This story is set during the end of slavery in the period of 1870 (Coonradt 168).The story involves a slave called Sethe who dwells on 124 street in an old establishment. The author Morrison illustrates that the slavery exposed to African Americans causes trauma in their lives especially the survivors. In the novel, Morrison elaborates the situation in Ohio when Sethe, one of the survivors makes recounts on the past events. Sethe, a survivor of slave trade, runs away from 124 Bluestone Road house at the instance when she gains freedom. She later conceives a child, Denver. Sethe has four children Howard, Burglar, the dead child, and Denver.
Sethe can recall horrific instances of the death of her sister back in 124 Bluestone Road house (Coonradt 168). The traumatic experience of slavery, dehumanization, and physical abuse force Sethe to murder her daughter than watch her encounter the slavery situation. Sethe experiences remorse of Infanticide due to the crime committed. Morrison illustrates the situation of recuperation in attempt to forget the broken past in Sethe’s life. Ghosts due to the past events in the 124 Bluestone Road house shroud the life of Sethe. The ghost display a girl called Beloved that comes to heal the traumatic experience. Morrison uses Beloved in a Christian context to elaborate the example set by Jesus in reference to Beloved. The Bible uses the word Beloved in reference to Jesus in the Christology image.
Morrison uses 124 as symbolism to represent the beginning, the middle, and the end of Sethe’s life (Coonradt 171). In the numbers, there is an omission of the third integer to show the incomplete sequence of the numbers. The novel illustrates that Sethe’s life is incomplete and the return of Beloved to represent the third child. Beloved undergoes exorcism to rid her forces of evil. In the instance, thirty women carry out the procedure. Morrison uses this setting to fit the passion of Christ narrative in the bible. In essence, Christ died on the ninth hour on a Friday that corresponds to the novel. After the exorcism, the community makes a hill connected with the people that gathered at Calvary during the death and resurrection of Jesus.
At the departure of Beloved, the entire 124 Bluestone Road experiences, a silent atmosphere that is in line with the period that preceded the crucifying of Jesus (Coonradt 172). Morrison portrays the decay of the flower to signify the departure of somebody in the area.
I agree with Cowan-Baretti on the suggestion that the novel depicts matters concerning the realm of Sethe spirit and not on the sociopolitical dimensions (JanusHead par 4). The novel has the theme of suffering occasioned by the slavery experiences that shroud the memory of Sethe. Morrison depicts Sethe as a troubled woman after murdering her daughter. This leads her to a life of misery, guilt and trauma. Human beings have a deep connection with the spiritual realm in the consciousness (JanusHead par 7). Humankind is prone to spiritual enslavement in the occasion of physical pain and suffering. Sethe suffers in her soul and craves for forgiveness and freedom in her spiritual journey. Beloved is a girl that exists in the spiritual realm not in the physical world. The author uses her as a phantom image to recollect memories of a loved one. People that survive in the society make the beloved story. This novel has a transformation of love in the community that is not broken.
Question 2: The Souls of Black Folk
W.E.B. Du Bois has been repeatedly cited as an early on antecedent to the claim of black restoration (Du Bois 23). The blacks experienced slavery in the last decade as well as racial segregation. The whites dominated the black souls in the racial framework. The main problem lay in the color since the white and black underwent two diverse social realities. The blacks lacked a voice and were subject to harsh conditions and suffering. Du Bois in his literal work offer that the American Negro has a history of strife in the attainment of freedom from the white Americanism. The Negro has a poor stricken inclination that depicts lack of civilization and ignorance. The years that preceded the civil war contributed to Freedmen’s Bureau purpose of modernization. The civil war brought chaos in the south region in America. The success of the Freedmen’s bureau lay in the establishing of learning institutions to promote elementary education among the blacks. The evolution of education could empower the Negros to enable them oppose harsh treatment and the impoverished lifestyle. The bureau consisted of different active organization to argue the case of Negros.
The civil war in America 1861-1865, seeks to resolve the issue of slavery and redefine the nation as one without barriers about color line (Du Bois 26). America extensively used the blacks as soldiers. The African Americans were prone to suffering situations under the white regime. The war started due to failed promises of political freedom and economic prosperity in the country. United States had successfully fought and conquered British to attain independence in the eighteenth century. The country had over half a million black slaves that worked in the farms at cheap labor and harsh conditions. As slavery continued to flourish the country’s economy, the southern began a revolution. The whites needed to protect their farm establishment that ensured thy mint a lot of profit using the slavery system.
In June 1869, the government offered relief to the blacks’ freedom to choose their employers (Owen 108). The blacks could negotiate for better wages after the lift of minimum wage. The government laid out labor contracts and there was no forced labor. The claim of Du Bois is that the founding of the African American schools necessitated civilization on the side of Negros. The African American needed education that the whites thought it was an embellishment of life. Booker T. Washington instrumentally spoke for the blacks.
The arguments tabled by Washington bore fruits towards reducing racial segregation. Washington established a program of industrial education among the south to enable them object their civil and political right. Washington eluded the color prejudice and argued the case for fellow blacks in the country. Du Bois offer that the African American had the civil right to vote as well as the whites. Du Bois states that the problem of the twentieth century was solely on the color line. This problem generated the civil war in 1861 (Owen 110).
The African American was predisposed to slavery that led to a conflict situation. The end of the civil war by the different advocates ensured end of slave trade and racial discrimination. The abolitionist advocated for direct liberation of the black socialist movement.
Works Cited
"Janus Head/1.1/Claire Cowan-Barbetti." Janus Head/1.1/Claire Cowan-Barbetti. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://www.janushead.org/JHSummer98/ClaireNBarbetti.cfm>.
Coonradt, Nicole M. "To Be Loved: Amy Denver And Human Need--Bridges To Understanding In Toni Morrison's Beloved." College Literature 32.4 (2005): 168-187.
Du Bois, W. E. B., and Brent Hayes Edwards. The Souls of Black Folk. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press, 2007
Owen, David S. "Whiteness in Du Bois's the Souls of Black Folk." Philosophia Africana 10.2 (2007): 107-126.
