Thematic Discussion

One of the primary themes of Beloved is the issue of race and effects of slavery. Much of the novel
focuses on a community of ex-slaves and how they manage to get on track with their lives. The novel
questions, through the eyes of schoolteacher, what the difference is between a man and an animal. In
its vivid portrayal of the Negro community, complete with their desires and troubles, the novel shows that
a colored man is like any other man. The novel also addresses the concern of whether it is better to
endure the injustices of an unfeeling people or to fight against them.
Closely tied to the theme of race is that of the past. Each of the characters have endured a furious past,
complete with the worst horrors imaginable. Sethe has been raped and forced to murder, Paul D has
been imprisoned in a cube in a ditch, Stamp Paid was forced to give his wife away to be a sex toy, and
the list goes on and on. Many of these men and women have chosen, like Sethe and Paul D, to repress
the past. Others worked actively against it, like Stamp Paid. However, no sort of resolution occurs for
any of the characters until each learns to accept and deal with the past (which is very alive in the
present). Only then can a future be found.
Another theme in Beloved is that of the banality of evil. Slavery is not just an institution, it is a philosophy
and mindset which is far-reaching in its consequences. The Garners treated their slaves well, and
consequently were respected by such people as Sethe and Paul D. However, as Paul D later comes to
realize, "Everything rested on Garner being alive. Without his life each of theirs fell to pieces." Though
treated nicely, the Negroes on Sweet Home were little more than toys to be manipulated by the Garners.
The theme also comes up in the description of the Bodwin's household, which includes the statue of a
black boy and the words "At Yo Service." The Bodwins have taken an active stance in the fight against
slavery, yet fail to comprehend the mindset behind that statue. With such images, Morrison
demonstrates the extent of slavery and what must be done to abolish it completely.
Moral ambiguity, of course, plays a large role in the novel. The question of "Was the murder right or
wrong?" crops up many times in the book. The answer finally reached is that it was the right thing to do,
but Sethe didn't have the right to do it. Had she not murdered Beloved, her and all the children would
have been sold back into slavery. Yet, when she committed the murder, she was shunned by an entire
community and placed at the mercy of a vengeful spirit.
The novel also addresses what it means to be free. Was Baby Suggs truly free, when white men were
allowed to barge into her yard at any time? Was Paul D free, though he wasn't allowed to love whatever
he wanted to love? Were any of the Negroes truly free, who had to wait at the back of the supermarket
for the whites to be served before they could get their groceries? Freedom, Morrison points out, is more
than a matter of not belonging to a single master.
The concept of family also pervades the novel. Most of the slaves have been torn apart from their
families at an early age, and there is little hope in discovering what is left of their families. The
consequences of this type of separation can be seen in Sethe, who is possessive of her children, and
Paul D, who is determined not to love anything too much.

Symbolism and Motifs

Chokecherry Tree

Upon Sethe's back is a maze of scars, referred to by Paul D as a "chokecherry tree." It is the remains of
an operation schoolteacher performed upon her back in an effort to determine how much she resembled
an animal. The tree, which is ever-present but can never be seen, is symbolic of the burden which Sethe
carries. It is her past, and it is the prejudice of white men against her. It is a mark made by people who
believed her to be an animal

Rememory/Disremember

Instead of using the words "remember" and "forget," Sethe uses the words "rememory" (both a noun
and a verb here) and "disremember." To Sethe, the past is alive in the present, and thus the word
"remember" is substituted with the more organic "rememory," reminding us that everything is held in
memory. Similarly, the word "forget" lacks the conscious effort that the characters must employ to
commit such an act. Thus, they "disremember" things, with the implication that they force them to the
back of their minds
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The house itself carries the implication of a past repressed. Sethe has 4 children, and the third one is
dead-hence why the three is missing in the address. The child, like the number, has been
disremembered

Heart

The description of a heart is used many times in the novel, the most obvious being Paul D's "Red heart"
comment while he is having sex with Beloved. The heart in this book represents life. Baby Suggs does
not have life until she is freed and realizes her heart is beating. Paul D does not have life until his
tobacco tin is forced open, leaving him a red heart

Color

A principle theme in this book is the difference of race, between black and white. However, as Toni
Morrison is quick to show, there the difference between races is not so severe-there is color in between.
Many different characters hold on to objects of vivid colors, and Baby Suggs, in defeat, went "to bed to
think about the colors of things." It is not until the end that Paul D discovers the colors of the flowers in
Sethe's yard. The implication is that these men and woman wish not for harsh differences in race, but
something more "harmless"-the people themselves.

Writing Style and Structure

Very few readers will miss the experimental structure of Beloved. It is not a linear tale, told from
beginning to end. It is a story encompassing levels of past, from the slave ship to Sweet home, as well
as the present. Sometimes the past is told in flashbacks, sometimes in stories, and sometimes it is
plainly told, as if it were happening in the present (with highly unusual use of the present tense). The
novel is, in essence, written in fragments, pieces shattered and left for the reader to place together. The
juxtaposition of past with present serves to reinforce the idea that the past is alive in the present, and by
giving us fragments to work with Morrison melds the entire story into one unseparable piece to be gazed
at. In forcing the reader to put back the pieces, Morrison forces him also to think about them and
consider the worth of each. From a stylistic perspective, Morrison's artistry in this regard is nothing short
of breathtaking.
The structure of the work is compounded with an ever-switching point of view. Every character, even the
dead ones and half-alive ones, tell parts of the tale. At one point, Paul D and Sethe exchange
flashbacks that finally meld into one whole (chapter 2). At another, the point of view switches off
between four white people, who unreservedly show the biased point of view of some men who view
slaves as tamed animals. The diversity of the point of view creates a tapestry of people who interact-
individuals joined by past or present into a community.
Morrison's use of both verse and stream of consciousness writing where necessary is unsurpassed and
not often matched in literature. Strict narrative, she realizes, is not enough to capture the feelings of a
people, and she manages to capture them in some of the most well-known passages of modern
literature.
Finally, her use of objective correlativism should be noted. The use of Biblical allusions and much
ambiguous symbolism creates an atmosphere riddled with force and drama. Beloved is meant to be
more then a story-it is a history, and it is a life.