Bridging the Gap Between Past and Present in Toni Morrison's Beloved

Abstract

In this essay, the character of Beloved will be regarded as an embodiment of lost history and collective memory, come forward to be acknowledged. I will start with a discussion of slavery, as it is the institution of slavery that first and foremost affects all of the characters in the novel. In the second part of the essay, the concept of memory/“re-memory” is discussed, demonstrating how the struggle to disremember and keep the past at bay leads to the loss of identity in the various characters. Lastly, I will discuss Morrison’s emphasis on the healing effect of the community and on the importance of establishing an identity after being subjected to slavery; she depicts characters helping one another to bridge the gap between past and present in order for the community of ex-slaves to be able to envision a future.