Though slavery was over long before I was even thought of, the book Beloved by Toni Morrison carried me back to some of the darkest years in world history. Sethe, the main character, escapes slavery and has to deal with the personal trauma in which the years of abuse – …more physically, mentally and sexually—caused her to withdraw inside. Along with her remaining family member –and child—Sethe crosses her path with her past on several occasions and is forced to make difficult decisions.

The first time Sethe is “met by her past” a tragic incident ensues that ends with the loss of her child. After, in constant reminder, it’s as if the house has come alive through a poltergeist –her dead child? Years later, when her past comes trailing again, it’s as if her lost child is coming back to her. Beloved is one of the most intriguing characters in the story. Is she really a reincarnate of her Sethe’s daughter, or some estranged girl they found who washed up from the river?

Beloved does not end there with its list of amazingly complex characters. Paul D, the brother of Sethe’s “deceased” husband finds Sethe after years of slavery and jail time. He usually finds himself roaming, never in one place too long until Sethe. Although Sethe is the very symbol of the past he wants to forget, Paul D is drawn to her past, present and future and fights for the family he believes he already has.

I believe the larger theme of this story is about becoming a stronger person by letting go of your past and fighting for a future. Every character in this story has a personal struggle that they have experienced that surmounts any that I have ever heard of – throwing slavery (even the fear of slavery) into the mix. Each of these characters, in the end, found a way to better their lives and unite as a family, a people, and even a town.

Beloved takes you into the horrifying truths of slavery in the United States. Clear pictures are drawn for you as you find your favorite characters hurt time and time again. To learn for yourself just how gruesome slavery was on the individual slaves and the consequences it had not only on that individual but their family, friends and community, read Beloved by Toni Morrison. (less)