What Picture of Racial Violence Do you Find in “Beloved?”

Answer

What picture of racial violence do you find in “Beloved?”  

Racial violence is a central theme of the novel “Beloved” (1987) by Toni Morrison (1931-2019). The novel vividly portrays the brutal and dehumanizing effects of racial violence on African Americans. It shows how it destroys their lives, families, and sense of self. Through the experiences of Sethe, Paul D, and other characters, Morrison paints a powerful picture of the horrors of racial violence and its lasting impact.

The brutality of Slavery: Beloved presents slavery as a system rooted in extreme racial violence. The characters’ experiences at Sweet Home, a plantation where Sethe, Paul D, and other slaves lived, are marked by constant brutality. Sethe’s memories of her time at Sweet Home include being whipped so severely that she bears permanent scars on her back.

Schoolteacher made one open up my back, and when it closed it made a tree. It grows there still.

This image of a tree-shaped scar symbolizes the deep and lasting wounds inflicted by racial violence, both physically and emotionally.

The Dehumanization of Slaves: Racial violence in the novel is not only physical but also psychological. Slaves are treated as less than humans, reduced to mere objects of labor. The schoolteacher, the cruel overseer at Sweet Home, dehumanizes the slaves by categorizing their “human” and “animal” characteristics. Sethe remembers overhearing Schoolteacher instructing his nephew, 

No, no. That’s not the way. I told you to put her human characteristics on the left; her animal ones on the right 

This act of categorization reflects the deep-seated racism that views African Americans as inferior beings. It is used to justify the violence done to them.

Sexual Violence as a Tool of Control: Sexual violence is another form of racial violence depicted in Beloved. Sethe’s experience of being raped by Schoolteacher’s nephews is a devastating example.  It shows how sexual violence is used to exert control and dominance over black women. This act of violence is not