This term paper is concerned with the topic of trauma reflected in Toni Morrison’s novel "Beloved", published in 1987. The aim of the term paper is to exemplify the widespread topics of trauma and memory and to analyse in how far Morrison manages to illustrate them in "Beloved". Besides, I will concentrate on Morrison’s strategies to integrate the themes of trauma and memory into the novel and to illustrate these subjects to the reader.
The first part of the term paper will be concerned with a general overview of the issue of trauma. More precisely, I will define trauma and analyse in how far it is related to the idea of memory. The themes of memory and trauma are wide-spread so that I will concentrate on the most important characteristics which can be linked to the novel.
In the second part of the term paper I am going to figure out in which ways the topic of trauma is symbolised in Beloved. In this context, my focus is on the use of the colour red as a symbol and metaphor. The next step will be to handle the repression of memory. At this point, I will briefly mention Sethe’s strategies of repressing memory. After that, I am going to concentrate on the return of the repressed memory. In doing so, I will refer to the memories of Sweet Home, the place Sethe lived as a slave, and to the memories of the Infanticide. For the most part, these memories belong to Sethe but I will also refer to other main characters of the novel which are important in this context. When referring to the memories of Sweet Home, Paul D plays an important role as Sethe’s interaction partner whereas the role of the ghost and afterwards girl named "Beloved" is significant by regarding the memories of the Infanticide.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Trauma
2.1. Definition
2.2. Trauma in relation to Memory
3. Trauma in Toni Morrison’s Beloved
3.1. The use of the colour red
3.2. The repression of Memory
3.3. The return of the Repressed
3.3.1. Remembering Sweet Home
3.3.2. Remembering the Infanticide
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This academic paper examines the manifestation of trauma and memory in Toni Morrison's 1987 novel Beloved, analyzing how the author integrates these psychological themes into the narrative through symbolism and character development.
- The theoretical definition of trauma and its relationship to memory.
- The symbolic function of the colour red in representing the legacy of slavery.
- The mechanisms of memory repression employed by the main characters.
- The significance of "rememory" and the return of the repressed in the healing process.
- The role of the character Beloved as a catalyst for memory and catharsis.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. The use of the colour red
Regarding the novel Beloved, it is striking that the colour red appears over and over again throughout the plot. There is a strong connection between the colour red and the novel’s portrayal of trauma. The novel narrates the character’s processing of trauma through their experience with this colour (cf. Bast 1070). In addition to its function as a link between voicelessness, troping and trauma, the colour red symbolizes slavery and the concepts that are associated with it (cf. Bast 1071).
This is underlined when Paul D tells Sethe about the schoolteacher, he describes him among others as “Comb as big as my hands and some kind of red” (Morrison 85). At this point, Paul D has to face his memory of slavery and in which context the colour red appears.
Beyond that, the colour red also appears when the characters try to deal with their wounds that slavery has caused to them (cf. Bast 1071). “He would keep the rest where it belonged: in that tobacco tin buried in his chest where a red heart used to be” (Morrison 86). Another example for the connection between the colour red and the suffering from slavery can be found when the white girl Amy regards Sethe’s back and describes her scars as “[a] chokecherry tree” (Morrison 93). Here, the colour red is illustrated by the chokecherry tree which spreads over the whole back. In this context, we can see that the colour red is a signal colour because it is outstanding on her black body.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the paper, focusing on trauma and memory in Beloved and establishing the research intention to analyze Morrison's narrative strategies.
2. Trauma: Defines trauma through psychoanalytic perspectives and explores the complex, often inaccessible relationship between traumatic events and human memory.
3. Trauma in Toni Morrison’s Beloved: Examines specific manifestations of trauma in the novel, including the use of red as a symbol, the psychological struggle to repress memories, and the eventual return of repressed past events.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes how Morrison uses memory as a metaphor for the interior life of former slaves and evaluates the role of Beloved in the narrative.
Keywords
Trauma, Memory, Beloved, Toni Morrison, Slavery, Repression, Rememory, Infanticide, Symbolism, Narrative, Psychoanalysis, Catharsis, Identity, Ghost, Healing
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper explores how the themes of trauma and memory are depicted and structured within Toni Morrison's novel Beloved.
What are the central thematic areas discussed?
The core themes include the psychological impact of slavery, the symbolic use of the colour red, mechanisms of memory suppression, and the process of "rememory."
What is the primary research goal?
The objective is to analyze Morrison’s literary strategies in integrating traumatic experiences into the novel and illustrating the characters' struggles with their past.
Which theoretical approach is applied?
The paper utilizes psychoanalytic trauma theory, referencing scholars such as Sigmund Freud, Cathy Caruth, and studies specific to Morrison’s work.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body moves from a general definition of trauma to a literary analysis of the novel, focusing on the symbolism of the colour red, the repression of memories, and the return of the repressed through the character Beloved.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include trauma, memory, slavery, Beloved, repression, and the symbolic function of colour.
How is the colour red significant to the characters' trauma?
Red serves as a recurring metaphor for slavery, physical wounds, and the painful internal "red heart" of the characters, acting as a visual indicator of their trauma.
What role does the character Beloved play in the narrative?
Beloved functions as both the ghost of the murdered daughter and a symbolic embodiment of repressed memories and the boundlessness of emotional need.
- Quote paper
- Nathalie Fiore (Author), 2013, The Topics of Trauma and Memory in Toni Morrison's "Beloved", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/318285
