Analysing Motherhood in Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987)

Abstract

En este ensayo, examino la novela Beloved (1987) de Toni Morrison, con el propósito de abordar la maternidad dentro del sistema opresor de la esclavitud del siglo diecinueve en Estados Unidos. En Beloved, Sethe es una ex esclava que escapa de la esclavitud. Sin embargo, sus hijos son reclamados por su antiguo dueño. Como acto de resistencia, ella los daña, y uno de ellos muere, Beloved. En su novela, Morrison examina cómo el infanticidio es utilizado como medio para proteger a sus hijos de la esclavitud, sugiriendo que es peor que la muerte. De esta manera, Morrison reclama la historia real de Margaret Garner, quien fue considerada un monstruo por cometer infanticidio, demostrando que el infanticidio fue un acto de amor sin límites con el propósito de proteger a sus hijos.

In this paper, I will examine Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved (1987) with the aim of tackling motherhood in the context of the oppressive system of slavery in the 19th century in the USA. In Morrison’s Beloved, Sethe is a former slave who escapes from slavery. However, she and her children are reclaimed by her former owner. As an act of resistance, she harms them, and one of her children, Beloved, dies. In her novel, Morrison examines how infanticide is used as a means of protecting her children from slavery, suggesting that this form of subjugation is worse than death. In doing so, Morrison reclaims the story of Margaret Garner, who was considered a monster for committing infanticide, by demonstrating that infanticide was an act of boundless love aimed at protecting their children.