托尼·莫里森《宠儿》读书报告(英文)
- 格式:doc
- 大小:28.00 KB
- 文档页数:4
从生态女性主义的角度解读托尼莫里森的《宠儿》
佟丽莉
【期刊名称】《语文建设》
【年(卷),期】2012(0)02X
【摘要】托尼·莫里森的《宠儿》是美国文学史上的一部鸿篇巨著,通过描写塞丝杀婴的故事阐述黑人妇女在奴隶制度下饱受身体、精神和情感的摧残和劫掠的事实。
本文旨在从生态女性主义视角,解读《宠儿》中人与自然,人与社会、种族间,男性和女性间的相互依存、密不可分关系,再现生态女性主义创建和谐社会的构想。
【总页数】2页(P31-32)
【关键词】托尼·莫里森《宠儿》生态女性主义
【作者】佟丽莉
【作者单位】辽宁大连交通大学
【正文语种】中文
【中图分类】I712.074
【相关文献】
1.从精神生态批评角度解读托尼·莫里森的《宠儿》 [J], 于洋
2.托尼·莫里森小说《宠儿》的生态女权主义解读 [J], 马应心
3.解构历史话语重构历史真相——从新历史主义角度解读托尼·莫里森的《宠儿》[J], 毛凌滢;殷兆慧
4.托尼·莫里森《最蓝的眼睛》之生态女性主义解读 [J], 薄丽丽
5.托尼·莫里森作品中的生态女性主义解读——以《最蓝的眼睛》和《所罗门之歌》为例 [J], 崔东琦
因版权原因,仅展示原文概要,查看原文内容请购买。
苏州大学硕士学位论文论托尼?莫里森小说叙事艺术--关于《最蓝的眼睛》、《宠儿》和《苏拉》的一种解读姓名:***申请学位级别:硕士专业:英语语言文学指导教师:***201105摘要托尼·莫里森(1931一)是20世纪最为杰出的非裔美国女作家,因其卓越的创作才华于1993年获诺贝尔文学奖,是第一位也是唯一一位获此殊荣的美国黑人女性。
作为一名才华横溢的作家,莫里森是一位叙事艺术的大师。
在其创作的小说中,她总能成功地选择并运用最恰当的写作手法来服务小说的主题。
本论文选择莫里森的三部小说《最蓝的眼睛》、《宠儿》和《苏拉》来研究该作家如何运用不同的叙事技巧来深化小说的主题。
本论文分五章。
第一章简要介绍莫里森生平成就以及其三部作品,即《最蓝的眼睛》、《宠儿》和《苏拉》。
第二章主要分析莫里森在《最蓝的眼睛》中运用的多重叙述声音及人物故事对比等手法,说明小说家如何通过特定的叙事手法表明审美标准本应是多元的一少部分黑人内化白人标准是极其有害的。
第三章讨论莫里森在《宠儿》中运用的哥特式叙事以及内心独白等手法,说明小说如何运用这些手法揭示黑人在惨绝人寰的奴隶制下扭曲的心灵,并且指出只有当黑人相互袒露心灵才能治愈伤害。
第四章讨论小说《秀拉》中运用环形叙述和反讽等手法,说明小说家如何运用这些手法叙述一个叛逆的黑人女性成为黑人社区不可或缺的关键人物的故事。
最后一章为结论,对以上章节所讨论的写作手法进行总结,说明在莫里森自己的小说中总能通过将叙述手法与小说主题有机结合起来,使叙事艺术很好地服务于小说的主题。
关键词:托尼·莫罩森,《最蓝的眼睛》,《宠儿》,《苏拉》,叙事艺术。
叙事策略AbstractToniMorrison(1931-)isthemostprominentandsuccessfulAfricanAmericanwomanwriterofthe20thcentury.ShereceivedtheNobelPrizeforliteraturein1993forherexcellentachievementsinwriting,andhasremainedthefirstandonlyAfricanAmericanwomantowinthisaward.Asagiftedwfiter’Morrisonisamasterwiththeartofnarration.Inhernovels,sheunfailinglyemployswritingtechniquesthatbestservehermessage.Inthisthesis,Itakealookatthreeofhernovels,namely,TheBluesteye,BelovedandSula,andexaminethewayinwhichMorrisonUSeSdifferentnarrativedevicestofacilitatethecommunicationofherthemes.Thisthesisisdividedintofivechapters.ChapterOneistheintroduction,whichincludesabriefsurveyofToniMorrison’Swritingcareerandherthreebooks,TheBluesteye,SulaandBeloved.ChapterTwoanalyzestwonarrativetechniquesusedinTheBluesteye.Theyaretheuseofmultiplenarrativeperspectivesandthepresentationofcontrastinglifestoriesinthenovel.Byemployingthesetwonarrativetechniques,Morrisonindicatesthestandardofbeautyshouldbedifferentindifferentpeople’Seyes.Itisharmfulforblackpeopletointernalizewhitebeautyastheonlystandard.ChapterThreediscussesthetwonarrativetechniquesinBeloved.ByemployingtheGothicmodeofnarrationandtheinteriormonologue,Morrisonshowsreadersthedistortedpersonalityandtraumatizedheartsofblackpeoplebroughtbyslavery.AndMorrisonalsoindicatesthatonlywhenblackpeopleopentheirheartstoeachotherCantheyfindtrueloveandhavetheirspirit"saved.ChapterFourgivesasurveyofthenarrativetechniquesexploitedinSula,whicharecenteredaroundtheuseofcircularstructureandirony.Byemployingthesetwonarrativetechniques,MorrisonshowsUSthatarebelliousblackwomancanbesupportivetohercommunityatthemostimpossibletimes.Throughirony,Morrisonalsoreinforcesthethemeofthenovel,whichis:appearancescallbedeceptive.ThelastchapteristheconclusioninwhichIcontendMorrisonisanarrativeartistwhosenovelsstandconsistentlyasacombinationofnarrativetechniquesandthematiccontents.AndIbelievethatthisresearchwillhelpnotonlytodeepenourunderstandingandappreciationofMorrison’Sfiction,butalsotosuggestanewwayofstudyinghernovels.Words:TolliMorrison,TheBluesteye,Beloved,Sula,artofnarration,narrativeKeystratigiesAcknowledgementsItisimpossibleformetocompletemystudyasanMAcandidateatSoochowUniversitywithoutthehelpofmanypeople.WangLabao,isthemostimportantAmongthosepeople,mysupervisor,Professorone.Hisconstantencouragementhasnourishedmeinmystudy.Hisinstructionandeachstageofthewritingprocesshavehonedmyresearchskills·Asastrictguidanceatmentoranddevotedscholar,hehassetagoodexampleformeandtaughtmethingsnotlimitedtoliteratureonly.1wishtoextendmysincerethankstohimforallthathehasdoneforme.MygratitudealsogoestOProfessorZhuXinfu,ProfessorXuQinggenandProfessormewithaclearandsystematicHongQingfuwhohavehelpedbyequippingitistostudyEnglishandAmericanliterature.PreciousadviceunderstandingofwhatfromProfessorZhuXingfuinparticularhasbenefitedmeimmeasurably.AndIammesomuchgratefultoProfessorSongYanfangwhosethought-provokinglecturestaughtaboutliterarytheory.Thewritingprocesswouldbemorechallenginghaditnotbeenfortheunfailingfrommygoodfriends.AndIalsowishtothankmyfamilyforunderstandingandsupporttheirunswervingconfidenceinmeandunconditionallove.ChapterOneIntroductionChloeAnthonyWofford,laterknownasToniMorrison,wasborninLorain,Ohio,onFebruary18,1931.Shewasthedaughterofashipyardwelderandareligiouswomanwhosanginthechurchchok.MorrisonhadasisterLoisandtwoyoungerbrothers,GeorgeandRaymond.HerparentshadmovedtoOhiofromtheSouth,hopingtoraisetheirchildreninallenvironmentfriendliertoblacks.DespitethemovetotheNorth,theWoffordhouseholdwassteepedintheoraltraditionsofSouthernAfricanAmericanandstoriesofChloeWofford’Schildhoodundoubtedlycommunities.Thesongsinfluencedherlaterwork;indeed,ToniMorrison’SoeuvredrawsheavilyupontheoralartformsofAfricanAmericans.AlthoughToniMorrison’Swritingisnotautobiographical,shefondlyalludestoherpast,”Mybeginningsarealwaysthere…Nomatterwhat1write,Ibeginthere….It’Sthematrixforme….Ohioalsooffersanescapefromstereotypedblacksettings.Itisneitherplantationnorghetto."(Watkins,1994:20)ToniMorrison’Swritingwasalsogreatlyinfluencedbyherfamily.HergrandparentshadrelocatedtoOhioduringthenationalmovementofblacksoutoftheSouthknownastheGreatMigration.Hermother’Sparents,AredeliaandJohnSolomonWillis,afterleavingtheirfarminAlabama,movedtoKentucky,andthentoOhio.Theyplacedextremevalueintheeducationoftheirchildrenandthemselves.JohnWillismughthimselftoreadandhisstoriesbecameinspirationforMorrison’S跖愕ofSoloman(1977).ChloeWoffordwasanextremelygiftedstudent,learningtoreadatallearlyageanddoingwellatherstudiesatanintegratedsch001.Morrison,whoattendedHawthorneElementarySchool,wastheonlyAfricanAmericaninher1stgradeclassroom.Shewasalsotheonlystudentwhobeganschoolwiththeabilitytoread.BecauseshewasSOaskedtohelpotherstudentslearntoread.Shefrequentlyworkedskilled,shewasoftenwiththechildrenofnewimmigrantstoAmerica.1ChloeWofford’Sparents’desiretOprotecttheirchildfromtheracistenvironmentoftheSouthsucceededinmanyrespects:racialprejudicewaslessofaprobleminLorain,Ohio,thanitwouldhavebeenintheSouth,andChloeWoffordplayedwitharaciallydiversegroupoffriendswhenshewasyoung.Inevitably,however,shebegantoexperienceracialdiscriminationassheandherpeersgrewolder.Shegraduatedwithhonorsin1949andwenttoHowardUniversityinWashingtonD.C.AtHoward,shemajoredinEnglishandminoredinclassics,andwasactivelyinvolvedintheaterartsthroughtheHowardUniversityPlayers.ShegraduatedfromHowardin1953withaB.A.inEnglishandanewname:ToniWofford(Tonibeingashortenedversionofhermiddlename).ShewentontoreceiveherM.A.inEnglishfromCornellin1955.AfterteachingforsometimeatTexasSouthernUniversity,shereturnedtoHowardUniversityandmetHaroldMorrison.Theymarried,andbeforetheirdivorcein1964,ToniandHaroldMorrisonhadtwosoils.Itwasalsoduringthistimethatshewrotetheshortstorythatwouldbek:omethebasisforherfirstnovel,TheBluesteye.In1964,shetookajobinSyracuse,NewYork,asanassociateeditoratRandomHouse.Theresheraisedhersonsasasinglemom,andcontinuedtOwritefiction.In1967,shereceivedapromotiontosenioreditorandgotamuch-desiredtransfertONewYorkCity.TheBluestEyewaspublishedin1970.Thestoryofayounggirlwholoseshermind,thenovelwaswellreceivedbycriticsbutfailedcommercially.Between1971and1972,MorrisonworkedasaprofessorofEnglishfortheStateUniversityofNewYorkatPurchasewhileholdingherjobatRandomHouseandworkingonSula,anovelaboutadefiantwomanandherrelationswithotherblackfemales.Sulawaspublishedin1973.Theyears1976and1977sawMorrisonworkingasavisitinglectureratYaleandworkingonhernextnovel,SongofSolomon.Thisnextnoveldealtmorefullywithblackmalecharacters.AswithSula,Morrisonwrotethenovelwhileholdingateachingposition,continuingherworkasaneditorforRandomHouse,andraisinghertwosons.SongofSolomonwaspublishedin1977andenjoyedbothcommercialandcritic,.al。
读书笔记3000字精选9篇英文回答:Reading is one of my favorite hobbies, and I always make sure to take notes while reading to help me remember important points and quotes. Here are 9 selected book notes that I have compiled:1. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.This classic novel explores themes of racism and injustice in the American South. One of the most memorable quotes from the book is "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."2. "1984" by George Orwell.This dystopian novel paints a bleak picture of atotalitarian society where freedom is nonexistent. One of the most chilling quotes from the book is "Big Brother is watching you," which serves as a warning about the dangers of surveillance and government control.3. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.This novel captures the glamour and excess of the Jazz Age in America. One of the most famous quotes from the book is "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past," which reflects the idea of striving for a better future while being weighed down by the past.4. "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.This classic romance novel explores themes of love, class, and social expectations. One of the most iconiclines from the book is "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," which sets the tonefor the story.5. