Haunting Memories

"Clever, but he beat him anyway to show him that definitions belonged to the definers- not the defined."

Beloved is a contemporary magical realism which centers around themes of memory, identity, motherhood, slavery, guilt, and redemption. In the novel, we see Sethe, a mother who tried to murder all four of her children and succeeded in killing one. The house on 124 Bluestone Road is one that is haunted by that little girl. The murder itself is an act of desperation and profound love the mother felt for her child, yet it was one that ended up leading to not only her child's life, but to her demise as well.

“So Denver took her mother’s milk right along with the blood of her sister.”

The pain caused by Beloved's death, after eighteen years, is aggravated once more, when she returns to her home to haunt it in blood and flesh. She becomes the sister that Denver remembers and the daughter Sethe longs for. Nonetheless, it is made clear that Beloved is not there to vindicate her mother's act, she is there to avenge her death. Her methods of torture vary, though they are all centered around, as expected, Sethe. As the book progresses, these methods are seen to be intricately exacerbating. Not only does Beloved's torment drive the other residents of 124 away, but it also slowly nudges at the edges of Sethe's mind, urging it to break. Slowly but surely, Sethe becomes obsequious and pliant each day, creating a breathtaking parallel between her days of slavery and her current life under the haunting influence of Beloved, illustrating how the traumas of the past continue to exert control over her present existence.

Morrison’s use of magical realism not only amplifies the emotional and psychological intensity of the story but also demonstrates how the haunting presence of Beloved serves as a catalyst for the characters' inner struggles and their journey toward confronting their pasts. The prose added to the profound imagery intensifies the symbolism and metaphors found throughout the book. The non-linear storytelling and mythical elements serve as distinctive features of African-American cultural narrative traditions, further accentuating the origins of the story.

“Dismembered and unaccounted for, she cannot be lost because no one is looking for her.”

Beloved is a ghost of the past, haunting each member of 124 in different ways, forcing them to relive their respective traumas and confront the memories they have borne from their days of slavery. She represents what was lost by the characters in their suffering, for Sethe, a daughter and for Denver a sister. She is the ghost of their past, the haunting of slavery lingering, one that they have to come to terms with it in order to live. And while Denver succeeds (albeit forcefully), Sethe is too taken by bereavement and guilt to deny the seemingly endless demands of what was once her daughter.

Beloved is the trauma of slavery personified, the grief of mothers, and the torment of recollection. It is not a story to pass on, but it is a story to remember.