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EXPLORATION TRACK BELOVED SYLLABUS FEBRUARY 2021 © 2019 BHK LLC. All Rights Reserved. #SmartBrownGirl is a Registered Trademark of BHK LLC. For the Black girls in the forgotten spaces. Bringing together an international community of women of color through reading and dialogue. Beloved Syllabus Authors: Morgan Holloman-Bryant & Dr. Nicole Carter Editor: Chloe "CJ" Jones All SmartBrownGirl® Book Club syllabi and reading guides are curated by a cohort of graduate level #SmartBrownGirl researchers. Your membership and participation in the #SmartBrownGirl Book Club ensures that we can pay all Black women who help run this book club an equitable rate. smartbrowngirl.com © 2019 BHK LLC. All Rights Reserved. #SmartBrownGirl is a Registered Trademark of BHK LLC. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ..............................................................................................................................6 Tips for fresh readers .......................................................................................................7 Tips for returning readers .............................................................................................7 Overview & Motifs ...............................................................................................................8 The Discussion ........................................................................................................................9 Part 1 .....................................................................................................................................9 Part 2 .................................................................................................................................. 15 Part 3 .................................................................................................................................. 19 Final Thoughts ..................................................................................................................... 25 Further readings/resources...................................................................................... 27 INTRODUCTION Author History: Born Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, Toni Morrison became a world-renowned activist and critically acclaimed novelist known for her works such as The Bluest Eye, Beloved, and Song of Solomon. The Ohio born writer and cultural critic gained an early appreciation for the art of Black storytelling. During her childhood, her parents embedded within her a deep desire to learn and share Black stories. Whether they were folklore or personal anecdotes, Toni became devoted to these narratives and began to write her own. She attended Howard University in Washington DC, where she earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in English and became a member of the Alpha chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. It was during her time at Howard that she first encountered segregated public buildings and transportation. She found solace in her Black peers and graduated from the prestigious institution in 1953. Following her time at Howard, she attended Cornell University, earning her master’s degree in American Literature. After this, she returned to Howard University to teach English Literature before eventually leaving to join Random House Publishing as a fiction editor, making her the first Black woman to do so. During this time, Morrison also married a Jamaican architect by the name of Harold Morrison. The couple welcomed two boys, the youngest being born during their 1964 divorce. Toni Morrison is widely regarded as one of the most prominent writers of the 20th and 21st centuries due to her unique stylistic practices and unapologetic Black storytelling. Her poignant essays and novels earned her a 1988 Pulitzer Prize for the 1987 release of Beloved and subsequent Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. She experienced a plethora of “firsts” during her career and is lauded as one of the most powerful Black women storytellers of the generation. Her literature is both haunting and refreshing, and directly mirrors the world around us. On August 5th of 2019, Toni Morrison passed away in New York City. She was 88 years old. Content/Trigger Warning: Beloved contains references to sexual trauma, physical abuse, and infanticide. These topics could possibly incite sadness, anger or secondary trauma. Before proceeding, be sure to prepare to navigate these concerns. Also, if triggered, please reach out to a professional and/or loved one for assistance. Book History: Released in September of 1987, Beloved is a haunting tale that chronicles a story of motherhood, slavery, trauma and familial ties. The novel is derived from the true story of Margaret Garner, an enslaved African woman who has become notorious for murdering her child rather than allowing them to be returned to slavery. She and her family escaped in January of 1856, but were soon apprehended by the U.S. Marshal’s under the Fugitive Slave Act. Margaret murdered her two-year-old daughter Mary during the standoff that occurred with the U.S. Marshal’s and slave catchers. She also wounded her other children as well, as she prepared to kill them and herself. She was unsuccessful in her further attempts as they were quickly apprehended. A year after the novel’s release, it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and was eventually adapted into a film of the same name in 1998. 6 READING TIPS TIPS FOR Tips for Fresh Readers RETURNING READERS 1. You do not have to have profound thoughts right away: Everyone reads and digests at a different pace. Take your time in understanding the text but you do not need to dissect it immediately. Make a note of any points that are 1. Put the book in context: Times have significant to you and move on. changed and so have you. Before rereading, think about who you were, and where you 2. The Set aside 15-20 mins a day to read: Much like power were in life the first time you read the book. nap — a power read — can energize your reading and Think about who was influencing you/your help you focus. You do not need large chunks of time. Set thoughts. (School, friends, family, news etc.) aside 15-20 mins to read a day and make sure you have no distractions during this time. 2. Be Critical: First reads are a time to be open-minded and give the author a lead 3. Reflect on what you read: a) What were the themes way to understand their thoughts. Second and/or major events that had taken place in your selected reads you can be much more critical of readings? The content is equal parts comedic, sharp, and the work and its intentions. So get on your dark.Be aware that the book explores some potentially soapbox boo we got some boxes on reserve triggering issues. too. 4. Take notes: a) Highlight terms, phrases, quotes etc that 3. Focus on Few Chapters at a Time: may immediately grab your attention. For non-fiction (and some fiction) it’s not totally necessary to reread the book 5. Build a personal glossary: If you don’t know a word, chronologically from start to finish. Try circle it, get the definition and reread the section in focusing on themes that you may have context. This may help you come to a new understanding grazed over the first time around and of the text or discover concepts you didn’t notice before. choose a few chapters to lean into at a time. 6. Discuss the book: Healthy discussion on what you already know can entice you to read more and that’s what the #SmartBrownGirl Book Club is here for. Join in on our discussions. Post your questions to the Facebook Group. 7. Author Background: When approaching a text that you’re unfamiliar with, it may be beneficial to do some quick background research on the author, as it can help provide insight on what the text may be discussing. Look up Nigerian specific words and objects used in the text as this will enhance your understanding. 7 Overview & Motifs Morrison relies heavily on poetics and symbolism to enrich her narratives. Throughout your reading, pay attention to how symbolism foreshadows key events and how allegorical character arcs structure the story. Primary Themes Secondary Themes Characters: • Motherhood (Mother/ • Names • Sethe Daughter Relationships) • Freedom • Denver • Storytelling & Identity • Nature, environment • Baby Suggs (Jenny Whitlow) • Effects of Chattel Slavery • Water • Halle Suggs • Community & Home • Feet, movement • Paul D • Family • Grief, mourning • Beloved • Memory & Rememory • Imagery • Stamp Paid • Sexual assault • Whitegirl Amy (Amy Denver) • Womanhood • Schoolteacher • “Madness” • Buglar and Howard • Vashti • Mr. Garner • Lillian Garner • Sixo • Patsy • Paul A Garner • Ma’am • Nan • Paul F Garner • Whitlow • Hi Man • Mr. & Mrs. Buddy • Ella • Janey Wagon • Lady Jones • Reverend Pike • Sawyer A • Edward Bowdin • Miss Bodwin • Nelson Lord 8 THE DISCUSSION Part 1: Epigraph and Chapters 1-18 Part 1 is comprised of eighteen sections and begins years after slavery has been abolished. Sethe, the main character, resides in house number 124 in Ohio with her young daughter Denver and the ghost of her other daughter, Beloved. One of the epigraphs at the beginning of the novel reads: I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. Romans 9:25 • How does Morrison’s inclusion of this biblical passage referencing God’s discretion to save and show mercy to those who are “not his/her/their” people shape the opening of this chapter? Consider the following quotes: “124 WAS SPITEFUL. Full of a baby's venom. The women in the house knew it and so did the
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