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Discuss the theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved

Discuss the theme of slavery in Toni Morrison's Beloved

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Toni Morrison’s novel “Beloved” delves into the haunting legacy of slavery in America, exploring its lasting impact on individuals, families, and communities. Published in 1987, the novel presents a fictional account inspired by the true story of Margaret Garner, a formerly enslaved woman who escaped slavery but later chose to kill her own child rather than see her returned to a life of bondage.

The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- Through vivid storytelling, Morrison examines the psychological, emotional, and physical trauma inflicted by slavery, and the ongoing struggle for freedom and identity in its aftermath. This essay will analyze the theme of slavery in “Beloved,” focusing on its portrayal, effects on characters, and the power of remembrance and healing.

1. Portrayal of Slavery : Morrison vividly depicts the horrors of slavery, capturing the dehumanizing and brutal nature of the institution. Sethe, the protagonist, is a formerly enslaved woman haunted by the memory of her escape from Sweet Home plantation.

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The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- The narrative reveals the experiences of various characters through flashbacks and recollections, immersing readers in the harrowing realities of slave life. Morrison’s detailed descriptions of physical abuse, sexual exploitation, and the denial of basic human rights expose the profound cruelty inflicted upon enslaved individuals. The relentless pursuit and commodification of their bodies reduce them to mere property, reinforcing the dehumanization inherent in slavery.

2. Effects on Characters : The trauma of slavery leaves a lasting impact on the characters in “Beloved.” Sethe’s actions, killing her own child to prevent her from returning to slavery, epitomize the extreme measures people were driven to in order to protect their loved ones from a life of bondage.

The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- Sethe’s guilt and haunted psyche are personified by the presence of the eponymous character, Beloved, who embodies the collective memory of slavery. Beloved’s arrival disrupts the lives of Sethe and her family, serving as a catalyst for confronting the past and unearthing buried emotions.

The character of Paul D, another survivor of Sweet Home, exemplifies the internal struggles faced by formerly enslaved individuals. He suppresses his memories of abuse and adopts a detached, survivalist mentality, but encounters difficulties when attempting to form intimate connections due to the emotional barriers created by his past.

3. Power of Remembrance and Healing : “Beloved” emphasizes the significance of remembrance and the power of confronting the painful past to achieve healing and self-empowerment. The characters’ suppressed memories and unspoken traumas manifest in haunting and ghostly presences, reflecting the inability to escape the psychological bondage of slavery.

The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- The character of Baby Suggs, Sethe’s mother-in-law, stands as a symbol of hope and redemption. Through her spiritual gatherings, she creates a space for communal healing, allowing individuals to confront their past and reclaim their sense of self. Sethe’s eventual acceptance of her past and acknowledgment of her actions enable her to begin the process of self-forgiveness and find liberation from the haunting presence of Beloved.

4. Interplay of Historical and Personal Narratives : Morrison intertwines historical and personal narratives in “Beloved” to emphasize the far-reaching impact of slavery and the collective memory it engenders. The inclusion of historical documents and accounts, such as newspaper clippings and runaway slave notices, situates the fictional story within the broader historical context.

The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- This interplay illustrates that the horrors of slavery were not isolated incidents but part of a systemic and pervasive institution. Through the characters’ individual experiences, Morrison portrays the intimate, personal toll of slavery, revealing its profound effects on their identities, relationships, and self-perception.

Beloved “Summary”

“Beloved” is a powerful and haunting novel written by Toni Morrison. Set in the years following the American Civil War, the story explores the lingering effects of slavery on the lives of its characters. Through a blend of historical realism and elements of magical realism, Morrison delves into the complex themes of trauma, memory, identity, and the search for freedom and belonging.

The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- The novel opens with the introduction of Sethe, a former slave who has escaped from Sweet Home, a plantation in Kentucky. Sethe now lives in a house called 124 Bluestone Road in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her daughter Denver.

The house is haunted by the ghost of Sethe’s baby daughter, who died years ago and whose tombstone reads “Beloved.” Sethe is deeply haunted by her past, particularly the traumatic event known as “Sweet Home,” where she endured unimaginable abuse.

As the story unfolds, we learn more about Sethe’s life as a slave and the horrors she experienced. She is tormented by the memories of her enslavement, the dehumanization she endured, and the desperate act she committed to protect her children from returning to a life of slavery. Sethe’s act of infanticide, killing her baby to save her from a life of bondage, hangs over her like a heavy burden.

The arrival of a mysterious young woman named Beloved at 124 Bluestone Road disrupts the fragile stability of Sethe and Denver’s lives. Beloved appears to be the embodiment of the baby Sethe killed years ago. She captivates Sethe and Denver, filling a void in their lives and offering them a sense of companionship and love.

Beloved’s presence becomes increasingly consuming, and her impact on the family grows stronger, making it difficult for them to move forward and find healing.

The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- As the narrative unfolds, the stories of other characters are interwoven with Sethe’s. Paul D, a fellow former slave from Sweet Home, arrives at 124 Bluestone Road after many years of separation. His arrival triggers a flood of memories and emotions for Sethe, as they both share a painful past. Paul D becomes a source of strength for Sethe, challenging her to confront her demons and confront the past head-on.

Also Read:- Toni Morrison Biography and works

Morrison expertly weaves together the past and the present, employing a nonlinear narrative structure that reflects the fragmented nature of memory and trauma. The novel explores the profound impact of slavery on personal and collective histories, emphasizing the importance of confronting and acknowledging the past in order to heal and move forward.

The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- Through her evocative prose, Morrison explores the theme of identity and the search for selfhood. Sethe’s struggle to reconcile her past actions with her present self and find a sense of worthiness is a central thread of the story. Beloved, as a character, represents the unresolved trauma and the repressed memories that haunt Sethe. She symbolizes the weight of history and the need for redemption.

“Beloved” also delves into the broader themes of community, motherhood, and the resilience of the human spirit. Sethe’s relationship with Denver highlights the complex dynamics of motherhood, as she tries to protect and nurture her daughter while battling her own internal demons. The novel examines the power of community and the role it plays in helping individuals heal and find their place in the world.

“Beloved,” Toni Morrison’s powerful novel, delves into the theme of slavery, exploring its profound impact on individuals and communities. Through vivid portrayals, Morrison exposes the dehumanizing nature of slavery, depicting the brutal physical and emotional trauma inflicted upon enslaved individuals. The characters in the novel, such as Sethe, Paul D, and Baby Suggs, bear the scars of slavery, struggling with guilt, trauma, and a search for identity.

Morrison emphasizes the importance of remembrance and healing, illustrating that confronting the painful past is essential for personal and communal liberation. The interplay between historical and personal narratives underscores the lasting legacy of slavery and its collective memory.

“Beloved” serves as a poignant reminder of the atrocities of slavery and its enduring repercussions. By exploring the theme of slavery, Morrison invites readers to confront the dark chapters of history and understand the lasting effects on individuals and society. The novel calls for empathy, compassion, and an acknowledgment of the past, emphasizing the necessity of collective healing and the reclamation of personal agency.

The theme of slavery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved:- Through her powerful storytelling and meticulous attention to detail, Toni Morrison crafts a narrative that demands reflection and contemplation. “Beloved” serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, highlighting the enduring strength and capacity for healing in the face of unimaginable adversity. The novel’s exploration of slavery continues to resonate, reminding us of the importance of confronting our history and working towards a more just and equitable future.

Q. What is the main theme of “Beloved”?

Ans. The main themes in “Beloved” include the lasting effects of slavery, the trauma and memory associated with it, the search for identity and freedom, the power of community, and the complexities of motherhood.

Q. What is the significance of the character Beloved?

Ans. Beloved represents the unresolved trauma and repressed memories of Sethe and the broader African American community. Her presence forces the characters to confront their past and acknowledge the horrors of slavery.

Q. Why is the novel titled “Beloved”?

Ans. The title “Beloved” refers to the name on the tombstone of Sethe’s deceased baby, whom she killed to spare her from a life of slavery. The title symbolizes the haunting presence of the past and the weight of history.

