BELOVEDBELOVED: The Novel and Film: The Novel and Film

Presented by:Presented by:

Shannon Sprentall and Joanna PiersonShannon Sprentall and Joanna Pierson

Edited By: Laura Pratt and Dr. Kay PicartEdited By: Laura Pratt and Dr. Kay Picart

Margaret Garner: Inspiration for the Margaret Garner: Inspiration for the novelnovel

CharactersCharacters

• Sethe: Sethe:

• Denver: Denver:

• Beloved:Beloved:

• Halle: Halle:

• Paul D.: Paul D.:

• Baby Suggs (Grandma Baby):Baby Suggs (Grandma Baby):

Map of Free and Slave States, before Map of Free and Slave States, before Civil WarCivil War• http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=map+of+slavery+states+&btnG=Searchhttp://images.google.com/images?hl=en&lr=&q=map+of+slavery+states+&btnG=Search

http://images.google.com/images?http://images.google.com/images?q=map+of+ohio+&hl=en&btnG=Google+Searchq=map+of+ohio+&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search

Morrison, on her novel:Morrison, on her novel:

• The novel is not, she said, about slavery. The novel is not, she said, about slavery. “Slavery is very predictable,” she said. “There “Slavery is very predictable,” she said. “There it is, and there’s some stuff about how it is, it is, and there’s some stuff about how it is, and then you get out of it or you don’t. It cant and then you get out of it or you don’t. It cant be driven by slavery. It has to be the interior be driven by slavery. It has to be the interior life of some people, a small group of people, life of some people, a small group of people, and everything that they do is impacted on by and everything that they do is impacted on by the horror of slavery, but they are also people.” the horror of slavery, but they are also people.”

Themes we would like address:Themes we would like address:

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Magical RealismMagical Realism

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Back to us:Back to us:

• To be able to delve into this narrative, one To be able to delve into this narrative, one must first get past a non-belief in the must first get past a non-belief in the supernatural.supernatural.

• A ghost present seems normal to all the A ghost present seems normal to all the characterscharacters

Discussion Question:Discussion Question:

Why do you think Morrison uses this Why do you think Morrison uses this “unbelievable” supernatural to “unbelievable” supernatural to

explain a past that is true?explain a past that is true?

Motherhood/WomanhoodMotherhood/Womanhood

• ““One of the nice things that women do,” she One of the nice things that women do,” she said, “is nurture and love something other than said, “is nurture and love something other than themselves- they do that rather nicely. themselves- they do that rather nicely. Instinctively, perhaps, but the are certainly Instinctively, perhaps, but the are certainly taught to do it, socialized to do it, or taught to do it, socialized to do it, or genetically predisposed to do it- whatever it is, genetically predisposed to do it- whatever it is, its something that I think the majority of its something that I think the majority of women feel strongly about. But mother love is women feel strongly about. But mother love is also a killer.” NY Times (1987)also a killer.” NY Times (1987)

WhoaWhoa

The “Sermons” of Baby Suggs:The “Sermons” of Baby Suggs:nothing left to give but her heart.nothing left to give but her heart.

• ““Preached” in a clearing in the woods. A tree stump Preached” in a clearing in the woods. A tree stump was her pulpit.was her pulpit.

• ““It started that way: laughing children, dancing men, It started that way: laughing children, dancing men, crying women and then it got mixed up. Women crying women and then it got mixed up. Women stopped crying and danced; men sat down and cried; stopped crying and danced; men sat down and cried; children danced, women laughed, children cried until, children danced, women laughed, children cried until, exhausted and riven, all and each lay about the exhausted and riven, all and each lay about the Clearing damp and gasping for breath. In the silence Clearing damp and gasping for breath. In the silence that followed, Baby Suggs, holy, offered up to them that followed, Baby Suggs, holy, offered up to them her great big heart” (88).her great big heart” (88).

The BodyThe Body

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The Bodily Reminders of the Past:The Bodily Reminders of the Past:

• SCARS- SCARS- __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

scarsscars

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Parallel OppositesParallel Opposites

• Using Magical realism to explain the truths about the Using Magical realism to explain the truths about the past (slavery)past (slavery)

• Ghost as a human form. Beloved died as an infant, Ghost as a human form. Beloved died as an infant, comes back in an 18-year old body, the mind of a 2 comes back in an 18-year old body, the mind of a 2 year oldyear old

• Sethe’s body is free, her memory still in chains Sethe’s body is free, her memory still in chains (shown by the constant flashbacks in text and film)(shown by the constant flashbacks in text and film)

• Morrison creates the male characters as Morrison creates the male characters as psychologically weakerpsychologically weaker

Last thoughts:Last thoughts:

What do you think?What do you think?

Did Sethe do what she had to do?Did Sethe do what she had to do?

Should she have killed her child?Should she have killed her child?

Works Cited:Works Cited:

• Beloved.Beloved. Dir. Demme, Jonathan. Winfrey, Oprah and Dir. Demme, Jonathan. Winfrey, Oprah and Glover, Danny. 1998. Glover, Danny. 1998.

• DuBois, W.E.B. DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. The Souls of Black Folk. New New York: Norton & Co., reissued date, 1999 (Eds. Gates, York: Norton & Co., reissued date, 1999 (Eds. Gates, Jr., Henry and Oliver, Terri. Harvard University).Jr., Henry and Oliver, Terri. Harvard University).

• Morrison, Toni. Morrison, Toni. BelovedBeloved.. New York: A Plume Book, New York: A Plume Book, 1988.1988.

• Rios, Alberto, “Magical Realism: Definitions,”Rios, Alberto, “Magical Realism: Definitions,”http://www.public.asu.edu/~aarios/resourcebank/defihttp://www.public.asu.edu/~aarios/resourcebank/definitions/nitions/