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1 A. P .En gl i s hLi t e r a t ur e 13De c e mbe r201 6 Be l o v e dEs s a y I nhe rn o v e lBe l o v e d ,To niMo r r i s onu s e sadi s j o i nt e dpl o ts t r uc t ur et oe mp ha s i z et he t he meo ft h ed e s t r uc t i v ef or c e sofs l a v e r yonh uma ni d e nt i t ya nds e n s eo fs e l f . Tho u ght hes t or y d i s c us s e st h ebr ut a l i t yo fs l a v e r ya ndt hea bus es l a v e sf a c e , t hef oc u sofBe l o v e dc e n t e r sa r o und t hepr a c t i c e ’ sl o n g l a s t i n ge ffe c t sona l li n v ol v e d,ore v e nonana t i ons u ppr e s s i n gi t sme mo r y . Us i n gami x t ur eofv e r s ea nds t r e a mo fc o ns c i ou s ne s s , t het h i r dp e r s o nomn i s c i e ntna r r a t i on s g ui de st hede v e l op me ntoft het he mei nor d e rofma g ni t ud e ,wi t ht h et he me ’ spr e s e nc eb e c omi n g mo r ea ndmor ea ppa r e nta st heno v e lp r o gr e s s e s . Ea c hfla s hb a c kt a k e st her e a de ri nt oad i ffe r e nt t i me , pl a c e , orp e r s pe c t i v e ,r e pr e s e n t a t i v eoft heha unt i n gc a p a bi l i t i e sofr e me mor i e s , e v e no n p e o pl ed i s t a ntf r o mt heor i g i na loc c ur r e nc e . Theunu s ua lpl o to r de rf or c e sac onfla t i o nofp a s ta nd p r e s e nt ,b r i n gi n gt hepa s tt ol i f ebo t hfigur a t i v e l ya ndl i t e r a l l yi nt hec ha r a c t e rBe l o v e d. Thr o u gha s t r u c t ur et h a tde v e l op st hes i gni fic a n c eoft hel o s so fs e l fi napr o gr e s s i n gs t y l e , To niMo r r i s on gr a du a l l yi n c r e a s e sa wa r e ne s soft hee ffe c t so fs l a v e r yonma n yi n di vi d ua l s , i nor d e rt oi l l umi na t e t hee v e r pr e s e nti mp a c to fad a r kpa s tonamo de r ns oc i e t y ’ sf ut u r e . Mo r r i s onb e gi n she re x pl o r a t i onoft het he meb ys ho wi n gho ws l a v e r ya ffe c t ss l a v e s d i r e c t l y , t e l l i n gt hes t o r i e sofa ni ma l i s t i ca t t a c kso npe op l ewi t ho uts ho wi n gl o n g t e r me ffe c t so n s o c i e t y . Se t he ’ st i mea tSwe e tHomei sde s c r i b e de a r l yoni nBe l ov e d. Se t he ’ sy out ha ndbe a ut y ma k e st hes l a v eme nl o n gf orh e ri nt hemo s tpr i mi t i v e , c a r na lwa y . Thewa i tf orhe rde c i s i o ndo e s n otj us tda ma g ee a c ho ft heme n ’ ss e ns eofma nh ood ,b uti tbr o k et he i rhuma n i t ya swe l l . The n a r r a t ors a y s , “ r a pes e e me dt hes ol i t a r ygi f to fl i f e ”t oe x e mp l i f yt hi sde hu ma ni z a t i on( Mor r i s on 1 2) . Mo r r i s ona l s oi nt r od uc e ss l a v e r y ’ sde s t r u c t i ono fSe t h e ’ si d e nt i t ys oona f t e r ; t hewhi t eme n

2 o fSwe e tHomeho l dhe rdo wna n ds t e a lhe rmi l k, t h uss t e a l i n ghe ri de nt i t ya samo t he ra nda woma n . Th ea c t ’ sb r u t a l i t yl e a v e sape r ma n e n ti mp r e s s i oni nSe t h e ’ sme mo r y , ama r ko fs l a v e r y n otf ul l ya ddr e s s e df orma n ymo r es c e ne s . Th o u ghl i t t l ee l a bo r a t i oni sgi v e nb yMo r r i s oni nt h e e a r l ys t a g e soft heno v e l ,Be l o v e dpr o gr e s s e si nawa yt ha tg a t h e r se a c hoft hebi t sa ndp i e c e s , s t o wi n gt he ma wa ya sba c k gr ou ndkno wl e d g eu nt i le v e r y t hi n gc a nb ec on ne c t e di nama nn e rt ha t a c c ur a t e l yc a p t ur e st het r uei mp a c to ft hee v e nt sc o l l e c t i v e l y , n oti