Q. How does Morrison incorporate magical realism into the novel?

Ans. Morrison uses elements of magical realism to enhance the storytelling and convey the emotional and psychological experiences of the characters. The ghostly presence of Beloved and other supernatural occurrences serve as metaphors for the lingering impact of slavery.

Q. How does the nonlinear narrative structure contribute to the story?

Ans. The nonlinear narrative structure reflects the fragmented nature of memory and trauma. It allows Morrison to explore different perspectives and time periods, highlighting the characters’ complex histories and the interconnectedness of past and present.

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beloved essay on slavery

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Toni Morrison

  • Literature Notes
  • A Note on Slavery
  • Book Summary
  • About Beloved
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  • Summary and Analysis
  • Part 1: Chapter 1
  • Part 1: Chapter 2
  • Part 1: Chapter 3
  • Part 1: Chapter 4
  • Part 1: Chapter 5
  • Part 1: Chapter 6
  • Part 1: Chapter 7
  • Part 1: Chapter 8
  • Part 1: Chapter 9
  • Part 1: Chapter 10
  • Part 1: Chapter 11
  • Part 1: Chapter 12
  • Part 1: Chapters 13-14
  • Part 1: Chapter 15
  • Part 1: Chapter 16
  • Part 1: Chapters 17-18
  • Part 2: Chapter 19
  • Part 2: Chapters 20-21
  • Part 2: Chapters 22-23
  • Part 2: Chapter 24
  • Part 2: Chapter 25
  • Part 3: Chapter 26
  • Part 3: Chapter 27
  • Part 3: Chapter 28
  • Character Analysis
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  • Toni Morrison Biography
  • Critical Essays
  • Beloved and Its Forerunners
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Critical Essays A Note on Slavery

Set on the bloody side of the Ohio River, life at Sweet Home mocks the "Old Kentucky Home" of Stephen Foster's saccharine, sentimental set pieces. For Mr. Garner's male slaves, life is bondage, longing, and potential death if they step outside the prescribed norms of behavior. Baby Suggs and Sethe, separated by color, class, and privilege from Mrs. Garner, know the eternal ache of seeing their loved ones "run off . . . hanged . . . rented out, loaned out, bought up, brought back, stored up, mortgaged, won, stolen or seized." For Sethe, blessed with six years of marriage to a loving man, the only tempering mechanism for daily drudgery lies in sprigs of myrtle, salsify, and mint that sweeten the bitterness of servitude. But for Baby Suggs, too lost in a milieu of passing mates and disappearing family, reality is a slave's truth: ". . . nobody stopped playing checkers just because the pieces included her children."

For Cincinnati blacks, slavery's legacy lies beyond the whip, far from the auction block, a generation away from dogs, slave catchers, patrollers, rapists, child-sellers, iron bits, and pronged necklaces. The curse of bondage lies in the spirit that has been so dirtied that it can no longer love itself. Morrison composes her novel to honor the survivors — station keepers like Baby Suggs who have the courage and determination to fight not only the emerging Ku Klux Klan and other forms of white spite, but to wash away the baptism of silt that coats the psyche and blocks out the light. The holy Baby Suggs names the individual parts of the body that each freed slave must rescue — hands, feet, neck, liver — and concludes her sermon with an appropriate benediction: "More than your life-holding womb and your life-giving private parts, hear me now, love your heart. For this is the prize."

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beloved essay on slavery

Toni Morrison

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Slavery Theme Icon

Through the memories and experiences of a wide variety of characters, Beloved presents unflinchingly the unthinkable cruelty of slavery. In particular, the novel explores how slavery dehumanizes slaves, treating them alternately as property and as animals. To a slave-owner like Schoolteacher , African-American slaves are less than human: he thinks of them only in terms of how much money they are worth, and talks of “mating” them as if they are animals . Paul D’s experience of having an iron bit in his mouth quite literally reduces him to the status of an animal. And Schoolteacher’s nephews at one point hold Sethe down and steal her breast milk, treating her like a cow.

Even seemingly “kind” slave-owners like Mr. and Mrs. Garner abuse their slaves and treat them as lesser beings. Slavery also breaks up family units: Sethe can hardly remember her own mother and, for slaves, this is the norm rather than an exception, as children are routinely sold off to work far away from their families. Another important aspect of slavery in the novel is the fact that its effects are felt even after individuals find freedom. After Sethe and her family flee Sweet Home, slavery haunts them in numerous ways, whether through painful memories, literal scars, or their former owner himself, who finds Sethe and attempts to bring her and her children back to Sweet Home. Slavery is an institution so awful that Sethe kills her own baby, and attempts to kill all her children, to save them from being dragged back into it. Through the haunting figure of Beloved, and the memories that so many of the characters try and fail to hide from, Beloved shows how the institutionalized practice of slavery has lasting consequences—physical, psychological, and societal—even after it ends.

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Slavery Quotes in Beloved

“How come everybody run off from Sweet Home can’t stop talking about it? Look like if it was so sweet you would have stayed.” [...] Paul D laughed. “True, true. [Denver’s] right, Sethe. It wasn’t sweet and it sure wasn’t home.” He shook his head. “But it’s where we were,” said Sethe. “All together. Comes back whether we want it to or not.”

Storytelling, Memory, and the Past Theme Icon

[...] in all of Baby’s life, as well as Sethe’s own, men and women were moved around like checkers. Anybody Baby Suggs knew, let alone loved, who hadn’t run off or been hanged, got rented out, loaned out, bought up, brought back, stored up, mortgaged, won, stolen or seized. So Baby’s eight children had six fathers. What she called the nastiness of life was the shock she received upon learning that nobody stopped playing checkers just because the pieces included her children.

Motherhood Theme Icon

Odd clusters and strays of Negroes wandered the back roads and cowpaths from Schenectady to Jackson.... Some of them were running from family that could not support them, some to family; some were running from dead crops, dead kin, life threats, and took-over land. Boys younger than Buglar and Howard; configurations and blends of families of women and children, while elsewhere, solitary, hunted and hunting for, were men, men, men.

Home Theme Icon

She threw them all away but you. The one from the crew she threw away on the island. The others from more whites she also threw away. Without names, she threw them. You she gave the name of the black man... Telling you. I am telling you, small girl Sethe.

[Sethe] shook her head from side to side, resigned to her rebellious brain. Why was there nothing it refused? No misery, no regret, no hateful picture too rotten to accept? Like a greedy child it snatched up everything. Just once, could it say, No thank you?

Mister, he looked so...free. Better than me. Stronger, tougher. ...Mister was allowed to be and stay what he was. But I wasn’t allowed to be and stay what I was. Even if you cooked him you’d be cooking a rooster named Mister. But wasn’t no way I’d ever be Paul D again, living or dead.

Yonder they do not love your flesh. They despise it. They don’t love your eyes; they’d just as soon pick em out. No more do they love the skin on your back. Yonder they flay it. And O my people they do not love your hands. Those they only use, tie, bind, chop off and leave empty. Love your hands! Love them. Raise them up and kiss them.... No, they don’t love your mouth. You got to love it. ...The dark, dark liver—love it, love it, and the beat and beating heart, love that too.

It was some time before he could put Alfred, Georgia, Sixo, schoolteacher, Halle, his brothers, Sethe, Mister, the taste of iron, the sight of butter, the smell of hickory, notebook paper, one by one, into the tobacco tin lodged in his chest. By the time he got to 124 nothing in this world could pry it open.

The last of [Baby Suggs’] children, whom she barely glanced at when he was born because it wasn’t worth the trouble to try to learn features you would never see change into adulthood anyway. Seven times she had done that: held a little foot; examined the fat fingertips with her own—fingers she never saw become the male or female hands a mother would recognize anywhere. She didn’t know to this day what their permanent teeth looked like; or how they held their heads when they walked.

I was about to turn around and keep on my way to where the muslin was, when I heard [Schoolteacher] say, “No, no. That’s not the way. I told you to put her human characteristics on the left; her animal ones on the right. And don’t forget to line them up.”

Whitepeople belived that whatever the manners, under every dark skin was a jungle. Swift unnavigable waters, swinging screaming baboons, sleeping snakes, red gums ready for their sweet white blood. In a way, he thought, they were right.... But it wasn’t the jungle blacks brought with them to this place from the other (livable) place. It was the jungle whitefolks planted in them.

