Summary: Beloved tells the story of Sethe, an escaped slave, living with her daughter, Denver. The novel starts with the runaway of Sethe’s two sons, Howard and Buglar, and the death of her mother-in-law, Baby Suggs. These events open the theme of the story and introduce the malevolent baby ghost who haunts 124. As more characters show, the novel begins to entwine past and present, revealing flashbacks of Sethe’s past in slavery. With the appearance of Paul D, the main conflict begins to unfold. A strange young woman by the name of Beloved appears at 124. The novel highly suggests that Beloved is the dead daughter of Sethe and her sudden appearance begins to stir more memories of the past. As the story progresses, Beloved begins to become more and more overwhelming, consuming Sethe and her identity. Eventually, Denver reaches out to the community to save Sethe and Beloved is driven away. The novel focuses heavily on the barbarism that slavery created in everyone involved and how closure with the past is reached through community.
Opinion: Beloved is a highly impactful and well-written piece of literature. Morrison’s writing is strong and emotional, pulling the reader into the feelings and events of the characters. The novel presents a moral dilemma laced with symbolism to the character’s pasts, the institution of slavery, and our perceptions of right and wrong. The most compelling aspect of the book is the intertwining of past and present, letting the reader uncover bits of the past and piece together the story. Overall, I highly recommend this book not only as an amazing work of literature but as an insight into the history of slavery and its lasting effects on those involved.