I was really surprised by the ending of Beloved. Within the last three chapters of the book I would have never expected Beloved to be gone. Beloved got bigger and ran the house while Sethe got physically smaller and was placed in the "child" role.
The novel starts with a distant voice that narrates the lives of Baby Suggs, Sethe, and Denver, and ends with a distant voice hinting about the larger purpose of the book. The line "It was not a story to pass on," (323) was repeated twice followed by the line, "This is not a story to pass on" (324). For me this was not only a change in wording, but was also a hint that the story actually should be passed on: a fictious, yet realistic and historical story about life post slavery.
The story should be passed on because some of the topics in the book are present in 2015. One potent example is the WHITE/black binary and the role of the community. In Beloved there are many examples of the binary such as slavery in Sweet Home, specifically school teacher. The community at first disowns Baby Suggs and her family because of their lavish dinner, but then come together at the end to see if Beloved is hurting Sethe. Present day there is still the WHITE/black binary and pride has divided some families and communities.
This binary, along with others, should be acknowledged and can start to be dissolved through mutual recognition. However, the ending of the novel also seems to suggest that the past should be left behind to move forward to the present. This suggestion comes through Paul D comforting Sethe after Beloved leaves. I think the only way to really move forward is to remember the past, see how the present compares, and fix what you don't like. It's easier said than done.
Beloved's ending was definitely open for interpretation but I think one thing is for sure: this is a story to pass on.
I love the way you tied everything up at the end and stated what needs to be done to move away from the past. I loved this post, and it's exactly what I was thinking, too.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting view of the "not to be passed on" line. I think what you said also ties into Morrison's frequent use of double meanings in that she uses the line to emphasize both the silencing of oppressed peoples' voices and the importance of letting them be heard.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting view of the "not to be passed on" line. I think what you said also ties into Morrison's frequent use of double meanings in that she uses the line to emphasize both the silencing of oppressed peoples' voices and the importance of letting them be heard.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting view of the "not to be passed on" line. I think what you said also ties into Morrison's frequent use of double meanings in that she uses the line to emphasize both the silencing of oppressed peoples' voices and the importance of letting them be heard.
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely Tosin! I think that the story that this book tells (at least one of them) is that it is important to utilize mutual recognition and community in overcoming adversity and discrimination. However when Toni Morison says that "it was not a story to pass on", I think she means more in terms of Beloved and the meaning of the past. Just a thought.
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