A Study Of Narrative Features In Beloved

Toni Morrison is regarded as one of the greatest contemporary American writers.She was awarded the Nobel Prize in1993for her literature achievements, becomingthe-first Afro-American female writer to enjoy the honor. Her fifth novel, Beloved, isher most representative work. The novel has created a sensation in American societyand been considered as a milestone in history since it was published in1987.Critics have conducted lots of researches on Beloved from different views. Theunique narrative features of the novel have aroused readers’ strong interests, yet veryfew critics have conducted the studies thoroughly from the angle of narrative features.So the thesis tries to make a relatively comprehensive analysis of the narrativesequence, focalization and narrative voice of Beloved. It is divided into five parts.The first part includes a brief introduction to Toni Morrison and the novelBeloved, a general literature review of Beloved home and abroad.Chapter One mainly analyzes the non-linear narrative features of Belovedincluding fragmentary narrative, displacement of time and space and stream ofconsciousness. Through articulating some patterns underlie such sequences, withemphasis on circular orders, flashback, and flash-forward, the paper points to theskeleton of the blurry demarcation between the past and the present, while revealingthe enslavement and suffering, and generate a special effect.Chapter Two mainly analyzes the multi-narrative focalization features. In thechapter, external focalization, internal focalization and zero focalization arecomprehensively analyzed and the significance of the shifting of differentfocalizations is also underlined.Chapter Three analyzes the variable narrative voice in the novel. In the chapter,dramatic narrated voice, direct narrated voice and indirect narrated voice arecomprehensively analyzed. Through the analysis of the narrative voice in Beloved, thechapter investigates the strength of black slaves and the hope of this nation.Through the comprehensive analysis of narrative features of Beloved, the thesis comes to a conclusion that the narrative strategies in Beloved help to deepen thetheme of the novel. It is helpful for readers to know western narrative features.Through the unique narrative strategies, Toni Morrison also shows her distinct ideasabout race and culture. Through her well-designed plot and fascinating narrative, ToniMorrison shows her sympathy for the sufferings of the black slaves. Morrison revealsthe real history with the narrative strategies, broadening the narrative space andinfluence of the novel. So Beloved is a classic in American literary history.