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Self-Identity in Morrison's Beloved the Essay

Pages:2 (582 words)

Sources:1

Subject:Personal Issues

Topic:Self Identity

Document Type:Essay

Document:#4882689


This is especially true with Sethe. She realizes more self-awareness when knows she is free. Her selfishness is finally right in her eyes and this sense of power allows her to discover different aspects of life, including passion. She comes to realize beauty and love. She even learn to let go of her past and she tells Beloved, "You got to learn more sense than that" (130). Sethe does let go and then she understands that she is strong enough to survive and l be her own good thing. When Sethe tells Beloved how she tended to her as a baby, Beloved does not believe and was "uncomprehending everything except that Sethe was the woman who took her face away, leaving her crouching in a dark, dark place, forgetting to smile" (296). While this scene is tragic, we see how it forces characters to realize certain truths about themselves. Once the realization occurs, we see Beloved as a catalyst with Sethe, Paul D. And Denver. Through these characters, Morrison allows us to see that transformation is possible even under some of the worst circumstances.

Beloved is a story of hope from the ashes. Morrison explores the issue of self-identity with slavery, the ultimate robber of identity. Growth usually stems from pain and we see this in Sethe's life. She moves from a life lived in fear to a strong, independent woman. The story is one horrid enough it should be forgotten but its message is one that needs to live on so others can learn from it. We cannot move forward until we face those shadows lurking in our past and Morrison demonstrates the pain and the power from achieving such a task.

Work Cited

Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New…


Sample Source(s) Used

Work Cited

Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Signet Books. 1987.

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