For years Paul D believed schoolteacher broke into children what Garner had raised into men. And it was that that made them run off. Now, plagued by the contents of his tobacco tin, he wondered how much difference there really was between before schoolteacher and after.

Remembering his own price, down to the cent, that schoolteacher was able to get for him, [Paul D] wondered what Sethe’s would have been. What had Baby Suggs’ been? How much did Halle owe, still, besides his labor? What did Mrs. Garner get for Paul F? More than nine hundred dollars? How much more? Ten dollars? Twenty?

Yet [Denver] knew Sethe’s greatest fear was...that Beloved might leave.... Leave before Sethe could make her realize that far worse than [death]...was what Baby Suggs died of, what Ella knew, what Stamp saw and what made Paul D tremble. That anybody white could take your whole self for anything that came to mind. Not just work, kill, or maim you, but dirty you. Dirty you so bad you couldn’t like yourself anymore. Dirty you so bad you forgot who you were and couldn’t think it up.

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Effects of Slavery on the Individual in Beloved Anonymous

In her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison conveys her strong feelings about slavery by depicting the emotional impact slavery has had on individuals. Using characters such as Mr. Garner and Schoolteacher as enablers, Morrison is able to illustrate not only how detrimental slavery can be to an individual, but also how it affects everyone differently. Morrison furthers her claims by constantly engaging the reader with the emotional inner-workings of several other characters, most specifically Paul D., in order to fully show the effect that slavery can have on an individual.

Although Mr. Garner is portrayed as a relatively more respectable and humane slave-owner, the fact that he owns slaves at all makes him no better than Schoolteacher. Morrison uses Mr. Garner to show that even if you allow slaves certain freedoms, the act of owning another human being is always detestable. One situation that shows Mr. Garner’s objectionable character is Halle’s purchase of his mother, Baby Suggs. As Halle points out to Sethe, “If he hadn’t of, she would of dropped in his cooking stove… I pay him for her last years and in return he got you, me, and three more coming up.” Mr. Garner only allowed the outwardly kind-hearted release of Baby Suggs because...

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Yale vows new actions to address past ties to slavery, issues apology, book.

 Ledger document from 18th century recording transactions of enslaved persons

Yale University’s ongoing work to understand its history and connections to slavery continued today with announcements of new commitments and actions and a formal apology in response to the findings of a scholarly, peer-reviewed book, “Yale and Slavery: A History,” authored by Yale Professor David W. Blight with the Yale and Slavery Research Project.

“ Confronting this history helps us to build a stronger community and realize our aspirations to create a better future,” Peter Salovey, Yale’s president, and Josh Bekenstein, senior trustee of the Yale Corporation, wrote in a message to the university community . “Today, on behalf of Yale University, we recognize our university’s historical role in and associations with slavery, as well as the labor, the experiences, and the contributions of enslaved people to our university’s history, and we apologize for the ways that Yale’s leaders, over the course of our early history, participated in slavery.

“ Acknowledging and apologizing for this history are only part of the path forward. These findings have propelled us toward meaningful action to address the continued effects of slavery in society today.”

The message followed a comprehensive, long-term examination Yale launched in 2020 to better understand the university’s history — specifically its formative ties to slavery and the slave trade.

“ We chose to do this because we have a responsibility to the pursuit of truth and the dissemination of knowledge, both foundational to the mission of our university,” Salovey and Bekenstein said in the message. “Confronting this history helps us to build a stronger community and realize our aspirations to create a better future.”

Since October 2020, the Yale and Slavery Research Project has conducted intensive research to provide a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of the university’s past.

The research project included faculty, staff, students, and New Haven community members, and was led by Blight, Sterling Professor of History in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences and director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale. Members of the group shared their results publicly as they conducted their research, and the university has steadily launched programs and initiatives in response.

The full findings from the project are now published by Yale University Press in a scholarly, peer-reviewed book authored by Blight and members of the Yale and Slavery Research Project. Key findings and the full book are available online for free.

The findings

Through its research, the Yale and Slavery Research Project “has deepened greatly our understanding of our university’s history with slavery and the role of enslaved individuals who participated in the construction of a Yale building or whose labor enriched prominent leaders who made gifts to Yale,” Salovey and Bekenstein said.

Although there are no known records of Yale University owning enslaved people, many of Yale’s Puritan founders owned enslaved people, as did a significant number of Yale’s early leaders and other prominent members of the university community. The research project has identified over 200 of these enslaved people, the message said. The majority of those who were enslaved are identified as Black, but some are identified as Indigenous. Some of those enslaved participated in the construction of Connecticut Hall, the oldest building on campus. Others worked in cotton fields, rum refineries, and other punishing places in Connecticut or elsewhere.

“ Their grueling labor benefited those who contributed funds to Yale,” the message said.

The project’s findings also revealed that prominent members of the Yale community joined with New Haven leaders and citizens to stop a proposal to build a college in New Haven for Black youth in 1831, which would have been America’s first Black college.

Additional aspects of Yale’s history are illuminated in the book’s findings, including the Yale Civil War Memorial that honors those who fought for the North and the South without any mention of slavery or other context, the message said.

Many of the project’s findings have been shared publicly and addressed by Yale on an ongoing basis during the research process.

‘ Our forward-looking commitment’

Based on the Yale and Slavery Research Project’s findings and the university’s history, Yale leaders announced new actions that focus “on systemic issues that echo in our nation’s legacy of slavery.”

The actions focus on increasing educational access; advancing inclusive economic growth; better reflecting history across campus; and creating wide access to Yale’s historical findings. The Yale and Slavery Research Project is part of Yale’s broader Belonging work to enhance diversity, support equity, and promote an environment of welcome, inclusion, and respect.

“ The new work we undertake advances inclusive economic growth in New Haven,” Salovey and Bekenstein said. “Aligned with our core educational mission, we also are ensuring that our history, in its entirety, is better reflected across campus, and we are creating widespread access to Yale’s historical findings.”

The full details of the university’s response are available on the Yale and Slavery Reseearch Project website .

Several of the university’s commitments are highlighted below:

‘ Increasing educational access and excellence in teaching and research’

The lost opportunity to build a college for Black students in New Haven in 1831 has prompted Yale to strengthen its partnerships with the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and to expand educational pathways for New Haven youth.

  • New Haven School Teachers: New Haven, as well as the rest of the country, is dealing with an acute and ongoing teacher shortage; in the city, there were 80 teaching positions that went unfilled during the last academic year. There are many reasons for this shortage, including the high costs of acquiring certification and a master’s in teaching degree, compared to the relatively modest compensation in the profession. “We are partnering with the New Haven Public School system, New Haven Promise, and Southern Connecticut State University to design a new residency fellowship program to provide funding to aspiring teachers, so they can attain a Master’s in Teaching degree in exchange for a commitment of at least three years of service in the New Haven Public School system,” Salovey and Bekenstein said. Once launched, this fellowship program aims to place 100 teachers with master’s degrees into the city’s schools in five years.
  • Yale and Slavery Teachers Institute Program: Yale will also launch a four-year teacher’s institute in summer 2025 to foster innovation in the ways regional history is taught. This program will help K-12 teachers in New England meet new state mandates for incorporating Black and Indigenous history into their curricula. Each year, a cohort of teachers will engage with partners within and outside of the university community to study content and methods related to a particular theme, using the book “Yale and Slavery: A History” as “a springboard.” The first year of the program will focus on Indigenous history, followed by slavery in the north, and Reconstruction and the Black freedom struggle. Led by the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at the Yale MacMillan Center, the program will provide a platform for teachers in New England to co-develop curricular materials, in collaboration with scholars, public historians, Native communities, and other groups. The pedagogical materials and methods created through the program will be disseminated broadly for the benefit of students, educators, and the general public throughout the region.
  • HBCU Research Partnerships : Yale continues to expand its research partnerships with HBCUs across the country with pathways programs for students, opportunities for faculty collaboration, and faculty exchange programs. The university will announce a significant new investment in the coming weeks.
  • New Haven Promise Program : In January 2022, Yale expanded its contribution to New Haven Promise , a college scholarship and career development program that has supported more than 2,800 students from the New Haven Public Schools, by 25% annually, from $4 million to $5 million, and extended its commitment through June 2026.
  • Pennington Fellowships : In December 2022, Yale launched a new scholarship to support New Haven high school graduates to attend one of its partner HBCU institutions (Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T, and Spelman College). The program is designed to help address historical disparities in educational opportunities for students from New Haven and will grow to include 40 to 50 Pennington scholars at any given time, supporting students in their academic, financial, and career entry success.
  • Law School Access Program : Yale Law School’s pipeline program serves first-generation, low-income, and under-represented students from New Haven. The program invests in a class of up to 20 fellows who are “passionate about uplifting their local communities” in New Haven and Connecticut. Yale began centrally co-funding the program with the law school in 2024 to ensure its long-term stability.
  • K-12 Educational Outreach in New Haven : Yale supports many programs for youth in New Haven and surrounding communities, and thousands of public school children take part in Yale-funded academic and social development programs . These include Yale’s Pathways to Science and Yale’s Pathways to Arts and Humanities programs .