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger.This coming-of-age novel follows the rebellious teenager Holden Caulfield as he navigates the challenges of growing up. One of the most memorable quotes from the book is "I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot," which captures Holden's complex character and his struggles with phoniness in the adult world.6. "To the Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf.This modernist novel explores themes of time, memory, and the complexities of human relationships. One of the most poignant quotes from the book is "What is the meaning of life? That was all—a simple question; one that tended to close in on one with years, the great revelation had never come. The great revelation perhaps never did come. Instead, there were little daily miracles, illuminations, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark."7. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison.This powerful novel tells the story of Sethe, a former slave haunted by the memories of her past. One of the most haunting quotes from the book is "Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined," which speaks to the idea of reclaiming one's own identity and narrative.8. "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy.This post-apocalyptic novel follows a father and son as they journey through a devastated landscape. One of the most heartbreaking quotes from the book is "You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget," which reflects the characters' struggle to hold on to their humanity in a harsh and unforgiving world.9. "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.This inspirational novel follows the journey of a young shepherd named Santiago as he seeks his personal legend. One of the most uplifting quotes from the book is "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires inhelping you to achieve it," which encourages readers to pursue their dreams with determination and faith.中文回答:读书是我最喜欢的爱好之一,我总是在阅读时做笔记,以帮助我记住重要的观点和引用。
《宠儿》个人读书心得体会5篇美国黑人女作家托尼.莫里森的小说《宠儿》,才能真切地感受到黑人处在美国发家史中的黑人们的身心之痛。
这里给大家分享一些关于《宠儿》个人读书心得体会,希望对大家能有所帮助。
《宠儿》个人读书心得体会1淡雅隽秀的封面,亲昵的名字,刚拿到书时看着封面有种淡淡的喜悦,以为这会是一个美丽的故事,殊不知,这是一个悲痛的故事。
就如很多人评论那样,这是一本很震撼人的书。
作者运用了一种很奇特的描述方式,在刚开始时看着很是迷糊,不知道究竟正在述说着一个什么样的故事,不同人物梦呓般的回忆,让你像是走进了一个迷宫,你所能找到的只是一截一段的碎片,如果你没有足够的好奇心要继续探讨下去,很容易在一开始就放弃了,而这样也就无法感受到它的震撼之处了。
正是她的描述方式,让故事更为壮烈。
从小在历史书上看到的对黑人的悲惨经历一般都只是一笔带过:被奴役被贩卖,这样抽象而笼统的说法引不起我们太多的悲悯同情,于是一直留在脑海里的他们的苦难都只是像被水打湿扩散的墨迹般的模糊的概念。
前一段时间看到一本韩国人写的《雨啊,请到非洲来》的书,看到非洲国家人民为了争夺钻石而相互斗殴,童子军残忍地割人耳鼻、断人手足等行径,其实也是让人心有余悸的,很久都无法从她们的惨状里走出来,这是直观地通过眼睛看而从心底里产生的。
而在《宠儿》里,其实每一句话都是从她们不同人物里的心底流露出来的,她们的回忆,她们的渴望,她们所经历的一切,在作者的笔下,不只是文字间的组合,我似乎看到了每一个文字都是在战栗着的,在微微的叹息中向我们传达故事,所以,即使是通过眼睛看到的,眼睛在接触到文字的那一瞬间,眼睛就想要把情感直接展现出来了。
黑人们的经历让人后怕。
难以阐述我自己的感受,因为对比之下,我的悲悯是苍白的,无力的。
在如此巨大的悲痛面前,悲悯显得可笑,所有的情感都黯然失色。
但,除去了塞丝们的爱在那之中仍是鲜活的。
保罗说,你的爱太浓了。
是的,她们的爱都太过于浓烈了,因此所有的悲痛都可被遗忘,被忽略,当她们一次次地回忆那些不堪回首的岁月时,爱是使她们出走的唯一动力,为自由而搏动的脉搏。
《宠儿》液体意象文化隐喻研究作者:王润娟来源:《文教资料》2014年第20期摘要:托尼·莫里森的《宠儿》以丰富的液体意象,水、血、乳及其三位一体的独特现象隐喻了黑人在白人文化环境中艰难求生的过程。
