In the novel Beloved, Toni Morrison weaves together a tragic story about former slaves who are so traumatized by their past abuses that they cannot pursue a life of happiness. By using the literary tool of a ghost, Morrison creates a vivid and personal symbol of the destructive impact of slavery. Beyond its brutalizing effects on the abused slaves during their enslavement, slavery leaves behind a lingering legacy that is difficult to eradicate with the passage of time. Essentially, the ghost evokes memories of the past and suppressed emotions of the experience of being enslaved.
The purpose of this paper is to analyze Morrison's intentions in structuring her story around a resurrected ghost. This writer argues that Morrison uses Beloved the ghost for its symbolic value and its function as a narrative tool. Essentially, the ghost becomes inextricably interwoven with the former slaves' struggle to cope with the consequences of slavery (Morrison 18-9).
Morrison's use of a vengeful ghost is appropriate as a statement about slavery because the history of slavery is characterized by the bloody trail of many slaves who either died from the brutality of slavery or committed suicide. Sethe's mother was one of the women who hung herself (Morrison 61). For many current and freed slaves who have survived the experience, their human spirit is denigrated. In order to go on with their lives, many African Americans have had to tolerate the devastating effects of the institution of slavery and suppress their emotions about the scars inflicted on their human spirits. Many of the African Americans seek to soothe their wounds by reaching out to religion and helping one another within the community. Baby Suggs' interaction with the community at the Clearing provides opportunities for the people to express their sorrow (Morrison 95). However, these occasions are insufficient for the former slaves to confront the ugliness of slavery that is buried d...