‘ Advancing inclusive economic growth in New Haven’

Yale remains committed to partnering with the City of New Haven to create vibrant shared communities with increased economic opportunities. This builds on the university’s ongoing work with the New Haven community, which includes increasing what was already the largest voluntary payment by a university to its host city in the country to approximately $135 million over six years and the creation of a new Center for Inclusive Growth to develop and implement strategies to grow the city economically.

  • Dixwell Plaza: Yale recently signed a 10-year letter of intent for space at Dixwell Plaza to support the development of a state-of-the-art mixed-use retail, residential, and cultural hub in Dixwell’s historically Black community center that is rooted in restorative economic development . Yale is working on this initiative with the Connecticut Community Outreach and Revitalization Program (ConnCORP), a local organization whose mission is to provide opportunities to New Haven’s underserved residents.
  • Community Investment Program : Yale’s community investment program works with independently owned retail businesses. Most recently, University Properties has supported a growing number of locally owned brick-and-mortar businesses, including restaurants and retail clothing stores. This program brings jobs to New Haven residents and expands the city’s tax base.

‘ Acknowledging our past’

The Yale and Slavery Research Project’s findings make clear that Yale’s foundations are inextricably bound with the economic and political systems of slavery, Salovey and Bekenstein wrote in the message. “That history is not fully evident on our campus, and we are working to ensure that our physical campus provides members of our community with a more complete view of the university’s history,” they said, noting the following projects:

  • Transforming Connecticut Hall : Connecticut Hall, constructed in the mid-18th century using in part the labor of enslaved people, is being reconstituted as a place of healing and communion as the new home of the Yale Chaplaincy. The Yale Committee on Art Representing Enslavement will make recommendations for how the building’s history with slavery can be acknowledged and made evident through art. The renovated building is currently slated to be reopened in summer 2025.
  • Civil War Memorial : Yale’s Civil War Memorial, located in Memorial Hall and dedicated in 1915, is a “Lost Cause” monument. However, the purpose and meaning of the memorial are largely unknown to most people who walk past it. Recently, an educational display was installed near the memorial to educate visitors on its history and provide additional resources.
  • Committee for Art Recognizing Enslavement : In June 2023, the university launched the Yale Committee for Art Recognizing Enslavement , which includes representatives from both the Yale and New Haven communities. The committee is working with (and soliciting input from) members of the campus and New Haven communities to commission works of art and related programming to address Yale’s historical roles and associations with slavery and the slave trade, as well as the legacy of that history.
  • M.A. Privatim degrees : In April 2023, the Yale board of trustees voted to confer M.A. Privatim degrees on the Rev. James W. C. Pennington (c. 1807-1870) and the Rev. Alexander Crummell (1819-1898). Both men studied theology at Yale, but because they were Black, the university did not allow them to register formally for classes or matriculate for a degree. On Sept. 14, 2023, the university held a ceremony to honor the two men and commemorate the conferral of the degrees.

‘ Creating widespread access to historical findings’

The book “Yale and Slavery: A History” provides a more complete narrative of Yale’s history — as well as that of New Haven, Connecticut, and the nation. Aligned with the university’s core educational mission, Yale will provide opportunities for communities within and beyond Yale’s campus to learn from the findings.

  • New Haven Museum Exhibition : Today, Yale opened a new exhibition at the New Haven Museum, created in collaboration with the Yale University Library, the Yale and Slavery Research Project, and the museum. On view through the summer, the exhibition complements the publication of “Yale and Slavery: A History” and draws from the research project’s key findings in areas such as the economy and trade, Black churches and schools, the 1831 Black college proposal, and memory and memorialization in the 20th century and today. The exhibition places a special focus on stories of Black New Haven, including early Black students and alumni of Yale, from the 1830s to 1940. There is no admission fee for viewing the exhibition.
  • Book Distribution : Yale will provide copies of the book to each public library and high school in New Haven, as well as to local churches and other community organizations. The university has subsidized a free e-book version that is available to everyone.
  • DeVane Lecture in Fall 2024: Blight will teach the next DeVane Lecture — a semester-long lecture series open to the public — during the Fall 2024 semester. Students can take the course for credit, and the lectures are free to attend for New Haven and other local community members. His course will cover the findings of the Yale and Slavery Research Project and related scholarly work. The lectures will be filmed and made available for free online in 2025.
  • App-Guided Tour : A new app includes a map of key sites on campus and in New Haven with narration, offering users the opportunity to take a self-guided tour. The tour’s 16 stops start with the John Pierpont House on Elm Street and end at Eli Whitney’s tomb in the Grove Street Cemetery.
  • Campus Tours : With a more accurate understanding of Yale’s history, the university is updating campus tours so that they include the key findings from the Yale and Slavery Research Project, particularly concerning the Civil War Memorial and Connecticut Hall.

Working together to strengthen the community

The university’s commitments are ongoing, “and there remains more to be accomplished in the years ahead,” Salovey and Bekenstein said.

Yale has established a Committee on Addressing the Legacy of Slavery to seek broad input from faculty, students, staff, alumni, New Haven community members, and external experts and leaders on actions Yale can take to address its history and legacy of slavery and “create a stronger and more inclusive university community that pursues research, teaching, scholarship, practice, and preservation of the highest caliber,” they said. The committee will be chaired by Secretary and Vice President for University Life Kimberly Goff-Crews.

Salovey and Bekenstein also invited members of the Yale and New Haven communities to read the book and share their comments . The Committee on Addressing the Legacy of Slavery will review all input and consider future opportunities — with New Haven, other universities, and other communities — to improve access to education and enhance inclusive economic growth, they said. The committee will report to the president.

In the coming weeks, the committee will host listening sessions for faculty, students, staff, and alumni. The Committee for Art Recognizing Enslavement will also host forums for members of the community.

In their message, Salovey and Bekenstein noted that the Yale and Slavery Research Project “has helped gain a more complete understanding of our university’s history.” They said the steps and initiatives Yale has established in response to the historical findings build on the university’s continued commitments to the New Haven community and its ongoing Belonging at Yale work to enhance diversity, support equity, and promote an environment of welcome, inclusion, and respect.

Several community and higher education leaders shared their thoughts about Yale’s announcement and plans.

“ I applaud Yale for studying its history more fully and responding to its historical ties to slavery by building on the partnerships it has with the New Haven community,” said Madeline Negrόn, superintendent of the New Haven Public Schools. “I welcome the possibility of Yale supporting the Teacher Residency Program for New Haven. Teacher recruitment and retention is one of New Haven Public Schools’ priorities.

“ We are eager to partner with Yale to finalize the design and implementation of a fellowship program aimed to support developing high quality and diverse teachers to stay long term in New Haven Public Schools.”

Yale’s police chief, Anthony Campbell, said:

“ Yale University’s leadership acknowledges the institution’s role in the travesty of slavery in the United States, recognizing that as a place of higher learning and research, it must confront and acknowledge this history. While Yale itself did not own slaves, the acknowledgment that some of its founders were slaveholders and that the oldest building on campus was constructed with slave labor underscores the university’s commitment to transparency and healing.

