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Khamidov Khojiakbar Surat ugli

Prof. Kyung Jin Bae

Studies in English and Langauge Criticism 2

Fall 2023

Analysis of Maternal Love in Toni Morrison’s Beloved

Toni Morrison, a famous American writer, is known for her impactful books that

delve into the African American experience. Her novel 'Beloved' is considered a masterpiece

in American literature and has received prestigious awards like the Pulitzer Prize and the

American Book Award. Carole Boyce Davies aptly notes that "Beloved" by Toni Morrison is

one of the most intentional explorations of challenges and complexities associated with

motherhood that they have ever encountered (Saxena, 698).

Around the world, the bond between a mother and child is often seen as the most

perfect and close connection, thought to mirror the love of God for his creation. However, in

Morrison's "Beloved," the portrayal of maternal love is different. The story follows Sethe, an

African-American woman who escapes slavery with her children to protect them from the

cruelty she endured. Pursued by her former owner, Sethe decides to kill her children to

prevent their capture, succeeding in ending the life of her first-born daughter, Beloved. This

twist on maternal love, tainted by the pursuit of freedom, sparks debate among readers and

critics. This paper seeks to explore the theme of motherhood in Beloved, looking closely at

how Morrison takes back this important part of being human. It highlights the lasting strength

of a mother's love and the sacrifices made, as portrayed in the book.

During the era of slavery, African American women encountered a difficult situation

when it came to being mothers. The circumstances prevented them from having the chance or

freedom to care for their children and fulfill their natural roles as nurturers and mothers,
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particularly to their daughters. This had severe effects on the mental well-being of the women

(Kolodny and Annette, 170).

The story revolves around Sethe, an African slave kept on a Kentucky plantation

named Sweet Home. It explores her experiences as a mother, facing both highs and lows. The

plantation is run by the Garners, a couple without children who treat their slaves relatively

well. Sethe is fortunate because she can choose a male partner among the five slaves on the

plantation and has four children with him. This gives her some control over her life, a rare

thing for enslaved women. Due to the comparatively kind treatment by her owners, Sethe

dares to imagine a future where her children can break free from slavery, showing her

courage and determination.

Horvitz suggests that in Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved is a special character that

symbolizes important themes. According to Horvitz, Beloved represents a ghost child with a

connection across generations and continents, teaching Sethe about the vital value of

memories and stories from her maternal family line (Horvitz, 98)

Infanticide as a means of resistance by black mothers is a recurring theme in

‘Beloved’. This oppression ultimately leads to the murder of young children and the

breakdown of family relationships within the black community. The sexual oppression of

black women by the institution of slavery drove Sethe's mother, Baby Suggs, Ella, and other

black women to act outside of acceptable boundaries of motherly love. The mother of Sethe,

who remains unnamed, shows how the exploitation and treating black women as tools solely

for reproduction drove them to seek extreme revenge. Nan, the woman who takes care of

Sethe, shares the story of Sethe's mother. The tale unveils a woman who, enduring many

rapes, had several children of both black and white descent. Despite this, Sethe's mother

decides to leave all her children except for Sethe, who is black. Nan also reveals that she and

Sethe’s mother were both repeatedly raped by the crew during their voyage on the slave ship,
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a common practice. These painful memories are powerful examples of how African mothers

fought back against their sexual oppression through what can be described as “love murder,”

using infanticide as a means of resistance. They regained control and freedom by taking the

lives of their children before they could be enslaved. It appears that infanticide became a tool

of resistance for black women against their oppressive rapists (Saxena, 700).

The theme of the mother-daughter relationship is a central focus in Morrison's

'Beloved,' where Toni Morrison delves into the fundamental nature of motherhood. Sethe's

recollections are saturated with a profound maternal emotion, depicting the love and anxiety

of a mother compelled to commit a heinous act to shield her children from slavery. The novel

is permeated with Sethe's sorrow over the loss of her children, emphasizing the deep

connection between a mother and her offspring. The connection between Sethe and her own

mother is mirrored in her relationship with Beloved. This relationship involves a mix of

closeness, loss, betrayal, and healing. At first, Beloved is a lonely and loving girl, but she

becomes possessive and demanding, almost harming Sethe with her harshness. Sethe is

troubled by Beloved's presence because any form of ownership between people tends to be

harmful. The book poses an important moral question: should only Sethe be blamed for

Beloved's death, or is slavery itself responsible?

In the book, Sethe's deep love for her kids is clear. She says she loved each and every

one of her babies, including herself. Sethe takes pride in giving birth to her children and

escaping slavery, with help from others and her own cleverness. Her love for her kids goes

beyond just taking care of them; it's a kind of self-interest she never knew she had before.

Sethe tells Beloved many stories about her love and commitment to her daughter. She

talks about how she made sure to get milk for her, protected her from flies in the grape arbor,

felt pain when she saw her baby bitten by a mosquito, and would even sacrifice her own life
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for Beloved. Sethe tries to explain how slavery affected her ability to be the mother she

wanted to be.

