Beloved


One of the most striking features of Toni Morrison’s Beloved is the fact that the story is told out of order. This is also one of the most confusing features of the novel. A reader of the novel might ask why she chose such a feature. What effect does it have? How would the story be different if it were told in order?
If Beloved were rewritten in chronological order, the biggest change would be finding out about Sethe’s act of violence much sooner than we do in the original. Learning about it sooner rather than later puts the audience much more in the position of the townspeople who rejected Sethe and were terrified of her. Over the course of the book leading up to the revelation of Sethe’s deed, the reader is in her head and learns of the horrors at sweet home, the work she went through to escape, and the almost frighteningly strong love she has for her children. Even Paul D, who is much more in the reader’s position, is hesitant to stay around Sethe after he learns what she did. Creating sympathy for Sethe would be a nearly unwinnable uphill battle if the context were not thoroughly set first.

Comments

  1. Curtis AlthausDecember 11, 2019 at 4:08 PM

    I definitely see the importance of making the book non-chronological. Our reactions may have been similar to Paul D's, when that wasn't what Morrison had intended. By building an understanding of the story inside out, we understand where Sethe is coming from, and her intentions behind her actions. Overall, I like that you pointed out this importance.

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  2. Emi L.December 18, 2019 at 6:33 AM

    Definitely the order of the story is just one of the genius things of morrison. If it were told in order the book would lose a lot of it's effect. Instead, morrison artistically weaves the story in such a way that she is able to manipulate our emotional response and perception of the story. Amazing!

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