Explore the different forms of haunting in Toni Morrisons Beloved.

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‘The return of Beloved becomes not only a psychological projection, but also a physical (rather than spiritual) manifestation.  Her “rebirth” represents, as it were, the uncanny return of the dead to haunt the living, the return of the past to the present’ (Mae G. Henderson, ‘Toni Morrison’s Beloved’)

Explore the different forms of “haunting” in Toni Morrison’s Beloved.

Haunting, in general terms, can be defined as something, either a physical presence or something as insubstantial as a memory, which returns from the past in a manner it should not.  In Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’, the theme of haunting is unquestionably the main theme and as such it manifests throughout the book, figuratively, literally, literarily, metaphorically, psychologically and as Mae G. Henderson agrees, “physically”.

The main haunting in ‘Beloved’ is the physical reincarnation of the eponymous Beloved herself.  Although some critics, such as Elizabeth B. House (1990) would argue that Beloved the woman is not a ghost: “the girl is not a supernatural being of any kind”, it is clear that Beloved is a ghost.  The idea of her being a human can be discounted for several reasons, firstly her superhuman strength.  Beloved is clearly very weak after she is found at 124, yet she is still able to lift a rocking chair up with one arm: “I seen her pick up the rocker with one arm”.  This is despite being also described as someone who: “Acts sick, sounds sick”.  Beloved has strength clearly beyond her capabilities, which indicates that she is not in fact human.

Furthermore, when Beloved seduces Paul D, it is clear that Beloved is indeed from the past and a ghost.  Firstly, it is stated “He should have been able to hear her breathing”, which is evidence in itself that Beloved is not a human.  However, it is more Beloved’s actions and effect on Paul D. which indicate she is not human.  Beloved has a hold on Paul D. which seems inhuman; she makes him copulate with her against his will, though she does this without force and with only a few small words: “You have to touch me… And you have to call me my name”.  It appears as though Beloved has hypnotised Paul D, as he is utterly powerless.  Also, Beloved’s effect on Paul D’s psyche overall indicates she is from the past; she helps Paul D. to accept his past and move on with only a few words.  

Morrison compares Paul D. to “Lot’s wife”, a figure from the bible punished for looking back on Sodom, the city of sin.  Morrison goes on to explain how Paul D. must not become like Lot’s wife “If he trembled like Lot’s wife…he too would be lost”.  This already tells the reader that Paul D. is going to confront his past, and Morrison then goes on to state “he didn’t hear the whisper that the flakes of rust made either as they fell away from the seams of his tobacco tin”.  The ‘tobacco tin’ is a continued metaphor throughout the book for Paul D’s emotions and memories, and it’s made clear here that Paul D. has opened the ‘tobacco tin’ and thus his emotions and memories have been unlocked by Beloved.  Furthermore, Paul D’s shouting of ‘Red heart’ reiterates that his emotions have been released as well as the way in which Morrison tells the reader about Paul D’s experiences.  Before the event with Beloved, all of Paul. D’s experiences were relayed to the reader via an omniscient narrator: “By the time he got to Ohio, then to Cincinnati… he thought he had seen and felt it all”.  However, after the event, his past is explained in the form of his memories: “Something is funny.  Paul D. guesses what it is when Sixo interrupts his laughter”.  The difference in the way Paul D’s past is explained show the reader how Paul D. has released his emotions and memories; before it was simply an account of events but after it becomes much more personal.

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    Also, when Beloved is first introduced, she is clearly very sick; she describes her legs as heavy and suffers from what is described as sounding like ‘croup’.  Presumably for someone like Beloved who until recently was an insubstantial ghost haunting 124, walking on Earth would be very hard.  Beloved is not used to having a heavy body, or breathing, so this might explains her illnesses.  Furthermore, it is far too coincidental that Beloved arrives as soon as Paul D. exorcises the poltergeist from 124.  She can be nothing but a ghost.

   The dominant reading is that Beloved ...

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