Beloved

             Suppose on of the central beliefs of American history is that the end of slavery means the beginning of freedom. In what way does "Beloved" seek to revise this notion through the idea of being haunted by the past?
             Emancipation in 1865 is the theoretical ending of slavery and the beginning of freedom for black people in America, but for many, this freedom is never more than theoretical because they are haunted by the past and for them, slavery lives on in their memories, and in the guilt many have for decisions they made that they can never forgive themselves for. This notion certainly rings true in Toni Morrison's "Beloved".
             For Sethe and her family, the end of slavery does not mean the beginning of freedom because Sethe lives with both psychological and physical scars that will not let her forget the past. The actions that Sethe took during the time of slavery not only affect her but also affect her family. Despite the fact that her children never experienced slavery, they are still haunted by it because of Sethe's actions.
             Sethe has Physical scars on her body that causes the past to haunt her, and also has the ghost of her daughter in the house that will never let Sethe forget that she killed her:
             "I got a tree on my back and a haint in my house,"
             The scars that she has from the whipping she endured, she describes as being a tree on her back. The 'tree' on her back is significant because it is a metaphor for the memories that she has. They will always be there, always haunting her. Although the wounds have heeled over, they are never gone. It is also significant because it shows that Sethe is carrying burdens, you carry burdens on your back. You cannot see them, do not want to acknowledge them, but you know that they are there. There is also the ghost of her daughter living in the house. Sethe killed her daughter when she was two years old in order to protect her from a...

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Beloved. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 04:29, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/19087.html