“ Furthermore, Yale’s support for the New Haven community, evidenced by its partnership with the New Haven Promise Program and the establishment of the Reverend Pennington Scholarships, signifies its dedication to the healing process.”

Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Darrell K. Williams, the 13th president of Hampton University, said:

“ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was correct — the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice. I also firmly believe that truth is essential to justice, and thus, with more truth comes more justice. I applaud the Yale community’s courage to publicly acknowledge Yale’s role in such a painful and consequential chapter of America’s story.”

In their message to the Yale community, Salovey and Bekenstein wrote:

“ Today, we mark one milestone in our journey to creating a stronger and more inclusive Yale and to confronting deeply rooted challenges in society to do our part in building ‘the beloved community’ envisioned by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“ Our work continues, and we welcome your thoughts and hope you will engage with our history .”

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Guest Essay

What if Federal Reparations Weren’t a Fiction?

A finger points at a map of Illinois.

By Maura Cheeks

Ms. Cheeks is the author of the novel “Acts of Forgiveness.”

In my debut novel, a family retraces their lineage in order to be eligible for the nation’s first federal reparations program for Black Americans. When I was selling my novel in 2021, it was pitched to publishers as “speculative fiction, but only slightly.” I hadn’t specifically identified that genre, but I could see how it made sense: Up to that point, only one U.S. city, Evanston, Ill., had actually issued reparations in the form of housing grants. The idea that the United States could ever collectively support a national reparations policy for Black people seemed, well, the stuff of fiction.

Since then, reparations task forces and commissions have been created in California , Illinois , New York and Pennsylvania . State and citywide reparations initiatives offer a unique opportunity: They can look at specific harms perpetrated in a community, like redlining or wrongful drug convictions, and offer redress for citizens and the families who lived there. In Evanston, for example, reparations are being funded through revenue generated from a cannabis tax . If you can prove that you were a Black resident of African descent between 1919 and 1969 or are the direct descendant of one, or that you suffered housing discrimination related to the city’s policies after 1969, then you are eligible for a payment. As of August, the city had distributed just over $1 million, with more funding on the way.

But what happens if you do not live in a community that pursues reparations? Slavery was a complex multistate system enabled by the federal government and protected by a sweeping body of law . The same government later promoted and propped up segregationist policies and failed to uphold the values of the 14th and 15th amendments across the Jim Crow South. To address systemic inequalities rooted in federal law, a federal reparations policy is required. One city , even multiple cities, or states, can’t compensate individuals for what an entire nation has done.

I decided to write about reparations after researching the racial wealth gap , the statistics of which continue to paint a picture of widespread systemic failure. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the typical white family has about six times as much wealth as the typical Black family, despite the fact that between 2019 and 2022 the typical Black family’s wealth rose at about twice the rate of the typical white family’s during the same period. The Black-white homeownership gap has been little changed for decades; in 2021, according to the National Association of Realtors, the Black homeownership rate was 44 percent compared to 72.7 percent among White Americans. White college graduates have over seven times the amount of wealth as Black college graduates. If you believe the increasing wealth gap among Black and white Americans is worth closing (and, pointedly, not everyone does), then it’s hard to read these statistics without intuiting that a federal intervention must be part of the equation.

I am both encouraged by more local reparations policies and wary of what we lose if we rely on them alone. In my novel, I imagined a federal program because I wanted to explore how it could also facilitate psychological healing across generations. What might it mean for Black Americans to feel that their country sees their pain and wants to make it right? If we could acknowledge what we did wrong so that we could begin moving forward?

Statistics are numbers that don’t tell the whole story. They don’t show what it’s like for a middle-class Black man wearing a hoodie to be denied entry to spaces that white people in the same attire are allowed to patronize. Or what it’s like for a Black woman with natural hair to receive sidelong glances in an interview and then be denied a job offer.

While reparations obviously won’t solve racism in America, they are still a necessary step. As Ta-Nehisi Coates argued almost 10 years ago in the pivotal essay “The Case for Reparations,” reparations go beyond financial recourse. He wrote: “What I’m talking about is more than recompense for past injustices — more than a handout, a payoff, hush money, or a reluctant bribe. What I’m talking about is a national reckoning that would lead to spiritual renewal.”

The word “reparations” has become something of a punchline, and the term invokes anger and frustration across the political spectrum. Trying to prove why reparations might be both worthwhile and realistic can feel like a Sisyphean task. The thought of increased tax rates or inflation to fund a national program can inspire panic. But as William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen point out in their 2020 book “From Here to Equality,” a reparations proposal could span several years, with money disbursed in installments and potentially only after applicants apply to use the funds to purchase a home or start a business.

If there is doubt that the United States can afford this, consider how quickly the country mobilized to provide $800 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program during the pandemic or hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out banks in 2008. Then consider what the public reaction might be if there was a Black reparations program with even a tiny fraction of those price tags. I find this to be a helpful thought experiment — it is not a matter of if we can do it, but rather whether we want to. It is a matter of acknowledging what we value, and deciding whether atonement for roughly 250 years of brutalization makes the cut.

In the book, I imagine what conditions would have to be true for the United States to move closer toward a federal reparations program. If those conditions were met, what might it actually look like for one family? What might be the pros and cons? Part of the promise of creating art in America is that it allows us to examine difficult topics while illuminating universal truths. It helps us acknowledge who we are, while preparing us for the way forward. As my protagonist’s grandfather says to his family: “I never thought in my lifetime, son. Not in my lifetime.”

It’s unclear if or when America will make amends to Black families. But if we do, it’s likely that someone, somewhere, will remark in relief at the recompense long overdue.

Maura Cheeks is the author of the novel “Acts of Forgiveness” and the owner of Liz’s Book Bar, a bookstore, cafe and wine bar planned for Brooklyn.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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How Wall Street Funded Slavery

The New York Stock Exchange Following News Of Federal Reserve March Cut Unlikely

I n 1855, when Stephen Duncan, the largest enslaver in the United States, reaped a windfall from his cotton plantations across Mississippi, he tasked his banker to ship the crops North, to sell the cotton for cash, and to invest the proceeds into Northern corporate stocks, plucking up prized Manhattan real estate on the side. He had made such investments for almost 30 years. Duncan, who enslaved as many as 2,200 Black people, including many hundreds of children, died after the Civil War a very rich man, his reviled fortune handsomely intact, passed on to his heirs. Duncan’s banker was Charles P. Leverich, Vice President of the Bank of New York, a Wall Street tycoon. In fact, it was Leverich who managed the sumptuous riches of Mississippi’s other leading enslavers, ensuring that their vast fortunes—the proceeds of slavery laundered into coin and currency—endured well after the war, into the 20 th century.

As a researcher of Wall Street’s role in financing slavery, I spent the last three years tracking that there were hundreds of New York and Boston bankers like this, not to mention industrial magnates and corporate directors—Northern men who, working hand-in-glove with Southern enslaving families, crystallize a crucial history: that contrary to popular belief, the wealth of slavery did not disappear after the Civil War, burned in the fires of conflict; it endured, in the form of private and public wealth, in the form of institutional fortunes. The wealth that many corporations and banks enjoy today is directly derived from this stolen wealth. As such, corporations, including many of our nation’s leading banks, have a critical obligation not only to acknowledge this history—something most have not done—but to outline meaningful ways to address these wounds through reparations to Black Americans.

Many are the myths that warp America’s history of slavery, one of which is the failure to identify that slavery was the cause of the Civil War. It’s an equally self-deluding myth for some to think that the fortune of slavery, all the tremendous wealth that white people sieved for generations from enslaved Black people, from decimated families and stolen children, could vanish into thin air. Consider how that defies logic: according to U.S. Treasury figures , enslaved Black people in the South produced, in the period between 1851 and 1860 alone, a bounty of cotton amounting to $1.5 billion then ($54 billion today)—and we are speaking only of cotton, and only one decade. The amount of wealth that enslaved peoples generated throughout the life of the Republic before Emancipation, though difficult to precisely detail, surely amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars then, and likely trillions today.

