Sunday, November 22, 2015

Mutual Un-Recognition

After reading Heart of Darkness, the concluding mutual un-recognition between the imperialists and Congolese seemed inapplicable to other scenarios. However, I think the same theme comes up in Beloved. White characters in the story generally do not recognize black characters, which follows the book's discussion of the dehumanizing effects of slavery. While black characters vary in their recognition of white characters, Baby Suggs is the biggest supporter of un-recognition.

Baby Suggs' says that white people are the bad luck in the world, which makes sense due to her experiences with white folks. I think Denver's recollection of Baby Suggs' description is the most powerful example. As Denver remembers, "Grandma Baby said there was no defense - they could prowl at will, change from one mind to another, and even when they thought they were behaving, it was a far cry from what real humans did" (287). Baby Suggs clearly dehumanizes white people for their cruel actions against slaves and violent behaviors.

While white characters in the book held an obvious binary relationship over black characters and dehumanized them, I found it interesting that black characters did the same. Both believed that the others were savage and a threat to their communities. Their mutual un-recognition did not change society's binary of white characters over black characters, but within the post-slavery community, white characters did not hold as much power in the relationship.

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