Beloved Discussion Notes - 1/29
Notes from our Mon. 1/29 discussion of Beloved by Toni Morrison at Julie’s apartment, in no particular order:
Use of names - Paul A., Paul D., Pauls, Baby Suggs, Beloved - (who likely originally had some kind of name other than “Beloved” because she was a toddler when she was murdered) to disorient and draw away from individuals and reference collective slaves (as many, many people) - and also as non-individuals; they didn’t have names.
Magical realism - similar to 100 Years of Solitude in that we don’t know what is real/imaginary.
Horror coupled with magical realism - does this make it easier to capture the history? Acts so horrible that they don’t seem real. Reference to the Polish horror movie “Demon” and “Get Out” - the way these movies play with reality and make us question what is real and not real.
School in Michigan with student’s parents who wanted to remove Beloved from reading in class because it is not historically accurate - the text can be disorienting and graphic but doesn’t detail the reality of slavery clearly - censoring for accuracy. Reminder of #metoo movement - the onus is not on the victim to be 100% accurate.
How this book is not about race, how it’s about the effects slavery can have on a society - complete breakdown and dehumanization of people. When this happens, it becomes okay to murder your children?
Possession in the book - sex as possession. Beloved having sex with Paul D - was this her reclaiming some of what was taken from her by Sethe when she was murdered?
The fate of pregnant women in the book - not hopeful.
Ironically, the outcome of Sethe murdering Beloved is that they will never be sent back to Sweet Home and she will never go back to slavery (because she has to be tried in court) - which should be the happiest thing - but there is no way out. Coupling terrible / great things - you could never enjoy any of the happy moments (e.g. the party) because they are always paired with something horrendous (e.g. Beloved’s murder).
The way Beloved talks like a baby - “the people with no faces” were the white men. Haunting.
Actual plantation museums are typically catered toward white visitors. Problematic “antebellum homes” v. slave quarters. Is it okay to talk about “slave homes” out-right? Discussion of why some of these places are not designated as memorials to honor tragedy, like how Auschwitz is managed. Why are the homes full of furniture and preserved so beautifully? Compare this with what it would be like if the German Nazi’s homes were left furnished and kept beautifully at Auschwitz.