Read More: Colonial America Is a Myth

Though the supposition that it “disappeared” seems, practically speaking, preposterous, it lives on, as a kind of emotional, psychological crutch. It would mean that nothing from slavery had been gained in the end, that any sense of white guilt, of accountability and culpability, should vanish too. Leading corporations, certainly, have adopted this mindset. Side-stepping their accountability first in the horrors of enslavement, in the nation’s original sin, has only snowballed a deeper corporate culture of avoiding accountability, when what we need and expect today is the opposite: ethical standards, and fiscal responsibility toward the communities from which they derive their wealth.

The origins of the myth of disappeared slavery wealth are to be found in the Lost Cause, that falsified mythology of the Old South, which, in seeking to ennoble the dehumanizing greed of slavery, widely broadcast how Southern “planters” were reduced to ruin by Northern aggression. The same myth still holds up a cornerstone of Civil War history, positing that the war obliterated the southern aristocracy, and that, as postwar historian C. Vann Woodward, put it  “no ruling class of our history ever found itself so completely stripped of its economic foundations as did that of the South in this period.” And though he extrapolated his claim from a single survey, conducted in 1920, no less, and using a sample of just 254 southern industrialists, Woodward’s rendering came to dominate our view of history for generations.

Naturally, Woodward did have a point. Of course, it is true that during the Great Conflict parts of the South burned; that during his famous march to the sea, Union general William Sherman confiscated 400 thousand acres of land and caused $2 billion worth of damage in today’s dollars. And yet, in 2019, a groundbreaking study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found, using US Census data, that white slave-holding families had dramatically reinvented themselves after the Civil War and recovered their wealth. They did so in just one generation, the study found, redirecting their capital into the modern economy. These findings help amplify the larger point: that the vast portion of American wealth generated by enslavement did not go up in smoke.

The story of Duncan and Leverich shows why: the riches that Black people created for white Americans, though physically produced in the South, were not ultimately reaped by the South, nor invested into the South. Abolitionists at that time, Northern observers, and even Southern enslavers all knew this to be true: that Northern merchants owned the greatest shipping fleets of their commercial age, causing the prodigious output wrought by Black people’s labor—billions of pounds of cotton, sugar and rice, not to mention turpentine, hemp, and gin—to flow North, to be sold, to be transmuted from agricultural wealth into many other things. And there, in the vaults of Wall Street, and invested into the coal fields of Pennsylvania, into the corporate bedrock of America’s Industrial Age, this money, stolen from the energy of Black people’s hearts, hands, and minds, took on a new life, and grew.

At the famous City Bank of New York, President Moses Taylor conducted immense sums of money from slavery—both in the South but also Cuba—into industrial development and modern corporations, including many, like Consolidated Edison, that still exist today. This is history that echoes. Leading corporations, having based their models of success on ruthless exploitation back then, continue to do so now, though, rather than exploiting workers for the benefit of executives and stockholders, they should be accountable as much to the citizens and communities whose lives and labor make possible their wealth.

The figures who peopled America’s repugnant history of slavery, as with the institution of slavery itself, may all be gone, but it is the wealth that remains. Our failure to recognize so is dangerous, the breeding ground of inequality and myth. Projecting that the vast contributions of enslaved people are gone, that nothing remains, makes it easier today for corporations to side-step their ethical obligations, to downplay what’s in need of repair, and to dismiss what Black people are owed.

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Beloved Essay

In the novel, “Beloved”, by Toni Morrison, a female slave tries to escape from her plantation home down south to Ohio with two young children in tow after their father is killed for helping other slaves escape. She hopes to find a community of African Americans who understand the horror of slavery and will help her take care of her family. However, she must make her journey alone, as this scene occurs right before the Civil War begins and slave hunters are everywhere looking for a way to make a profit off human lives. The woman’s name was Sethe and she raised her children as best as she could in a run down shack on the outskirts of Cincinnati.

” Beloved ” is a 1987 novel by American author Toni Morrison. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988 and was chosen as an Oprah’s Book Club selection in September 1996. Beloved artfully blends elements of horror, romance, and every day. The book is set after the American Civil War (1861–1865) and before the end of reconstruction in 1877, it follows Sethe from just after she escapes slavery to her life with her daughter Denver in Cincinnati, Ohio. Beloved tells two stories: one about a slave family’s flight to freedom and another about an enslaved woman who kills her young child rather than see her enslaved again.

Beloved was adapted into a film of the same name released in 1998. The book was critically well-received. Beloved has been assigned as reading in many American high schools and colleges, but the book has caused controversy due to its depictions of sex, violence, and supernatural themes. Beloved is inspired by the story of an African-American slave, Margaret Garner (1856), who escaped slavery in Kentucky late January 1856 by fleeing across the frozen Ohio River into Ohio; she was reportedly whipped for punishment, which suggests that it may be Sethe’s story instead.

Toni Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford on February 18, 1931) is an American author, editor, and Professor Emeritus at Princeton University. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Beloved is her sixth novel, it was first published on, by Alfred A. Knopf. Beloved is set after the American Civil War (1861–1865) and before the end of reconstruction in 1877, following Sethe from just after she escaped slavery to her life with her daughter Denver in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Beloved tells two stories: one about a slave family’s flight to freedom and another about an enslaved woman who kills her young child rather than see her enslaved again. Beloved was adapted into a film of the same name released in 1998 by Oprah Winfrey’s production company Harpo Films. The book was critically well-received; Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988 and was selected by The New York Times as one of the 20 books that best represent the last 20 years.

Beloved has been assigned as reading in many American high schools and colleges, but the book has caused controversy due to its depictions of sex, violence, supernatural themes. Beloved is inspired by the story of an African-American slave, Margaret Garner (1856), who escaped slavery in Kentucky late January 1856 by fleeing across the frozen Ohio River into Ohio; she was reportedly whipped for punishment. Beloved is about 138,000 words long. It is narrated from a third-person omniscient perspective chiefly through Beloved’s point of view, with some sections being through Sethe’s point of view.

Beloved was published by Knopf in the United States and Random House in the United Kingdom. Beloved was included on Time magazine’s 2005 list of “100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to the Present”. Beloved artfully blends elements of horror, romance, and every day. Beloved is a book that both men and women should read if only to help create an understanding of life as it was for many in America during this time period. Beloved is not meant to be copied verbatim. Beloved should be used as the knowledge that one can add to their own personal library.

Beloved is a novel written by the Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. Beloved tells the story of Sethe, an escaped slave living in Ohio with her youngest daughter Denver after years of brutal slavery on a Kentucky plantation. Unable to speak about their experiences and feelings regarding this time, each family member carries unspoken culpability for events that forever change their lives. The book unfolds partly as a series of flashbacks that reveal how Sethe came to live in Ohio.

Beloved was recognized as a Literary Guild selection, Doubleday Book Club main selection, American Booksellers Association Book of the Year finalist, and Time magazine Best Book (fiction) of 1987. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. Beloved has been adapted into a film of the same name. Sethe is a former slave living in 1873 Cincinnati, Ohio, who escaped from slavery in Kentucky around 1855 with her three young children.

She has been unable to speak of her experiences for years and does not reveal to Beloved until close to the end of the novel that she killed her two year-old daughter rather than let an unscrupulous white man take Beloved away to sell as a slave. Beloved had run back to the plantation out of fear when Sethe was banished from the house by Paul D following his return from prison for assaulting his previous owner who had kept him in chains constantly and allowed him no rest.

Beloved becomes possessed by one of the spirits whom Sethe calls Beloved. Beloved takes over the body of Sethe’s daughter Denver and returns to 124 Bluestone Road, which had been haunted since Beloved’s death. Sethe kills Beloved again after Beloved promises her she’ll get an education, but Beloved reappears in a nearby creek bed weeks later. In vain, Sethe hopes that the ghost will leave her alone if she keeps Beloved’s identity a secret from everyone else.

Warren “Baby Suggs” Smith is the deceased younger half-sister of Baby Suggs who died when she was in her early twenties at Sweet Home Plantation near Hanging Rock Creek in Kentucky sometime between 1855 and 1859 when Paul D was still young enough to remember her. Beloved is haunted by Baby Suggs’ spirit for most of the novel, which manifests itself in Beloved’s possession of Sethe’s youngest daughter Denver to whom she gives her own name (a reversal of the African naming tradition) to symbolically replace Beloved.

