Dehumanization Of Animals In Beloved Essay

In Beloved, Toni Morrison uses animal imagery as a vehicle to portray the dehumanization and degradation of black slaves in 18th and 19th century America. Throughout the novel, we see that Schoolteacher, a slave owner, repeatedly treats his slaves as subhuman by subjecting them to torture via painful, invasive metal “bits,” relentless whippings, and rape. Even animals such as “Mister,” the rooster, are held in higher regard than those subjected to slavery. Finally, the act of dehumanization leads Sethe to act like an animal herself, by committing infanticide – the ultimate act of love and despair. Schoolteacher – a cruel and sadistic man – takes control of Sweet Home by treating the slaves like animals. He writes numerous “scientific” texts, documenting the animal-like characteristics of slaves, which he later regurgitates to his pupils. He forces Paul D to wear a “bit” – referring to the metal mouthpiece that domesticated horses wear – in reality, a torture device meant to prevent slaves from speaking, a distinctly human trait. And lastly, his two nephews rape and milk Sethe, much like a cow or goat, to her despair and anguish. Through Morrison’s animal imagery and detailed depictions of the harrowing …show more content…
As animals kill their young in times of distress, Sethe slits baby Beloved’s throat, hits Howard and Buglar’s heads with a shovel, and slams Denver into a wall in an attempt to save them from the horrors of slavery. To this, Paul D reprimands her: “You got two feet, Sethe, not four” – arguing that she behaved as an animal would. However, this act of murder does not represent a loss of Sethe’s humanity; rather, it speaks to her own slaveholders’ bestial behavior. To Sethe, death is a better option than the dehumanization of slavery and the lifelong psychological trauma it imparted upon