How Does Toni Morrison Use Memory In Beloved

In the novel titled Beloved, Toni Morrison allows us to explore an African-American family’s struggle against the invigorating effects of slavery throughout the novel. Morrison mainly concentrates on the development of identities for each character through glimpses in disrupted chronology. However, the novel as a whole focuses on the effects of memory and history on the characters. In the novel, the several flashbacks of the past and the reactions to these flashbacks not only allow Sethe to feel comfortable with sharing such experiences, but also make her realize that the past will always be a part of her, no matter how much she tries to forget. Sethe initially is unable to confront any experiences of her past, but gradually comes to terms with discussing the stories with Beloved and Denver. In the beginning of the novel, Paul D arrives at 124 and notices a “pulsing pool of red light,” symbolizing Sethe’s dead child as we find out later in the novel. Through this …show more content…
After Sethe and Paul D have sex, Paul D notices the tree-like scars on Sethe’s back. The scars on her back not only represent the “haunting “ tragedies that have directly affected Sethe, but also the incomplete family that Sethe has without her two sons, husband, and first daughter. Paul D gradually helps Sethe reinforce her position with her past and pain, initially with his presence there, but he also “cradles her breasts,” signifying that he has taken some of the weight of her from when the school teacher’s nephews took her breast milk. After this incident, Sethe is able to say more than just “nothing to tell just the schoolteacher;” she is able to tell fragments of the theft. In addition, Beloved’s arrival prompts Sethe to understand the “strong feelings in 124”, which have been hindering Sethe’s confrontation of