nd i vi du a l l y . AsPa ulD. s ha r e s wi t hSe t h emor ed e t a i l e dh or r o r sofs l a v e r y , t heha un t i n ge ffe c t sb e c omemo r ep r e s e ntwi t hi nt he n o v e l . Thei r onbi ts ymb ol i z e st hed e s t r u c t i o nofs e l fonb ot ha ne mo t i o na la ndp h y s i c a ll e v e l , a ndMo r r i s ona dd r e s s e st hede v a s t a t i oni nt h emi d dl eo fBe l ov e di nor d e rt os ho wt ha te v e n f r e e dom c a n notu ns ha c kl ep e o pl ef r o mt he i rpa s t s . I nt hi ss c e ne , t hep oi ntofv i e ws hi f t st oPa u l D. , r e pr e s e nt i n ga no t h e ri nd i vi du a l ’ spe r s pe c t i v eons l a v e r yt os ho who ws l a v e r ya ffe c t sh uma ni t y a sawho l e .Ac c or d i n gt ot h en a r r a t i o nofPa ulD. ’ ss t or y , t h ebi tp utawi l dne s swh e r epr e vi o us l y n onee x i s t e d . Pa u lD. s ha r e shi sme mo r i e so ft hef r e er o os t e rMi s t e r , s h o wi n gt ha ts l a v e r yi s wo r s et ha na ni ma l i s t i cb e c a us ei tput sme no nal e v e lb e l o wa ni ma l s . Pa ulD. ’ sr e fle c t i onont he i r o nbi te xpr e s s e st hei d e at ha tnoo nec a ne v e rbet hes a mea f t e rs l a v e r y . Mo r r i s onu s e st h e s t or i e sofPa ulD. a ndSe t h e ’ sh or r o r s , t he nc omb i ne st h eno v e l ’ sc l i ma xo fhor r orwi t ht he p e r s pe c t i v e soft h ewhi t eo ppr e s s or s . Tho u ghPa ulD. f a c e sun i ma gi na bl edi ffic u l t i e st hr o u gho uthi sl i f ea saf or me rs l a v e , e v e n h e ,l i k et hes l a v eo wn e r s , c a nn otun de r s t a n dSe t he ’ sd e c i s i ont omu r de rhe rc hi l d r e no utofl o v e . Se t hec h oo s e si nf a nt i c i deo v e rs l a v e r yf orh e rc h i l dr e nbe c a u s es h ekno wst hef ul lpa i no fs l a v e r y . Thema r ko fs l a v e r yc a nne v e rbewa s he da wa yo rf or g o t t e n, on l yhi d de nund e ras up e r fic i a lv e i l o fi gno r a n c e . Se t hel o v e swi t ht oomu c ho fhe rh e a r t , f or c i n ghe rt omu r de rhe rc hi l d r e ni nor d e r

3 t opr o t e c tt h e mf r o mt het e r r o rs her e l i v e se v e r yd a y . Th epuz z l eoft hepl o tfit st hemur d e rs c e ne wi t ha ne a r l i e rc o n v e r s a t i onb e t we e nDe n v e ra n dSe t h e , whe r eSe t het e l l she rda u ght e r , “ I fy oug o t he r e —y o uwh owa sne v e rt he r e —i fy oug ot he r ea nds t a n di nt hepl a c ewh e r ei twa s ,i twi l l h a p pe na g a i n;i twi l lbet he r e , wa i t i n gf ory ou . . .Ev e nt hou g hi t ’ sa l lo v e r —o v e ra n ddo newi t h— i t ’ sg oi n gt oa l wa y sb et he r ewa i t i n gf o ry ou”( 36) .Mor r i s on ’ ss t r u c t u r eo ft h epl o ti st ot her e a de r wha tr e me mor i e sa r et ot h ec h a r a c t e r s ; t h ef r a g me n t e ds t r uc t ur ei sawa yt obr i n gt hes t or ya l i v e , g ui di n gt h ea udi e nc et hr o u ght h en o v e li nawa yt ha tbe s tr e pr e s e nt st h ei mp a c tofs l a v e r yo na l l l i v e s , pa s t , p r e s e n t , o rf u t u r e . Th ewh i t ec h a r a c t e r so ft h eno v e la r eno te v e ns l i ght l ya wa r eof s l a v e r y ’ sde s t r u c t i ono ft h ewhi t ema n ’ shu ma ni t y , onl ys e e i n ga na ni ma li nf r o ntoft he m wh o wa so v e r b e a t e n. Thes l a v eo wn e r ss e et h e i rj oba sac a l l i n g , aGodg i v e nr i g htt ot a k e r e s po ns i bi l i t yo v e ra not h e rhu ma n . Tot he s eme n, Se t he ’ sa c t i on sa r eno tas e l fle s