Explore the nature of personal identity in Toni Morrison’s novel “Beloved.” This could include the nature of the character Beloved, notably in her relationships with other characters (most importantly Sethe) and her opaque origins. Additionally, the book can be examined for commentary on the dehumanizing effect of American slavery on African American identity, and how this effect lingers, thus making “Beloved” resonant.
I love this topic! There's an older (but still relevant) article that could be helpful for research. The author discusses identity but also "a desire for subjectivity." The author even summarizes other scholars' interpretations of Beloved's identity, as the dead daughter's spirit, as the reincarnation of the two-year-old, as both the daughter and Sethe's mother, as not a spirit but just a young woman, and others. Holden-Kirwan, Jennifer L. “Looking into the Self That Is No Self: An Examination of Subjectivity in Beloved.” African American Review, vol. 32, no. 3, 1998, pp. 415–426. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3042242. Accessed 26 Apr. 2020. – Morgan Dancy5 years ago