Sethe's love for Beloved is intense and can even be dangerous. Her "murderous-love"

reflects the mental challenges faced by mothers trying to secure a free future for their

children. Her experiences as both a daughter and a mother show the hidden stories of black

women.

According to Wyatt, Morrison's portrayal of Beloved connects her to the many black

women who endured suffering and death during slavery. Morrison links Beloved's spirit with

the body of a woman who died on a slave ship, drawing attention to the harsh sexual

exploitation that black women endured (Wyatt, 97).

In 'Beloved,' the separation of daughters from their mothers comes up a lot. The book

explores the idea of a love relationship between a mother and daughter that doesn't work out.

It also shows how being a mother in the American slave culture affected women

psychologically. Women were not allowed to love and take care of their own kids, causing

them to become distant from them. The sadness of a woman being separated has a big impact

on her as a mother (Willis and Susan, 265).

Sethe's affection and excitement for her kids are clear when she sends them on a

wagon with Ella and other women to Halle's mother in Cincinnati, Ohio. Even though she's

pregnant with Denver, Sethe proudly says, "I had milk, I was pregnant with Denver but I had

milk for my baby girl" (9). This statement is important because it highlights how African

Americans were deprived of the ability to form connections and own things, making Sethe's

expression of love and anticipation even more touching (Saxena, 702).

In the novel, each woman, starting with Sethe, has to face the reality that slavery has

tainted their ability to provide nourishment through breastfeeding. Milk, which is usually

linked to nurturing and motherhood, becomes mixed with blood as black women resist their
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dehumanization through acts of infanticide. By choosing to end the lives of their own

children, these women aim to shield them from the horrors of slavery and prevent them from

becoming possessions for the masters.

In ‘Beloved’ characters such as mothers, grandmothers, and sisters are portrayed as

guardians of their families and communities. Carole Boyce Davies refers to them as "mother-

healers." The daughters in the novel acknowledge the wisdom and guidance passed down to

them by these maternal figures, recognizing that “what these mother passed on would take

you anywhere in the world you wanted to go (Washington et al. 161)”

In Morrison's 'Beloved,' the natural images of black motherhood are completely

turned around, which is not surprising given the oppression they endured. The theft of Sethe's

milk and the rape she experienced symbolize the robbery of her sense of self and identity. In

her childhood, she was denied access to her own mother's milk, and now, like her daughter

Beloved, she longs for the nourishment and comfort of a mother's milk tainted by the

hardships of slavery. Barbara Schapiro highlights that Sethe's emotional lack as a baby, her

absence of a meaningful nurturing relationship, is linked to her very existence or essence. If

she has no nursing milk that is truly hers, she feels like she has no self that belongs to her.

Thus, she is violated as a baby, deprived of her milk by the white social structure.

In summary, Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' intricately portrays the challenges of

motherhood within the harsh context of slavery. The book depicts how the relationship

between a mother and child can be both a source of strength and vulnerability, serving as a

form of resistance against systemic oppression. Through the character of Sethe, Morrison

delves into how slavery disrupted and shattered the connections between mothers and

children, illustrating the extreme lengths a mother would go to shield her offspring. Despite

the burden of trauma and guilt that Sethe carries, the novel ultimately presents motherhood as

a potent force for healing and renewal. In 'Beloved,' Morrison underscores the enduring
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strength of maternal love and sacrifice, urging readers to recognize and appreciate the

intricate nuances of motherhood.

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Works Cited

Darling, Marsha Jean. ‘The Ties That Bind’ Critical Essays on Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Ed.

Barbara H. Solomon. New York: G. K. Hall, 1998.

Davies, Carole Boyle. Black Women, Writing And Identity: Migrations of the Subject.

London: Routledge, 1994.

Horvitz, Deborah. “Nameless Ghosts: Possessions and Dispossession in Beloved.” Critical

Essays on Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Ed. Barbara H. Solomon. New York: G. K.

Hall, 1998.

Kolodny, Annette. ‘The Land Before Her’. Fantasy and Experience of the American

Frontiers, 1630-1869. Chapel Hill and London: North Carolina UP, 1984.

Morrison, Toni. Beloved. London: Vintage 1997.

Schapiro, Barbara. “The Bonds of Love and the Boundaries of Self in Toni Morrison’s

Beloved.” Understanding Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Sula: Selected Essays and

Criticisms of the Works by the Nobel-prize winning Author. Ed. Solomon O. Iyasere

and Marla W. Iyasere. New York: Whitson, 2000.

Washington, Mary Helen. Invented Lives: Narratives of Black Women 1860-1960. Anchor;

Reissue edition, 1988

Willis, Susan. “Eruptions of Funk: Historicizing Toni Morrison,” BALF, 16, 1982.

Wyatt, Jean. “Giving Body to the Word: The Material Symbolic in Toni

Morrison’s Beloved.” Critical Essays on Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Ed. Barbara H.

Solomon. New York: G. K. Hall, 1998.