FREE Toni Morrison's Beloved Essay (original) (raw)
When the four horsemen, including school teacher from Sweet Home, came to 124, Sethe was terrified that she and her children was going to be brought back to the plantation. Sethe had to make the most difficult decision to kill her children, but only was successful in killing her baby, Beloved (Morrison, 174-180). Most people would say that Sethe made the wrong decision, but if we examine Sethe's character or personality and the conditions of living on a slave plantation, there will be better evidence to conclude that Sethe's decision is justified. One could argue that Sethe was being selfish because she did not want to be enslaved again, but throughout the novel Sethe always puts others first, and as a mother, she did not want her children to be raised into slavery or die as a slave. Another reason she could be said to be selfish is Sethe was able to go on and live her life, but Beloved was not even given the chance. However, although Sethe was able to live and remain free from slavery, her life was not easy and happiness was rare. For example, at the carnival is where Sethe felt happiness in a long time (Morrison, 52-59). This will be further explained later. Then, one could argue that Denver was also a baby and she was able to grow and overcome adversities, but like Sethe's life, Denver's was not a walk in the park either and the loss of her sister tormented both her and her mother's lives. If Sethe did not kill Beloved, she would never have gone to jail and would have been brought back to Sweet Home, where Beloved and Denver would have been raised and probably would have had a worst life. It is very hard to understand Sethe's motive behind committing infanticide, but she did what she did because it was instinctual as a mother and she was trying to protect her young. Therefore, Sethe deciding to kill Beloved was the better decision for her and her children. .
A mother killing her own child may be the worst crime anyone could commit, so it was surprising when Sethe admitted to killing Beloved.
Essays Related to Toni Morrison's Beloved
1. beloved
Morrison's Beloved: The Psychological Suffrage of Former Slaves Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) was her fifth novel, and consequently the most controversial work she had ever written. ... However, Snitow did state " If Beloved fails in it's ambitions, it is still a novel by Toni Morrison, still therefore full of beautiful prose, dialogue as rhythmically satisfying as music and scenes so clearly etched they're like hallucinations" (25-26). ... Overall, I believe that Toni Morrison's Beloved is one of the most thrilling novels that I have read. ... Morrison, Ton...
- Word Count: 1167
- Approx Pages: 5
2. Banning Toni Morrison's Beloved
The novel Beloved was written by Toni Morrison in 1987. Toni Morrison is an African American citizen from Lorian, Ohio born in 1931. ... Denver feels a close bond with Beloved because Denver knew that she had drunk some of Beloved's blood with her mother's breast milk. ... This part was not explicitly explained but Morrison made it obvious what she was talking about. ... This novel was packed full of different emotions to feel and ways to take text but overall the lesson that Morrison gave was worth more than the problems that are within the book. ...
- Word Count: 1428
- Approx Pages: 6
- Has Bibliography
- Grade Level: High School
3. Beloved
Beloved The book I read was Beloved, by Toni Morrison. ... Toni Morrison was born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931 in Lorain, Ohio. ... Thus, Toni Morrison was brought up to be proud of her heritage and rich cultural background. ... In Beloved, Toni Morrison portrays the barbarity and cruelty the slaves were subjected to. ... The author Toni Morrison has successfully developed a novel which represents the hopes, aspirations, and historical memories of black America in 273 pages. ...
- Word Count: 1241
- Approx Pages: 5
- Grade Level: High School
4. Beloved by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison invites the reader to be drawn into this emotional situation alongside our main protagonist who has evidently been through a life ridden with trauma some of which is revealed in the given extract. Its unique written form enables Morrison to relate this trauma more sensitively. ... The experimental structure of the extract allows much room for interpretation, and has been purposely designed by Morrison to allow her readers to become actively involved. ... Flashbacks appear to be an incorporated element of Morrison's masterpiece too and they add to the surrealism and similarly...
- Word Count: 1126
- Approx Pages: 5
5. Beloved
By the aforementioned standards, Toni Morrison's Beloved has undeniably earned its place in contemporary literature. Disregarding the supporting fact that Morrison received the Nobel Prize in Literature for Beloved, I intend to prove that not only is this work literature, but it will become a classic (Morrison, cover). Beloved was written. ... Much of Beloved is told from the perspective of freed slaves. ... Having met all requirements, vague and specific, Toni Morrison's Beloved is unmistakably a work of literature. ...
- Word Count: 781
- Approx Pages: 3
- Grade Level: High School
6. Novel Summary - Beloved
In Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, the same issue has occurred. ... In Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved, Beloved is the past that becomes the present, where the characters are reliving their past, which helps them to talk about it and reveal the parts that they have hidden for years. ... As Toni Morrison writes, "Sethe learned the profound satisfaction Beloved got from storytelling. ... Toni Morrison, in her novel, is portraying that memories can be painful, however, over time people can accept it and overcome the fear of it. ... In Toni Morrison novel, the characters are not the o...
- Word Count: 2475
- Approx Pages: 10
- Has Bibliography
- Grade Level: High School
7. Beloved as a Slave Narrative
Some say that Toni Morrison's Beloved was written similarly to slave narrative, showing the reader Sethe's pains of being a slave and the ongoing pain she suffers being free. ... Also, the plot structure of Beloved is extremely complicated. ... Another obvious stylistic difference between the two is the fact that a narrative was dictated by and actual slave, and Toni Morrison was certainly not a slave. These stylistic differences prevent Beloved from being similar to a slave narrative however; Morrison avoids being simple and bland to create a more captivating novel. ... By defin...
- Word Count: 831
- Approx Pages: 3
8. BELOVED: FILM VERSUS FICTION
This paper will attempt to exploit these limitations and explain why Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved, is superior to its film version. ... Morrison's coverage of controversial themes provides for a more compelling piece. ... Although Beloved as a film was able to evoke physiological responses from its viewers with the use of music and lighting, the novel is more affective in eliciting certain emotions because Morrison is able to provide better descriptions and go into greater detail. ... Jonathan Demme's film version of Beloved fails in comparison to Toni Morrison's nov...
- Word Count: 679
- Approx Pages: 3
- Grade Level: Undergraduate
9. Toni Morrison - Beloved
Speaking Things Unspeakable Throughout Toni Morrison's story Beloved, there are many occurrences of unspeakable acts. The way Morrison portrays these acts, usually through dialogue, is subtle and not gruesome. ... All the unspeakable acts Toni Morrison proclaims assists in showing the horrors that African Americans had to go through during slavery. To begin, throughout Morrison's story she shows how African Americans were treated worse than animals were. ... Beloved is a book that is filled with unspeakable acts. ...
- Word Count: 999
- Approx Pages: 4
- Has Bibliography
- Grade Level: High School
10. Beloved:Facing the Painful Past
-Toni Morrison, Beloved (270) In Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved, we learn how hurtful memories and the past can be. ... Toni Morrison develops each character by putting together pieces of their past to form who they are. ... Beloved is also a constant reminder of the past. ... Beloved is in the past but hovers over Sethe everyday. ... Facing the past is a theme of Beloved in which Toni Morrison develops her characters. ...
- Word Count: 562
- Approx Pages: 2
- Grade Level: High School
Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question