Rememory In Absalom And Beloved

The novels Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulker and Beloved by Toni Morrison both tell elliptical, multigenerational stories of families that are impacted by the struggle of slavery. As demonstrated in both novels, this concept is a never-ending hardship that affects each character mentally, physically, and emotionally. Through the lens of each characters’ words and behaviors, they are able to display the impact that slavery has on each generation. It not only leaves a permanent scar on each character as they are unable to separate their past from their present, but it is a contributing factor that leads to trauma. Instead of letting go of their previous experiences, the presence of rememory causes each character to reexperince such devastation. Although each character endures different circumstances, the aspect of slavery is a linking characteristic that is exhibited between both novels. Through the affects of slavery, each character struggles to forget about their shaken past in order to start a new life of their own. Ultimately, both novels use the aspect of rememory to underline the traumatizing effects of slavery. In the novel Beloved, the concept of rememory takes over Sethe’s life as she struggles to accept her horrific past in order to recover from the cruelty of slavery. Instead of moving on from the past, she suffers mentally and physically by re-imagining her …show more content…
also conveys the detrimental effects of slavery through the linking aspect of rememory. Although rememory is unique for each character, this aspect is demonstrated through the eyes of Quentin who retells the story of Sutpen. In each chapter, Quentin recalls each memory, which causes him to remember more details about each event. While Shreve is another character who narrates a part of the story, Quentin is implemented to convey his own memory of the story. By retelling each flashback, he helps a reader understand the brutality of slavery. Faulkner