In Beloved there
is that one passage where Sethe talks about "rememory" and what that
means for her and how it affects her, but I think that Toni Morrison does a lot
more with memory than that passage suggests.
The pivotal scene in the story is told
through a memory, also most of the traumatic experiences and important parts of
the novel are told by Morrison through the memories of different characters
such as Paul D. or Sethe, or Stamp Paid. Also Sethe uses memories of different characteristics
of her baby to finally realize who Beloved really is. She never asks Beloved
and Beloved never mentions it, she just recognizes little things that, when
pieced together, finally allow her to understand who Beloved is.
Another thing that Morrison does by
telling her story through the memories of her characters is build suspense
because none of the memories/small stories are told sequentially. For example
when Morrison is telling the story in the four horsemen chapter though Baby
Suggs' memory and Baby Suggs gets this really bad feeling, the reader has no
idea what is coming next. By using this technique Morrison is able to make
every scene unpredictable.
I'm not sure whether or not I like what
Morrison does with the memories. On the one hand, it makes the novel more
interesting because every scene is unpredictable and the reader never knows
what's coming next. But on the other hand, it makes the book confusing and I'm
sometimes having a hard time determining the sequence in which these scenes are
occurring.
I am also torn on this. I do recognize this as a great technique for building a character. Memories are very personal and give a great insight on the emotions involved. The characters are tuely built rather thanThe perspective of the narratives (as we discussed thursday) are also very influential.
ReplyDeleteI personally really like this style of narrative that Morrison uses. It does provide suspense, like you said, but it also is able to incorporate so many details about history and the past that are very powerful (like her experiences at Sweet Home) without forcing the reader into as many traumatic situations. The memories give background details to the current story, while actually forming the whole story entirely, which is a really interesting dynamic. I agree that it can be sometimes confusing, and I have had a hard time keeping up with the story, but reflecting on Morrison's style makes me realize how powerful this book is, whether there are some confusing parts or not.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the memories. I think they are phenomenal for building the characters, its so interesting to see the story from varying perspectives. I will definitely agree though that it makes the story wayyy more confusing.
ReplyDeleteNice post. I think this really captures the perspective, maybe even the world that the characters in Beloved are living in. For them, the past never dies, but maybe the novel also implies that the only life they can find is *in* the past.
ReplyDeleteIf it's confusing to you to read, imagine what it's like to live it. I'm only part joking here: Morrison's idea is that there is no strict line between past and present; the present is *shaped* by the past, and memories persist in the present--not only that, they're still "alive" in the sense that there's always more that can be added to what's already known. Sethe has her traumatic memory of the scene in the barn, which shapes her entire life at 124, but then Paul's arrival adds yet another layer to her horror. The memory truly never dies--it comes to her house and gives her more. Just like, later, Paul must deal with the new piece of information she shares with him.
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