sa c tofl o v e ,b ut a ni ns t i nc t i v er e s po ns eofa na n i ma lwhog o tki c k e donet o oma n yt i me s . Th ou ght heha un t i n g p r e s e nc eofs l a v e r yr e ma i n swi t hi nt hel i v e soft hef or me rs l a v e sa nds l a v eo wn e r swi t ht h en o v e l , Mor r i s onu s e sad i s j oi nt e dpl o ts t r u c t ur et os ho wt ha tt het r e a c h e r ou sj un g l eo fs l a v e r y e nc omp a s s e sa l lde s c e nd e df r o mo ri n v o l v e dwi t ht h ep r a c t i c e . Tof ur t he rde v e l opa ndi nt e n s i f yt hema g ni t udeoft het he meofs l a v e r y ’ sde s t r u c t i o n, Mor r i s onf ul l ya dd r e s s e st hee ffe c t so fs l a v e r yonhuma n i t yb ys h o wi n gt het a n g l e dwe bof h or r o r si nt hej un g l et ha te ns l a v e se v e r y o nei n v ol v e dwi t hs l a v e r y . St a mpPa i dde s c r i b e st he d e s t r uc t i onofhu ma ni t yb ys a y i n g , “ i twa s n ’ tt hej u n gl ebl a c ksb r ou ghtwi t ht he m… i twa st he j u n gl ewh i t e f ol ksp l a n t e di nt he m. Andi tgr e w. An di ts p r e a d… unt i li ti n v a d e dt hewh i t e swho h a dma d ei t ”( 198 ) . Wi t ht hei de at ha tbl a c k sa r et hes our c eoft hej un g l e ,t hewh i t es l a v eo wne r s o fhi s t or yc r e a t e das e l f f ul fil l e dp r op he c yt ha ts pr e a dt hehor r or sofs l a v e r yt oa l lt ou c he db yt he p r a c t i c e , s l a v ea nds l a v eo wn e ru ni t e di nt he i rl a c ko fhuma n i t ya ndwi l de y e s .Fe a rc a us e st he

4 whi t ep e o pl et oa c ts a v a g e l ya ss l a v eo wn e r s , a ndt h ebr ut a lmi s t r e a t me n tc a us e st hes l a v et o b e c omes od i s he a r t e ne db ys oc i e t y , a n ds oe mo t i ona l l ya ndp h y s i c a l l yda ma g e d , t h a tt hebe s twa y t os ur vi v ei st ogi v eupt he i rs e n s eo fs e l fa ndh uma ni t y . Thec y c l ec ont i nu e so v e ra ndo v e r , d e huma n i z i n ga l l . Thou g ht hepr a c t i c eofs l a v e r yd i e doutl on ga g o ,t hee ffe c t ss t i l ll i v eoni n mo de r ns oc i e t y . Mo r r i s ona t t e mpt st obr e a kt hes i l e n c et hr o u ghBe l ov e d, g ui di n gt hea u di e nc et o c on c l u det ha tt r yi n gt or una wa yf r o m one ’ spa s ton l ygi v e st hepa s tp o we rofon e ’ sf ut ur e . De s c r i bi n gt hede s t r u c t i ono fhuma ni t ya nds e l f i de nt i t yb ys l a v e r y ,Be l ov e ds ho wsh o w t hepa s tc a nha un tac ommu ni t ywh e ni ndi v i dua l sc a n no tl e a r nt oc op ewi t ht heho r r or st he yo nc e f a c e d.Mor r i s onu s e sad i s j oi nts t r u c t ur eo fpl o ta nda nomni s c i e ntt h i r dp e r s onna r r a t i ont o i n v ol v emul t i pl ep oi nt sofv i e wt hr o u gho utt heno v e l ,a l l o wi n gt h es t or yofs l a v e ,s l a v eo wne r , a nd d e s c e nd e ntt obet ol d . Be l o v e dgi v e sav oi c et ot h os ewhopr e v i ou s l ywe r es i l e nc e da n dt oa h i s t o r yt h a tha sbe e nl on gs up pr e s s e d .Th ou ght hepe r s pe c t i v e s ,t i mepe r i od s ,a n dpl a c e sc h a n g e t hr o u gh outt heno v e l , t het he mepr o gr e s s e sna t u r a l l yi nor d e rofi t sma gn i t udewi t hi nas c e n e . Thes t r u c t ur eoft h et he mee mp ha s i z e st hen e c e s s i t yofr e me mb e r i n gt hepa s t , s oa sno tt of e a ri t s p r e s e nc eori g nor ei t si mp or t a nc e .

5 Wor ksCi t e d Mor r i s on, Toni .Be l ov e d. Ne wYo r kCi t y :Al f r e dA. Kno pf , 198 7.Pr i nt ....