In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, we are introduced to a somewhat
unique way of narration: “rememory.” Every novel we have read in class so far
has followed the general framework of either a frame narrative or an ordinary
chronological timeline. But Morrison, while including aspects of this
chronological timeline, presents the reader with very significant (and at times
lengthy) flashbacks and memories from several of the main characters’ pasts. These
flashbacks fill crucial gaps in book’s plot, and add a whole other level to the
story. As we know, Morrison begins the novel in the home of Sethe and Denver,
house 124 on Bluestone Road, Ohio. Just a few pages in we encounter Paul D, a
crucial character in the story both plot wise and to serving to spur this
process of rememory. We learn Paul D and Sethe became friends on the Sweet Home
plantation before they escaped the harsh life of slavery, and so his coming
back after 18 years brings back old memories for Sethe. Paul D serves almost as
a trigger or spark causing this intense remembering for Sethe once she sees a
familiar face from her time at Sweet Home and learns of new information he has
brought to light. What’s interesting is that Paul D brings back memories of the
horrific woodshed scene, but he himself still has no idea it ever happened. In
a way Paul D and the reader are alike, both familiar with the character of
Sethe but unfamiliar to a crucial scene in her past.
The concept of rememory is an
overarching theme throughout the novel, and by including this theme and giving
it such significance in the story, Morrison almost forces the reader to
question her choice of writing the novel in this way. Several times in the
book, we encounter the idea of a memory being everlasting. Sethe cannot seem to
forget the harsh memories she experienced at Sweet Home and as some would argue
that she is the main character of the novel, this aspect of her character
brings a lot to the story. On one occasion, after hearing that Halle was in the
barn in which her milk was stolen and witnessed the entire incident, her mind
cannot stop itself from dwelling on the past “Her brain was not interested in
the future. Loaded with the past and hungry for more, it left her no room to
imagine.” In my perspective, Morrison focuses so much of her novel on the past
because of how deeply each character was shaped by it. The previous events of
each character’s life is constantly coming back to “haunt them” (especially for
Sethe) and as more and more is revealed, we begin to understand the full
picture. Additionally, by putting so much focus on the past, Morrison is able
to weave the character of Beloved into the story without losing too much
realism in the novel.
At
the beginning of the novel we get glimpses of a ghost, but this is completely
normal for Sethe and Denver. The reader might question this at the start, but
its not as important until Beloved shows up. Morrison, after Beloved has been
introduced as a character, brings the reader back to the woodshed scene, and
explains the situation to the reader. For me, once I knew about the woodshed scene,
Beloved made sense to me. Although I had been somewhat suspicious of Beloved
when she first approached Sethe and Denver, now that her presence was somewhat logical
and meaningful, I saw her virtually in the same way I saw every other character
in the story. By playing such a significant role in the story, I also think she
served to reinforce the theme of memories never dying, because she herself was
essentially a memory. Overall, by writing the novel in the way he did, Morrison
accomplishes not only this unique writing style centered on remembrance, but an
aspect of realism despite her somewhat questionable inclusion of a ghost.