Paul D “Three” was one of twelve children born to Beloved and Halle in Sweet Home Plantation near Hanging Rock Creek in Kentucky sometime between 1855 and 1859 when Paul D was young enough to still be called a child. He worked as a house servant at an estate close by his plantation until he ran away six or seven years after Beloved had disappeared from that plantation. In subsequent years he moved around frequently between Ohio and New York (he makes a reference to having visited the brothel in Brooklyn that Beloved later visits).

He returns to Ohio around 1873 and meets Sethe working as a janitor in a school where Denver is attending. Beloved also reappears at the house after Paul D’s return from prison for assaulting his previous owner who had kept him in chains constantly and allowed him no rest. Beloved becomes possessed by one of the spirits whom Sethe calls Beloved. Beloved takes over the body of Sethe’s daughter Denver and returns to 124 Bluestone Road, which has been haunted since Beloved’s death.

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Toni Morrison’s Novel “Beloved”: Slavery Theme

This essay sample explores the major theme in Beloved: slavery and its dehumanizing effects. Read it if you are curious about the theme of slavery in Beloved its connection to the theme of motherhood.

Slavery in Beloved: Introduction

A brief overview of slavery, psychological effects of slavery in beloved, beloved: slavery & its dehumanizing effects, slavery in beloved: conclusion.

Slavery is one of the major distressing issues in society bearing in mind that it negatively impacts on the affected victims. It leaves behind a lasting effect of emotional and physical trauma which results from the past slavery experiences.

Also, individuals who have survived slavery are normally haunted by past experiences of violence, terrible encounters and emotional trauma they went through while in slavery. This paper examines the theme of slavery from the novel entitled Beloved by Toni Morrison. The theme of slavery has been discussed throughout the paper since it shapes the destiny of the victims highlighted in the story.

In the novel Beloved, slavery is depicted as a major factor that has played a significant role of profiling the events that surround Sethe’s life as well as the that of her daughter Denver and other members of her family. Slavery has been discussed as one of the worst daily experiences that the victims are going through.

It appears as if their lives and daily well being is being determined by the state of slavery surrounding them. In 1873, eighteen years after escaping from slavery, Sethe did not seem to be free from the effects of slavery bearing in mind that her past actions and hardships of slavery tend to follow her.

Some of the important features of her past that are worth noting include being cruelly and brutally mistreated at Sweet Home where she was a slave, her escape to Cincinnati where she is tracked down by her master, an event that forces her to resort to killing her babies to save them from going through her experiences as a slave and her survival from being hanged after succeeding to kill one child (Morrison 184).

These are traumatizing events and experience in her life that seem to spoil her future. The affair that follows her survival is a visitation by Paul D and Beloved. The latter character who is of significance in the story symbolizes the effects of living in slavery and how relationships between slaves and their families were troubled due to their past life as slaves.

The story has several similarities to many other slave autobiographies and narratives. For instance, it is evident that the novel clearly expresses the intensely damaging effects of living in slavery. From the narrative, it is evident that slaves experience tough times since they are usually subjected to a myriad of abuses.

Some of these abuses may range from forced sexual encounters to actual physical harm. In any case, sexual abuse was the cause of Sethe’s first pregnancy. This led her to be separated from the family. Due to boredom and gross emotional breakdown, Sethe ended up killing her child.

Also, Sethe, like most slaves who had undergone harsh mistreatment, could not fight for themselves. The inability to fight for her basic rights as a slave created a lot of anger and frustration in her. Also, she suffered massive emotional distraught which eventually made her feel like an unwanted person in the community.

The presence of the visitor called Beloved embodies the legacy of slavery. Even though Sethe is free, this spirit of slavery manages to follow her 18 years later largely because she went through the grueling experience in her days of slavery.

Morrison notes that besides the reflection of slavery, the story on Beloved also represents an aspect of some past action which brought about the death of a child who has been reborn to haunt Sethe (8). It is imperative to note that the action which Sethe took to kill her child was largely due to parental instinct of love to protect the child from being taken into slavery experience similar to her case.

Therefore, although her past actions could be considered to be ridiculous, it was a clear indication of the dehumanization and brutality of life that she went through while in slavery. In other words, it was vivid that the kind of experience she went through as a slave was indeed traumatizing.

Also, Morrison describes Sethe in the narrative before the arrival of Beloved as hopeful having settled down and working as a cook (17). This was a reprieve for Sethe even though it was much better than the kind of life she led as a slave. However, the presence of the Beloved brings back the emotional and psychological effects of slavery.

These are disturbing memories for Sethe since it only reminds her of the dark past. It does not help her at all to remember the past. Her past becomes a real stumbling block that impacts on her present relationship with Paul D.

An intervention from the community to exorcize the dead child’s spirit in Beloved sets her apart from the lingering memories of her life as a slave. Although this action appears to be appealing, it does not eliminate the harsh memories of life in slavery.

Works Cited

Morrison, Toni. Beloved . New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987. Print.

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StudyCorgi. (2020, May 8). Toni Morrison’s Novel “Beloved”: Slavery Theme. Retrieved from https://studycorgi.com/the-theme-of-slavery-in-the-novel-beloved-by-toni-morrison/

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"Toni Morrison’s Novel “Beloved”: Slavery Theme." StudyCorgi , 8 May 2020, studycorgi.com/the-theme-of-slavery-in-the-novel-beloved-by-toni-morrison/.

1. StudyCorgi . "Toni Morrison’s Novel “Beloved”: Slavery Theme." May 8, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/the-theme-of-slavery-in-the-novel-beloved-by-toni-morrison/.

Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "Toni Morrison’s Novel “Beloved”: Slavery Theme." May 8, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/the-theme-of-slavery-in-the-novel-beloved-by-toni-morrison/.

StudyCorgi . 2020. "Toni Morrison’s Novel “Beloved”: Slavery Theme." May 8, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/the-theme-of-slavery-in-the-novel-beloved-by-toni-morrison/.

StudyCorgi . (2020) 'Toni Morrison’s Novel “Beloved”: Slavery Theme'. 8 May.

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The Issue of American Freedom in Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” Essay

Various voices have contributed to the issue of American freedom and the accompanying hardships. One of such voices is Patrick Henry who uttered this famous phrase over two hundred years ago, “give me liberty or give me death” (Heerak 45). Since then, this phrase has been used in various forms of struggles including the struggle of African Americans against the American slave trade.

America is synonymous with leading the way in the fight for various forms of freedom. This is probably the reason why America is referred to as “the land of the free”. Freedom in America is held in high esteem. The journey to this freedom has also been preserved through various forms of art in the course of the country’s history. This art includes various forms of literature such as poems, short stories, and novels.

For many groups of Americans, the road to freedom has been characterized by treacherous tribulations. This is true for the African Americans who fought hard to earn their freedom from slavery. Various authors have highlighted elements of slavery and freedom through various books. Toni Morrison adds her voice to the issue of enslavement and freedom using her book “Beloved”.

Her book chronicles the events surrounding a group of slaves living in Cincinnati, Ohio after they attain freedom from enslavement in Kentucky. Morrison has often said that this book is a dedication to the over sixty million Africans who died during the slave trade even without having to experience enslavement (Taylor 143). It is clear that the author seeks to make this book a tribute to the slavery experience.

This is evident from the novel’s ending where the author gives a disclaimer against the story disappearing like the experiences of the slaves who perished during slavery. “Beloved” is a postmodern novel that is able to uncover aspects of freedom and slavery that seem to have been lost in the course of history. This paper will analyze freedom and enslavement as presented by Morrison in “Beloved”.

“Beloved” was written in 1987 many years after slavery had been abolished. This enables the author to cover the journey from enslavement to freedom authoritatively. The main protagonist in the story is a former slave Sethe, who is living with her daughter Denver in her mother-in-law’s haunted house in Cincinnati. In this story, various characters describe what freedom means to them.

