It's Called 'Beloved' For A Reason: Toni Morrison's Masterpiece
Released in 1987, like a caged bird freed from the silencing of Americas Post-Colonial slave trade, Toni Morrison’s third novel ‘Beloved’ by no means disappointed.
Based on a true story, the novel recounts the life of an African-American enslaved woman named Sethe, and unravels her attempt to liberate herself from the cycle of slavery of which she has become victim of at the hands of British Colonialism. As an avid reader of Morrison, this novel speaks of a truth so deep, so personal, and so intimate, that the reader finds themselves becoming interwoven into Morrison’s nest of desire to expose social injustice. This novel arguably afforded Morrison to be commended, not just for her fiction, as seen previously in both ‘The Bluest Eye,’ and ‘Sula,’ but increasingly more for her non-fictional works, delving into essay writing and critical theory. Arguably, Beloved, as it was inspired by a true story, bridges the gap between Morrison–defined as a writer of fiction–and her following success as an academic. One could even say that the novel, ’ as an emblem of a successful work of abolitionist prose, represents Morrison’s turning point, into dominating the scene of American literature, becoming a household name for many.
To spoil the plot of this novel would be to rob readers of an experience which they will never get back: being afforded the luxury of reading this masterpiece for the first time. And it truly is a luxury. It’s called ‘Beloved’ for a reason, not just because it is beloved by so many, but equally in the power held by titling such a prolific work of American literature in a single word. Three syllables to encapsulate the suffering of so many, under the hands of the merciless slave trade–genius.
Upon reflection, it could be said that the most enticing offering at this feast of literature provided to us by Morrison is in the way she has completely defamiliarised the archetypal ‘ghost story’ and has undergone a beautiful process of academic subversion to award us with the utter transcendental nature of ‘Beloved.’ The ambiguous recount of Sethe and her family’s life leaves the reader in a state of questioning whereby the plot of the novel can feel unclear and perhaps difficult to follow in some instances. But it is in the irregular storytelling and unreliable narration that clarity prevails, and Morrison’s intentions become clearer. Her storytelling is raw, unforgiving, and difficult to swallow sometimes, but necessary. Often the most important knowledge we must acquire in life lies at the hand of suffering and struggle. Morrison proves that.
Edited by Dan Ramos Lay, Literature Editor
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