“The Ghosts of Slavery: Historical Recovery in Toni Morrison’s Beloved” by Linda Krumholz (1992) analyzes the reconceptualization of American history as reflected in the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison. Primarily, the article examines the healing process that defines the experiences of the African American in the wake of slavery. Some of the parameters that are explored in the article include the reflection of history through the experiences of African-American slaves, an exploration of the significance of ritualism as a framework through which healing is achieved in the African American society, and the three stages of African American healing as is observed in the Beloved.
Overall, Krumholz sought to establish a correlation between the prevailing practices in the African American community to their consciousness and identity as formulated during the era of slavery.
Notably, the characters in Beloved are projected to reflect the unconscious formulation of identity as was reinforced by the practice of slavery. African Americans are projected to be still reeling from the influences of the practice. While national recovery continues to be achieved, the psychological recovery from the tumultuous slavery period continues to negatively affect African Americans. In reflecting on the psychological influence of slavery on the contemporary individual, the article draws on the experiences of Sethe, the protagonist in the story Beloved by Morrison. The memory of the African individual is shown to be realized through fragments of events that transpired in the past. It is the fragments that are then used to define his identity in the contemporary setting. Subjectivism of characters in the novel is overridden by the shared experiences that are manifested in the prevailing society. Of the significance of memory in the African American identity, Krumholz claims that the component forms an intrinsic part in the healing process (396). Essentially, the viewpoints of the modern African America should be grounded on their recollection of events that transpired in the era of slavery.
Alternatively, ritualism in the African American community is shown to be an extension of the healing process for the majority black people. In Beloved, the two major characters fronting rituals as a way of overcoming some of the misfortunes underlying experiences in the novel. Baby Suggs and Beloved act as catalysts in the promotion of ritualism as a mitigative tool in addressing the discomfort among characters in the novel. According to Krumholz, rituals are aimed at achieving clarity on the identity and place of the African American and is accomplished in three stages (397). The relevant stages in the analysis include the repression of memory, painful reconciliation with the subject memories, and the clearing process which entails the development of clarity regarding one’s place in their community (Krumholz 397). Notably, Beloved reflects elements of psychological healing when it declares that the rituals performed by Baby Buggs manifest that Freudian theoretical framework in the mitigation of psychological trauma. In reflecting on the ritualist practices among the two characters in the novel Beloved, the article facilitates the generation of an understanding of the response that is manifested by the African American in relation to the psychological trauma that they suffered previously. Morrison is also shown to use rituals in the African and African American contexts to suggests that modern psychoanalytical theories were derived from the ritualistic practices (Krumholz 398). As an intrinsic part of the African American church, ritualism as depicted in Beloved points towards a rebirth of the individual, and the onset of better experiences. Morality as captured in Beloved is projected to be a relative concept that is influenced by a utilitarian understanding of the concept.
Alternatively, Beloved acts to manifest repressed past. Through the experiences of the characters in the novel, the audience is allowed insight on the repressive tendencies that are observed among African Americans in trying to minimize the effects of their past on their present actions. For instance, Krumholz suggests that Beloved, the character, provides an incarnation of the dead Sethe’s daughter (400). As a relevant exploration, the allusion to the character’s repressed past, and the subsequent incarnation, reveals the effect that past experiences have in shaping the actions of African Americans in the present times. Through the reflection of Beloved’ experiences, the novel reveals a growth framework which entails the development of both the mind and physicality of African Americans since the era of slavery. As a trickster, Beloved shows that it is possible for the down-trodden to rise above the impositions set by the overbearing character in the given relationship. The main role of a trickster, such as is realized in Beloved, is to streamline the healing process by pointing towards some of the irrational aspects of life which call for re-evaluation (Krumholz 401). Overall, the examination of Beloved reveals a continuing pattern of multiculturalism which underlines the development of novels in the American setting. It is a mirror through which multiculturalism can be understood through the perspective of the African American.
As the focal point of the novel, Sethe’s healing reveals the possibility of complete healing and the realization of ultimate comfort. Attributing an element of rarity in the experiences of Beloved, Krumholz reveals the possibility of a complete reversal of an individual’s unfortunate past (402). The assessment of the evolution from a depressed figure to a graceful woman in Beloved points to the success that is promised by a psychological cleaning. While acknowledging that the past affects the individual, the article shows that it is possible for the individual to overcome the limitations imposed by their past experiences. Inheritance, as the precipitate of psychological limitations as drawn from the past, is revealed through Denver’s obliviousness to the afflictions affecting Sethe. Rituals are shown to be the optimal option in addressing an individual’s obliviousness towards their history. Thus, it is only after Denver undergoes ritual of mergence that she is able to discover the details and importance of her mother’s experiences and their influences on her identity. Essentially, Denver’s reflects the reader’s understanding of her situation.
Conclusively, Krumholz succeeds in establishing a correlation between the prevailing practices in the African American community to their consciousness and identity as formulated during the era of slavery. The element of ritualism points towards the constant attempts by the characters in Morrison’s Beloved to redefine their psychological scope and realize mental peace. Through the analysis, the article is able to reveal the influences and experiences of slavery from the perspective of the victims. Sethe’s ability to finally confront her fears points to the constant commitment by members of her community to streamline efficiency in the definition of their identity in the contemporary setting. The article is crucial given its reinforcement of individual initiative in overcoming impositions suffered previously.
Work Cited
Krumholz, Linda. "The Ghosts of Slavery: Historical Recovery in Toni Morrison's Beloved." African American Review, vol. 26, no. 3, 1992, pp. 395-408.
