Self

All the characters in Beloved have been limited in what they can and can’t do. Throughout their experiences they often feel powerless. An incident that happened in Beloved that specifically stood out to me was when the school teacher said “definitions belong to the definers”. I related this back to history and how we are frequently taught in one perspective. When we learn about slavery, we study the main points of it, almost like a timeline. I remember in APUSH we learned about abolitionists and how slavery came to an end and the fight it took but we never really learned about the experience the slaves had with their owners directly. Beloved gave me a closer in depth study of it that is missing in our understanding.

Beloved is almost like a recollection of memories from the past. Even though at present time they are free, they are not mentally free. They can’t seem to overcome their experiences. They don’t know what to do. I have learned that a way social classes oppress another is mentally. Prior to my reading, I always thought oppression related back to the economics of classes but never really gave any value to interactions between them. While this is still true, I have learned that verbal connections and experiences are just as powerful and can incite just as much conflict as physical.

The only way to defeat this is to define oneself. Once you get to know yourself, you become better equipped to handle situations. Beloved’s characters are on a journey to develop themselves. I have learned that our social struggle are directly related to the formation of ones identity.