Morrison throughout the novel has characters remembering the past through their thoughts. These “flash-backs” (sometimes) from varying perspectives, aid in building a story; with each narration of an event adding a little more information to the previous one. This is seen as both Paul.D and Sethe after having sex, simultaneously remember the past. It is history that brings them together as they can think nothing about the future. Both remember the first time Sethe made love with Halle in the cornfield. Sethe is under the impression that no one knew about it- however, on transferring to Paul.D’s thoughts we see that every one was aware of it- Paul.D even remembers that he ate corn. The sex in the present has been disappointing for both of them. This obsession with the past and (worsened by the) disappointing sex in the present emphasises the power of the past. Morrison is able to effectively draw memories to certain human parts. This is seen when Paul.D looks at Sethe’s back and remembers the trees of “Sweet Home” and the shelter they once provided him. Sethe’s looking at Paul.D’s back also transfers her memory back to the day she and Halle first made love and how, “some of the corn stalks broke”.
Denver also remembers the past through her thoughts. She re-calls seeing her mother kneeling down and praying and next to her was, “a white dress…its sleeve around her mother’s waist”. Morrison craftily picks this incident to narrate because it foreshadows the form that the “returning” baby will take: not a child’s form, but a full-grown woman- the age the baby would be had it lived. Through the characters thoughts Morrison uncovers bits of the past. This is seen in Paul.D, “remembering the bedding dress”. Morrison achieves two things by jumping into the past. They not only tell the reader about incidents from the past but also help in contributing to the overall story. I feel that the method of unravelling the past through the characters thoughts is the most effective. Though hardest because sometimes there are two characters remembering the same incident and interpreting it differently, I feel Morrison makes it clear through her language and images chosen to depict the particular memory.
At parts Morrison “throws” in facts of the past that are not fully understood by the reader at the particular time. This is illustrated in the opening Chapter (pgs 3-19) the reader is told that all Sethe wanted to do was to, “make it clear to her [Beloved]”. On first reading the reader would be tempted to pass this line without much thought. However, further reading shows that Sethe killed Beloved in an attempt to save her from a life of slavery. This is further seen as Morrison comments in regard to Paul.D that he, “had not trembled since 1856…then for eighty-three days in a row”. This is later cleared up in Chapter 3 (pgs 28-42) as we find out that Morrison is referring to the time Paul.D spent in prison. Story’s about the past sometimes interlink with each other. Sethe’s story of schoolteacher finding her after she reached Cincinnati interests Paul.D as Sethe spent some time in prison. Paul.D wants to talk about Sethe’s time in jail, “but jail talk put him back in Alfred, Georgia”. We see here how Sethe’s talk about prison links with Paul.D’s. The method used here by Morrison is very clever as she makes it a point to stress on what appears to be “minor” details. Minor details play an important role in the unscrambling of the plot. Though hard to follow as one may miss them (the details), Morrison uses it very effectively.
Parts of the novel such as Paul.D walking through, “ a pool of pulsing red light” confirm to the reader that all is not at ease- the atmosphere of suspense is brought back. It also serves as an indication of Beloved’s (the dead baby's) spirit. We see here a little into the past. Morrison unveils it through the words of characters and her vivid images. The past is also brought out through specific characters speaking about it. Sethe’s initial comment of there being a, “tree on her back” leads her to telling the story of how, “they took my [her] milk”. The past in this incident is excavated through a conversation with Paul.D. The disturbing images in her conversation aid in creating the desired tone. This method of the words of characters unravelling the past is further seen when Beloved asks Sethe, “Where your diamonds?” This question leads Sethe to extricate the past. Morrison’s method in digging into the past is very simple to read, as it is normally pure narration by a character.
Other methods include the songs Paul.D sang when he was a slave and in prison. Paul.D’s red tin tobacco box also serves as a method of recalling the past. The method of bringing out the past through objects is unique.
In conclusion, throughout the first 105 pages of the novel (Chapters 1- 9) the reader sees two stories unfold- one of the past and one of the present. Morrison’s technique in unveiling the past is vast as she uses a variety of methods. By exploring into the past Morrison allows the reader to see not only the development of particular characters but also aids in understanding the character fully. The instances in the past provide also provide an interesting contrast with the present.
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