Motherliness In Toni Morrison's Beloved

During a time where human worth was based upon the amount of melanin produced within one’s skin cells, women got the short end of the stick. As Jacobs

explicitly states Margaret’s motivation for doing that: ‘The slave mother … killed her child rather than see it taken back to slavery’ (557). These slaves saw death a better alternative than slavery and for the love they had for their children, they preferred killing them than allowing them see the dehumanizing institution of slavery. The slave women have always suffered as an effect of slavery. They were robbed of every possession – even their motherhood. That is why Sethe’s act of destroying her own creation becomes the subject and order of controversies.

Morrison’s authorship elucidates the conditions of motherhood showing how black women’s existence is warped by severing conditions of slavery. In this novel, it becomes apparent how in a patriarchal society a woman can feel guilty when choosing interests, career and self-development before motherhood. The sacrifice that has to be made by a mother is evident and natural, but equality in a relationship means shared responsibility and with that, the sacrifices are less on both part. Although motherhood can be a wonderful experience many women fear it in view of the tamming of the other and the obligation that eventually lies on the mother. Training alludes to how the female is situated in the home and how the nurturing of the child and additional local errands has now turned into her circle and obligation.

These women with beautiful, pure souls were wiped off their self identity and value. They were unknowledgeable of such richness they contained, due to acts of unkind treatment. This treatment passed down caused psychological issues, such as poor self esteem to these women. The actions of being treated as nothing gave them the idea, they were merely dirt on the ground that people walked on. Nothing to the white race they were, but to the generation they created looked to them in awe.

Both of these characters commit adultery and both live in the same restricted Puritan era. Yet, Hester is publically ashamed, isolated from the Puritan society, and remains a legend, while Abigail is revered, embraced by her society, and in fact is a ruthless woman; Hawthorne 's Hester is the epitome of atonement and morality, while Miller 's Abigail is an illustration of authority in the wrong hands, and the destructive impact jealousy and vengeance can have on a person. The circumstances which both of these women live in play a large role in shaping their characters. Abigail is a pariah in the society who has painful experiences with love, which are major contributing factors in making her resentful. Miller creates an atmosphere of a really restrictive society in Salem.

Morrison deepens our emotional understanding of those marginalized women who appear in history only incidentally, as a line in a ship’s log, a slaveholder’s inventory,

Sethe and her daughter are isolated from the community due to Sethe’s killing of her youngest child, an action Sethe justifies as “put[ting] my babies where they’d be safe” but one which Paul D sees as a love “too thick” (Morrison 193). Her misjudgment fits Aristotle’s description of the fatal flaw. The trauma she experienced as a slave made her justifiably determined to not let her children return to slavery, but her panicked actions resulted in her isolation the community. As her isolation is caused by herself rather than an external force such as slavery, she is a fitting model for a Greek tragedy protagonist. Sethe’s “thick love” continues to linger after the killing, as she says she wanted to die alongside her youngest child after she killed her so she can continue to take care of her daughter, and states “[Beloved] is mine” after her realization that Beloved is her daughter (Morrison 241).

If one has to make a thorough study of the subject then perhaps it would be appropriate to define it from early childhood, adolescence, followed by late adolescence, conception and pregnancy, child- bearing and child-rearing. All the stages of motherhood have an impact on the life of a woman, but the last, which is child-rearing, saddles her with great responsibility. In order to, understand the impact of motherhood on a woman’s life let us first study, the causes that are generally believed to affect motherhood. MOTHERHOOD AS INSTITUTION AND EXPERIENCE Mothering which involves all the stages of motherhood is

One similarity that is apparent is that they can be regarded as symbols of the great mother because both of them lead their roles as a protective and possessive mother. However, Sethe in Beloved can also be seen as symbolic of the African mother who is fundamental in depiction of motherhood in Morrison’s novels. With the power to create and destroy life both Sethe and Eva make the cruel decision to end their children’s lives. Morrison depicts these acts in a brutal manner in order to convey the seriousness of the situation and to convey the frustration that arises as a result of racism and the heritage of slavery. Morrison reveals the side of motherhood most authors would be reluctant to portray.

“Some declared the institution of marriage to be a form of slavery and thus recommended its abolition”(Somers 263). Self confidence and the outcome of standing up for yourself are the main connecting themes, Mrs. Rawlings fails to stand up towards her degrading social role, while Maya in Still I rise exceeds and flourishes in wearing the pants in her

They show complete disregard in the feelings of the black folks who are forced into slavery, forced into selling their loved ones and their children. They are able, as Prince says, to “make their remarks upon us aloud, without regard to our grief” (11). These fears are exactly what Linda Brent feels when she becomes pregnant.

" The author tells how sad is the life of a slave girl and how, as soon as she is old enough, and against her will, she would learn about the malice of the world. Meanwhile, male slaves rarely suffered from such abuse, and different from women, slavery mostly affected their manliness. As Douglas says while describing one of the oversees: "It was enough to chill the blood and stiffen the hair of an ordinary man to hear him talk. " By saying so, he proved how, at a very patriarchal time, male slaves completely lost the bravery and "superiority" often used to describe white men.

In A Mercy, Florens’s mother abandons her and gives her away to a slave master. Florens does not understand her mother’s decision and holds a grudge against her throughout the whole novel. This is the reason why Florens has such deeply embedded abandonment issues throughout the novel. Her mother made the decision because it was a necessary one. She explains that if Florens had stayed with her then her life as a slave would have been worse.

Slaveholders feared slaves’ rebellions and attempts of escape. After the master’s “lecture,” Douglass lost his teacher who became coldness like his husband. Douglass was so sad and wrote in his book that “That cheer eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of demon”(Douglass, page 19). Thus, slavery, as the poison, blinded human being’s eyes and made people discard their good qualities which they had initially.

Overall, blacks were treated the worst because of their different skin color. In other words, if blacks didn’t listen to whites or do anything they were told they would get beaten, or possibly lynched by a mob of whites. Gender is another way Harper Lee shows discrimination in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout is a tomboy in the novel, her family does not not like that very much, especially Aunt Alexandra. Discrimination is used against Scout because they try and make her wear a dress and act more ladylike around people.