In the beginning of the story, Baby Suggs talks about her choice not to love her children. She attributes this choice to the fact that men and women are “moved around like checkers” (Morrison 27). She explains this lack of freedom by detailing her separation from her first and second children. However, her persistence paid off when her third child, Halle was not taken away and was able to buy her freedom.

She also says that by the time Halle bought her freedom, she had already given up and this freedom “did not mean a thing” (Morrison 28). Baby Suggs shows how the value of freedom diminished with each year of enslavement. By the time she acquires the freedom she has longed for her whole life, it has already lost its meaning.

Morrison is of the view that many people are quick to acknowledge freedom from slavery but they are also quick to forget the actual victims of slavery. In Baby Suggs case, freedom has come a bit late for her because the damage is already done. She has lost all contact with two of her children and not even her freedom can help her find them.

The main protagonist, on the other hand, talks about her freedom and the liberties it accorded her. Sethe tells Paul D that the love for her children was only triggered by the freedom from slavery. She says that once she was able to get to Cincinnati from Kentucky she was able to love her children more. When Sethe talks about this love, she says, “I couldn’t love em proper in Kentucky because they weren’t mine to love” (Morrison 190).

When explaining this love further she says that once she arrived in Cincinnati she was at liberty to love anyone she wanted to love. This exchange explains what lack of freedom meant for the enslaved African American women. The fact that Sethe has the ability to love surprises Paul D to the extent that he does not understand how she could kill her child and blame it on love.

According to Sethe, the fact that the freedom she had just acquired was about to be taken away, was what drove her to commit infanticide. The fact that Sethe had come to a place where she could love anything and anyone that she wanted, represented true freedom.

Morrison illustrates the overwhelming nature of this freedom through Sethe’s actions. For Sethe, it is either she gets freedom or death. Her experiences as a slave were enough motivation for her to commit infanticide and probably suicide. While many Americans causally talk about freedom, very few would make the choice Sethe made.

All of Morrison’s characters in “Beloved” have no secrets. The author explores even the innermost thoughts of the book’s characters. This enables the readers to understand the characters in “Beloved” fully. This total comprehension of characters translates into total comprehension of the issues of freedom and enslavement.

The readers are able to learn the unspoken truths about slavery. Historians define these truths as the questions or things the fugitives and slaves did not ask or say. For instance, the author reveals Sethe’s inner struggle with the past in her bid to have a “livable life” (Morrison 73). By presenting her characters in an open manner, the author is able to dig deeper into the issues of enslavement and freedom.

The book portrays slaves as if they are prey to be caught by their masters, the law, and the enforcers. The third person narrator reveals that the white slave owners view Sethe and her lot as prey to be hunted. This inhumane treatment of slaves was the hallmark of slavery. Armed with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the Sheriff, the slave-catcher, Schoolteacher, and his nephew arrive to reclaim ownership of Sethe and her two children.

The author compares their actions to those of hunters. Their thoughts and their inhumane considerations are revealed while they sneak up on Sethe. According to the narrator while a dead snake or bear had value, “a dead nigger could not be skinned for profit and was not worth his own dead weight in coin” (Morrison 148). M

oreover, the inhumane treatment that Sethe received at Sweet Home was so overwhelming that the likelihood of going back there almost renders her insane. She is convinced that by killing her children, she is setting them free from such inhumane conditions. This high price of freedom is only made possible by the existing conditions. Morrison devotes this book to more than sixty million people who died as a result of slavery (Taylor 144).

Sethe’s daughter, Beloved can be included in this category because she never experienced slavery but died because of it. Historians have recorded stories of slaves who jumped overboard on the way to their enslavement destinations. According to Morrison, these people are easily forgotten although they were part of the pursuit of freedom.

Morrison also explores the issue of partial or nominal freedom from slavery. The author details Sethe’s life beginning from 1873 ten years after slavery had been abolished. This is around the time she reunites with Paul D at her residence in 124 Bluestone Road. Although Sethe is legally free, she is still bound by other factors such as the baby ghost that resides in her house. She is also the subject of isolation from the rest of her community.

The author is trying to illustrate African Americans’ lack of freedom from the ‘ghosts’ that were borne from slavery. As a member of Sethe’s past, Paul D expects to find only freedom at Sethe’s household. His first activity is to admonish the baby ghost in the hope of setting Sethe free but the ghost still returns in a new form.

This is the nature of freedom; even when one expects to attain freedom from something, ghosts from one’s past can still compromise this freedom. This was a real concern for most African Americans in their quest for various forms of freedom after slavery.

The author of “Beloved” is able to highlight the issues of freedom and enslavement in this prolific novel. The book explores various aspects of freedom and its price during and after the slavery era. The book is a dedication to “the beloved” or the over sixty million people who lost their lives to slavery even without having to experience enslavement. The author is also able to weave together the issues of slavery and freedom.

Works Cited

Heerak, Christian. Toni Morrison’s Beloved as African-American Scripture & Other Articles on History and Canon. New Jersey, NJ: Hermit Kingdom Press, 2006.Print.

Morrison, Toni. Beloved, New York, NY: Everyman’s Library, 2006. Print.

Taylor, Danille. Conversations with Toni Morrison, Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 1994. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2020, March 12). The Issue of American Freedom in Toni Morrison's “Beloved”. https://ivypanda.com/essays/toni-morrisons-beloved/

"The Issue of American Freedom in Toni Morrison's “Beloved”." IvyPanda , 12 Mar. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/toni-morrisons-beloved/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'The Issue of American Freedom in Toni Morrison's “Beloved”'. 12 March.

IvyPanda . 2020. "The Issue of American Freedom in Toni Morrison's “Beloved”." March 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/toni-morrisons-beloved/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Issue of American Freedom in Toni Morrison's “Beloved”." March 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/toni-morrisons-beloved/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Issue of American Freedom in Toni Morrison's “Beloved”." March 12, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/toni-morrisons-beloved/.

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The Real Meaning of ‘beloved’

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Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 2859 | Pages: 6.5 | 15 min read

Bibliography

  • CHRISTIAN KIM, Heerak. Toni Morrison’s Beloved as African-American Scripture & Other Articles on History and Canon. Philadelphia: The Hermit Kingdom Press, 2006.
  • ERICKSON, Daniel. Ghosts, Metaphor and History in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
  • FOSTER SEGAL, Carolyn. “Morrison’s Beloved”. In Explicator Volume 51 , 59-61 . London: Taylor and Francis, 1992.
  • GALLANT ECKARD, Paula. Maternal Body and Violence in Toni Morrison, Bobbie Ann Mason and Lee Smith . Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2002.
  • KRUMHOLZ, Lisa. “The Ghosts of Slavery: Historical Recovery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved ”. In Toni Morrison’s Beloved: A Casebook , edited by William L. Andrews and Nellie Y. McKay, 107-126. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
  • MARKS, Kathleen. Toni Morrison’s Beloved and the Apotropaic Imagination . Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2002.
  • MORRISON, Toni. Beloved . London: Vintage Classics, 2007. Kindle Edition.
  • Toni Morrison, Beloved (London: Vintage Classics, 2007), 60, Kindle Edition.
  • Paula Gallant Eckard, Maternal Body and Violence in Toni Morrison, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Lee Smith (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2002), 69.
  • Gallant Eckard, Maternal Body and Violence , 69.
  • Kathleen Marks, Toni Morrison’s Beloved and the Apotropaic Imagination (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2002), 50.
  • Linda Krumholz, “The Ghosts of Slavery: Historical Recovery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved ”, in Toni Morrison’s Beloved: A Casebook , ed. William L. Andrews and Nellie Y. McKay (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 115.
  • Daniel Erickson, Ghosts, Metaphor and History in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), 83.
  • Krumholz, “The Ghosts of Slavery”, 115.
  • Carolyn Foster Segal, “Morrison’s Beloved”, in Explicator Volume 51 (London: Taylor and Francis, 1992), 59.
  • Heerak Christian Kim, Toni Morrison’s Beloved as African-American Scripture & Other Articles on History and Canon (Philadelphia: The Hermit Kingdom Press, 2006), 28.
  • Christian Kim, Toni Morrison’s Beloved as African-American Scripture , 27.

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