作为奴隶,黑人被剥夺了自由和尊严。
液体意象隐喻了奴隶制经济模式的荒谬逻辑和残暴本质。
黑人及其文化被奴役、被割裂的历史和黑人向往自由、传承民族文化的决心在液体意象中得以凸显。
关键词:《宠儿》液体意象三位一体隐喻引言美国非裔女作家托尼·莫里森(Toni Morison,1931—)的小说《宠儿》(Beloved,1987)可谓是学界的宠儿。
众多流派都在这座宝藏中寻找支持自身理论的例证。
国内学者也从主题、叙事、人物、文化等角度对这篇小说进行过研究,也有学者的研究涉及小说中黑人姓名的隐喻意义[1]P65和鬼魂的隐喻意义[1]P153,但小说中的液体意象,即水、血、乳三位一体的独特现象所包含的文化隐喻意义似乎成了学术空白。
正如小盖茨所说:“黑人一开始就是隐喻大师:说一件事而意指另一件事。
这是在西方文化压抑中求生存的一种基本方式。
”[3]P200莫里森在《宠儿》中“以丰富、奇特的意象暴露出普通事物中的邪恶”[3]P195。
液体意象貌似普通,却暗含深意,它们是黑人在被剥夺了自由和尊严后在白人文化环境中艰难求生过程的反映,隐喻了黑人及其文化被奴役、被割裂的历史,和黑人向往自由、传承民族文化的决心。
一、水:奴役与自由在《宠儿》中,水具有丰富的隐喻意义。
首先,作为地理标志,水连接了非洲与美洲,连接了肯塔基州与俄亥俄州。
美国黑人的祖先作为奴隶被迫来到美国。
运奴船上,他们被剥夺了自由与尊严,谩骂、殴打、禁食、强奸无处不在。
“没有皮的男人给我们拿来他们的晨尿喝”,“给我们带来甜石头吮”,“死人的小山包好烫”,“没有皮的男人们用竿子把他们捅穿”。
[4]P267-268在《宠儿》的题献上,莫里森写道:“六千万甚至更多。
文学评论·外国文学分析托尼•莫里森《宠儿》中的母爱刘凤 辽宁大学外国语学院摘 要:母爱是莫里森小说中亘古不变的主题。
在小说《宠儿》中,莫里森描述了一个疯狂到能亲手杀死自己女儿的母亲。
尽管她的行为让世人很不屑,但是这种似乎畸形的母爱背后隐藏的却是这位母亲难以向子女述说的痛。
这篇论文揭露了这样一个事实:在奴隶制下,黑人母亲表达母爱的方式,以及这种不恰当的表达方式带来的母亲和女儿们的纷纷迷失,幸运的是,她们在黑人社区的帮助下,发现了自己的根且建立了自己的身份,自尊和自我价值观,渐渐忘记了悲惨的过去,走向了美好的未来。
关键词:母爱;奴隶制;创伤;治愈作者简介:刘凤,辽宁大学外国语学院英语语言文学专业。
[中图分类号]:I106 [文献标识码]:A[文章编号]:1002-2139(2018)-12-147-01托尼•莫里森是美国当代著名的女性作家之一。
在1993年,因其小说所具有的丰富想象力以及表达方式所富有的诗意性使美国现实一个极其重要的方面充满活力而荣获诺贝尔文学奖。
(Taylor-Guthrie,1994: 6)作为一个具有高度民族责任感的女性作家,莫里森的创作主要是基于美国历史,尤其是美国黑人历史来阐述奴隶制给黑人所带来的身体痛楚以及长期性的心理影响。
小说《宠儿》就是分析了奴隶制给黑人母亲和女儿们所带来的巨大创伤。
莫里森对母性的定义是:母亲不仅需要养育和保护子女,而且要有治愈他们心灵创伤的能力(O’Reilly,2004: 47)。
然而,奴隶制在剥夺了黑人妇女们人权的同时,也扭曲了黑人母亲们表达母爱的方式,这也直接导致了世人甚至是她们自己的女儿对她们的误解。
在小说《宠儿》中,莫里森就着重描写了这样的一位黑人母亲:在遭受了新来的庄园主人“学校老师”的非人待遇后,塞思产生了天堂是她的女儿最安全的容身之所的想法(Morrison, 2005: 251),因此在逃亡失败,奴隶主发现了她们的踪迹的时候,为了保护自己的女儿免遭荼毒,塞思亲手杀死了自己刚刚两岁的女儿宠儿。
FACE TO HISTORY, OPEN TO FUTURE ——Book Report of Beloved 2013级汉语国际教育 刘倩瑶 2013101058 It was not a story to pass on. It was a story about an imagined history of
slavery, both reality and myth at once. Beloved turns on the slaughter of a baby by her own mother. Sethe kills her child rather than have her returned from freedom to slavery. Sethe has escaped from Sweet Home in Kentucky to freedom in Ohio, where she has joined her mother-in-law, Baby Suggs, whose freedom has been bought by the labor of Sethe’s husband, Halle. Sethe’s three elder children, two boys and a “crawling-already” daughter are already in the free house, number 124. Sethe has given birth to another daughter, Denver, on the way there. 28 days later, when the slave owner, Schoolmaster caught up to them, Sethe killed her “crawling-already” daughter. “Inside, two boys bled in the sawdust and dirt at the feet of a nigger woman holding a blood-soaked child to her chest with one hand and infant by the heels in the other. She did not look at them; she simply swung the baby toward the wall planks, missed and tried to connect a second time, when out of nowhere-in the ticking time the men spent staring at what there was to stare at-the old nigger boy, still mewing, ran thorough the door behind them and snatched the baby from the arc of its mother’s swing. ” It is the first part of the story, and in one word, the “crawling-already” daughter was killed by her mother because she