Discuss the treatment of supernatural elements in Beloved.

Answer

 Discuss the treatment of supernatural elements in Beloved. [NU: 2016, 18, 20, 22] ★★★

In “Beloved” (1987) by Toni Morrison (1931–2019), the supernatural plays a central role. Ghosts, hauntings, and strange events control the story. These elements are not only for fear. They show memory, trauma, and slavery’s deep scars. The supernatural connects the past with the present. 

The Haunted House: The novel opens with a ghost. Morrison writes in Part One, Ch. 1,

 “124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom”. 

The house itself becomes alive. It shakes and glows red. It drives Sethe’s two sons away. The house shows how slavery’s past still controls life. The haunting is not only a ghost but also a memory made visible.

Beloved’s Return: The strongest supernatural element is Beloved’s return. She first appears from the water. Morrison writes in Part One, Ch. 5, 

 “A fully dressed woman walked out of the water”. 

She is strange but familiar. Her name is the same as the word on Sethe’s baby’s tombstone. Slowly, it becomes clear she is the murdered child. She demands Sethe’s full attention. Beloved represents how the past refuses to die. 

The Ghost as Memory: Beloved is more than a spirit. She is a symbol of memory that cannot be forgotten. Sethe sees her daughter and says in Part Two, Ch. 20,

 “Beloved, she my daughter. She mine”. 

This shows Sethe’s deep guilt and love. The supernatural here is a metaphor for trauma. It forces Sethe to face her painful choice.

The Exorcism Scene: The community also meets the supernatural. When thirty women gather at 124, they sing and pray. Their voices grow stronger. In that moment, Beloved disappears. The narrator says, “It was not a story to pass on” (Part Three, Ch. 28). This shows that memory and haunting can only be eased when the community joins together. The exorcism scene blends spiritual faith with social healing.  

The Supernatural as