The Color Red In Toni Morrison's Beloved

The color red symbolics all of the colors and how each can have numerous emotions coming

Published in 1987, Beloved is the most acclaimed work of Toni Morrison. The author was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for this novel. Besides, Beloved, in 1993 the writer won the Nobel Prize in Literature. She was the first African American woman to be honored with this award. Upon receiving the Nobel Prize, Morrison stated that she always insisted to be called a black woman writer and, more importantly, she admitted that as an African American woman, she experienced discrimination first hand. Besides, in her writing, she aims at fighting with “national amnesia” because she does not want to allow the memory of slavery to be forgotten (Iatsenko, 2014: 58). Beloved is the novel in which past and present often overlap. The characters retell stories from the past referring them to their current situation. The novel is written from many points of views and, that is why, the fragmentation of events presented is easily noticeable (Page, 1995: 134). Philip Page argues further that the novel’s power lies in its “patterns of circularity” as well as “overlapping consciousness” (Page, 1995). In juxtaposition with this argument, Susan Bowers states that “Beloved is a novel about collecting fragments and welding them into beautiful new wholes” (in Page, 1995: 134). This argument is supported by another researcher, Marianne Hirsch, who writes that the novel presents “a cyclical reunion between the mother and

Colors are used in literature to describe the different emotions of a character. Colorism is a type of symbolism used in literature. Death uses color symbolism in The Book Thief to describe a character's emotion because he is the narrator. Color symbolism in literature is when the author uses a color to symbolize the character's emotion; it occurs throughout The Book Thief. Red, white, and gray or silver are the colors that are used the most frequently and have the biggest meanings throughout the novel.

In literature, red is often associated with blood and violence. Four researchers, Erella Hovers, Shimon Ilani, Ofer Bar-Yosef, and Bernard Vandermeersch, studied colored symbolism and concluded; “Color symbolism is one of the symbolic frameworks used extensively by contemporary societies to convey information and abstract messages through material objects” (Hovers et al.,2003.) Through the use of colors, May vividly expresses the emotions of the speaker towards society, regarding the topics of warfare and education. He specifically selects certain colors, like black and red, to stir up emotions within Jontae. The colors create a symbolic image, ultimately leading up to represent the violent scenes taking place. May writes his fear; “I know how often red is the only color left to reach” (18-19), to show his apprehension for Jontae a young male in society surrounded by warfare. Red in literature often represents blood, sacrifice, and violence. Using colors throughout the poem, creates a more vehement atmosphere, in which Jontae is left to choose between warfare, and discovering his identity in an alternative

The symbolism used in Beloved is essential in order to convey a complex idea with just one word or object. With very little, symbolism says a lot, and adds dimension to the story. With the use of symbolism in water, metal, and trees, Morrison effectively uses the elements of the earth to help convey complex ideas including

In the 1987 novel Beloved, Toni Morrison uses may important symbols that contribute to the novel’s message. One of the most significant symbols, however, is the use of color. Just as human nature is both positive and negative, the color red is used in both good and bad connotations, shifting through the novel. Anticipated and feared, the color red persists through the novel, representing death, love, and ultimately, hope.

In the novel, Beloved, Toni Morrison uses color to show the reactions of some of the main characters. Color represents many things in the book. Freedom is an example because once the slaves were free, they noticed the beautiful colors all over. They see that the world is not just black and white and two different races, there are many beautiful things that were unnoticed. When Baby Suggs was free, she was able to spread happiness and joy to the community. When the community did not accept that, she fell into depression, but still enjoys freedom, in a different way, more by herself than with others. It was when she wanted to see bright colors. She loved color. In his journey to the

The New York Times dated September 13, 1987, many of the events in this novel appear to parallel the themes of unimaginable brutality against slaves noted as well in The Underground Railroad. While both novels focus on slaves being indiscriminately hung from trees, burned beyond recognition, or raped, the physical violence in Beloved is taken to

Toni Morrison brings another surprise to the story of Beloved. The addition of character Beloved conceals whole meaning Morrison tries to conduct to the readers. So far, character Beloved is portrayed as an innocent, pure, yet egotistic girl. Beloved also presumably the incarnation of Sethe’s dead baby, whose tomb is engraved Beloved. Morrison offers supernatural element in the story to create mysterious and spooky atmosphere, which raise curiosity and excite readers even more.

Morrison represents the past of African-Americans from her own perspective drawing attention to what slavery can do to individuals and their families. Because of the experiences of slavery, most slaves repressed their memories in an attempt to forget the past. When they repressed their memories of the past it causes them to lose a sense of self and their true identity. Sethe, Paul D. and Denver, all experience this loss of self, which can only be remedied when they all accept the past and their memories of self. Beloved serves as a reminder to these three characters of their buried memories, eventually causing them to rebuild themselves.

     Toni Morrison's Beloved - a novel that addresses the cruelties that result from slavery.  Morrison depicts the African American's quest for a new life while showing the difficult task of escaping the past.  The African American simply wants to claim freedom and create a sense of community.  In Beloved, the characters suffer not from slavery itself, but as a result of slavery - that is to say the pain occurs as they reconstruct themselves, their families, and their communities only "after the devastation of slavery" (Kubitschek 115).  Throughout the novel, Morrison utilizes color as a symbolic tool to represent a free, safe, happy life as well as involvement in community and

    In Beloved, Toni Morrison portrays the barbarity and cruelty of slavery. She emphasizes the African American’s desire for a new life as they try to escape their past while claiming their freedom and creating a sense of community.  In Beloved, "Much of the characters’ pain occurs as they reconstruct themselves, their families, and their communities after the devastation of slavery" (Kubitschek 115). Throughout the novel, Morrison uses color to symbolically represent a life complete with happiness, freedom, and safety, as well as involvement in community and family. In many scenes, Morrison uses color to convey a character's desire for such a life; while, in other instances, Morrison

Krumholz argues that Beloved is a mind healing recovery process that forces the characters to remember and tackle their past. In her essay, “Toni Morrison”, Jill Matus regards Beloved as a form of cultural memory that analyzes vague and possibly removed history. Furthermore, in his book, Fiction and Folklore: the Novels of Toni Morrison, Trudier Harris focuses on the issue of ownership and slavery in Beloved. In all, historical background is a huge player in understanding Beloved. Morrison set the novel during the Reconstruction era, after the Civil War, which sets the entire tone and plot for the main character, Sethe.

Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning book Beloved, is a historical novel that serves as a memorial for those who died during the perils of slavery. The novel serves as a voice that speaks for the silenced reality of slavery for both men and women. Morrison in this novel gives a voice to those who were denied one, in particular African American women. It is a novel that rediscovers the African American experience. The novel undermines the conventional idea of a story’s time scheme. Instead, Morrison combines the past and the present together. The book is set up as a circling of memories of the past, which continuously reoccur in the book. The past is embedded in the present, and the present has no

Slavery has been a vital part of America’s history since it began in 1619. Such history must be preserved in order to understand its ongoing influence in issues today, but thousands of stories of those enslaved have been lost or forgotten in time. Toni Morrison expresses why the narrative of slavery must be continued on by integrating the life of Margaret Garner into her novel Beloved. In Beloved, Toni Morrison intertwines fiction with the story of Margaret Garner in order pass it on and explore what might have been if the circumstances surrounding Garner had been different.