The Challenges of Race and Motherhood in Toni Morrison’s Beloved Anonymous College

In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Morrison interestingly creates a chilling, gothic narrative through strategic use of the supernatural and return of the dead elucidating the history of African American slavery in the United States during the 1860’s. Morrison is writing this novel to underline the importance of remembering this history and the trauma it caused. After a critical analysis, it is discernible that motherhood and race are both dominant themes and key elements in the protagonist, Sethe’s, life that come in conflict with each other all throughout the 1987 novel. Due to nineteenth century societal maternity expectations, slavery, and relationships, Sethe is in constant battle with herself and those around her. As an African American mother and former slave that has been shunned from her own community, it is almost ordained for an arduous life. Her circumstances provide a challenge for Sethe as she struggles finding an adequate poise between race and motherhood, and allowing herself to encompass both aspects of each at the same time. Following Beloved’s ghastly return these two conflicts recur and become even more heightened. Ultimately, Morrison’s Beloved is a book that exposes the challenges of two systems: motherhood and...