didn’t want her to suffer pain and misery as she suffered in the past. As negro slave, even though we know the history of slave trade, it is still difficult for us to comprehend what did they go through during the dark century. Sethe’s escape is modeled on the story of Margaret Garner, who escaped from Kentucky with sixteen other slaves in January 1856. The fugitives were pursued by a posse of slave masters and sheriff’s officers. They fought back. Margaret Garner cut her youngest daughter’s throat with a butcher’s knife and tried to kill herself and the rest of her children. There was a sensational trial, in which the slaves’ lawyer paradoxically suggested that Margaret be charged with murder and the others with complicity-trying to ensure that she remained in the Free State to be judged as a person, not returned as property. She was, however, returned, and her other baby daughter was drowned when the boat returning them capsized. Margaret is reported as having “displayed frantic joy” at this death. I was totally astonished by the description of Negro’s grief which came from their miserable experience in this novel-actually we can say in the true history. Baby Suggs has said, “Not a house in the country ain’t packed to its rafters with some dead Negro’s grief.” From Beloved’s monologue, we can know that some Negro was forced to eat nasty themselves, and the men without skin bring them their morning water to drink. If Negro had more to drink they could make tears. They cannot make sweat or morning water so the men without skin bring them theirs, even one time they bring them sweet rocks to suck. Paul D has always known his value-as a hand, a laborer who could make profit on a farm-but now he discovers his worth, which is to say he learns his price. The dollar value of his weight, his strength, his heart, his brain, his penis, and his future. Maybe for them, being alive was the hard past instead of death. But we cannot just focus on the grief of these poor Negro, it is also necessary to consider the second part of this story and investigate what is the meaning by this kind of deconstruction and postmodernism style. The number of figures involved in this novel was not many, but what is complex for readers is that who Beloved is on earth. Most of readers might consider Beloved as the daughter who was died 18 years ago because it’s just too coincident. Nevertheless, what if these coincidences are just coincidences? Probably, Beloved is Sethe’s mother, or she is a strange Negro girl who has no relationship with the dead daughter’s ghost. It’s hard for us to ensure who Beloved is, what we certainly know is, the returning of Beloved reminded Sethe of the past life, the misery she suffered, the hurt she has been trying hard to forget during the years. It was time to lay it all down. I guess Morrison wrote this story for telling the Negro not drowns them in the previous misery, and there are still many beautiful things worthy to do. Sethe wished for Baby Suggs’ fingers molding her nape, reshaping it, saying, “Lay em down, Sethe.