide. By choosing to end the lives of their own
children, these women aim to shield them from the horrors of slavery and prevent them from
guardians of their families and communities. Carole Boyce Davies refers to them as "mother-
healers." The daughters in the novel acknowledge the wisdom and guidance passed down to
them by these maternal figures, recognizing that “what these mother passed on would take
you anywhere in the world you wanted to go” (Washington et al. 161).
turned around, which is not surprising given the oppression they endured. The theft of Sethe's
milk and the rape she experienced symbolize the robbery of her sense of self and identity. In
her childhood, she was denied access to her own mother's milk, and now, like her daughter
Beloved, she longs for the nourishment and comfort of a mother's milk tainted by the
hardships of slavery. Barbara Schapiro highlights that Sethe's emotional lack as a baby, her
she has no nursing milk that is truly hers, she feels like she has no self that belongs to her.
Thus, she is violated as a baby, deprived of her milk by the white social structure.
motherhood within the harsh context of slavery. The book depicts how the relationship
between a mother and child can be both a source of strength and vulnerability, serving as a
form of resistance against systematic oppression. Through the character of Sethe, Morrison
delves into how slavery disrupted and shattered the connections between mothers and
children, illustrating the extreme lengths a mother would go to shield her offspring. Despite
the burden of trauma and guilt that Sethe carries, the novel ultimately presents motherhood as
a potent force for healing and renewal. In “Beloved”, Morrison underscores the enduring
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strength of maternal love and sacrifice, urging readers to recognize and appreciate the
Works Cited
Darling, Marsha Jean. “The Ties That Bind.” Critical Essays on Toni Morrison’s Beloved.
Davies, Carole Boyle. Black Women, Writing And Identity: Migrations of the Subject.
Kolodny, Annette. “The Land Before Her.” Fantasy and Experience of the American
Frontiers, 1630-1869. Chapel Hill and London: North Carolina UP, 1984.
Schapiro, Barbara. “The Bonds of Love and the Boundaries of Self in Toni Morrison’s
Beloved.” Understanding Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Sula: Selected Essays and
Criticisms of the Works by the Nobel-prize winning Author. Ed. Solomon O. Iyasere and
Washington, Mary Helen. Invented Lives: Narratives of Black Women 1860-1960. Anchor;
Willis, Susan. “Eruptions of Funk: Historicizing Toni Morrison,” BALF, 16, 1982.
Wyatt, Jean. “Giving Body to the Word: The Material Symbolic in Toni