Motherhood under Slavery in Toni Morrison's Beloved | ||
| Journal of Tikrit University for the Humanities | ||
| Article 1, Volume 23, Issue 5, June 2016, Pages 686-709 | ||
| Author | ||
| Zainab Abdullah Hussein | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Slave narratives are the genre of literature that came into being through the success of some literate African Americans in escaping from slavery to freedom. Motherhood was a difficult challenge to African American women specifically under the slave system. The situation did not allow slave mothers the opportunity and freedom to take care of their children or carry out their biological role as caregivers. Instead, it results a mother killing her own child which is an act that threatens the natural order of the world. Toni Morrison's Beloved is discussed not as a presentation of slavery, but rather of motherhood. Slavery and motherhood are considered convertible terms that shows how Morrison's narrative functions as a critique to feminist readings of the ties between mother and children. This study tries to focus on motherhood and the effects of slavery in the lives of mothers through Toni Morrison's Beloved. A brief historical background of slavery will be provided at the beginning. Focus will also be on analyzing motherhood as well as understanding Sethe who is the sole provider of her family and clarifying the way in which she interacts with her children. | ||
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