I am interested how Toni Morrison will play around with location, velvet, trees, and the color white in Beloved, but I am mostly curious about the how the author will use trees to influence the meanings of the passages. In Song of Solomon, it contributed to the main character, Milkman, going back to his "roots"; reconnecting with his relatives. I wonder if she will incorporate a the same idea, that the trees will symbolize family, considering that the main character, Sethe, has lost most of her children and has a scar on her back that looks like a tree.
As I am reading Beloved, I hope to re-read The Bluest Eye since I have not read it since summer. I hope to keep track if Morrison incorporates the four things in the same fashion, or, if she switches them up. And if she uses them in same ways, why?
In your first paragraph I enjoyed the way that you connected Beloved to other books by the same author, Toni Morrison. Her use of motifs are extremely important, and contribute a lot to the meaning of her books. I think that it would be helpful to use quotes of specific examples of how the motifs are used in the beginning of the story, and how they contribute to meaning. I also think that a little bit of summary of what you have read in Beloved so far is necessary in order to set up the character, Sethe, for those who have not read Beloved. This could also be accomplished by a quote or two. I like your blog set up a lot, and clearly the tree connects to the tree scar on the main character´s back. Keep up the good blogging!
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you went straight into how the style of Toni Morrison's novels are seen throughout all of her books, even if the plot and theme of the book is different. By choosing to explain what the author's style of writing is, I think you helped the readers of your blog understand what the groundwork to most of her novels are similar too, which makes writing about an author's style a great first blog post. Since I haven't read Beloved, I would love to know more about the characters and how they are brought to life in the first portion of the novel. Is there any other key characters other than Sethe? If so what are they known for in the novel currently? However, I think that this is a great first blog post and is the perfect base when you are just starting your book. It lays the ground work for all the great blog posts to come!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lily - some sort of context would be helpful regarding the motifs you mentioned, even if you are not yet certain on how they connect with the ideas that Morrison is trying to communicate. I thought it was intriguing that she is using the color white as a motif, as it reminds me of how the color red was prominent in The Handmaid's Tale. I'm sure that they both symbolize entirely different things and am eager to see how they compare and contrast with one another. On the other hand, it would be really interesting for me to get an idea what types of symbols that Morrison uses differently in her books and to see how they emphasize her views on the issues that African Americans have to deal with in the books that you've read.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely let me know if the book is worth reading when you're done!
The connections you've developed between the author's different texts is a thoughtful insight. As Lily said, some specifics about how these elements appear in Beloved would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteIn this one post, you've already established that there's a unique dynamic between Toni Morrison's books, and I'm curious to hear more. Some specific examples of location, velvet, trees, and white in Beloved could help the reader understand the connections a little more. I also think it's important not to limit yourself to comparing Beloved and The Bluest Eye and include Song of Solomon (like you did in the second paragraph). Consider Milkman's geographical journey south, Lena and Corinthians' velvet roses, and the white peacock. Excellent choice for the tree as the background- it's clearly significant.
ReplyDeleteThis is Andrew's comment that I accidentally erased:
ReplyDelete"I like the relation to Song of Solomon, but I am unsure of even the basic premise of Beloved. Who are the main characters in the book and where does it take place?"