Reconstructing Afro-American Slave History

Reconstructing Afro-American Slavery History ------Analysing Beloveds Slave Narrative from Discourse Perspective AbstractPostgraduate: Wu Yingcliuii Supervisor: Professor Zhang ShuningBeloved is a representative work by the eminent contemporary American writer Toni Morrison, who is also black and female. When it was first published in September 1987 it created a sensation in the American literary world. Indeed, it was commonly regarded within the sphere of literary criticism as "a milestone in American literary history". In 1988 this was followed by the award of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and the novel's prestige was a major contributory factor in her receiving the 1993 Nobel Prize in literature.Beloved tells of a long and silent, but brutal and bloody period in black history in which the black voice was unceasingly suppressed by while discourse. The novel tells of the female slave, Setlie, who, unable to tolerate physical and emotional tortures any longer in desperation drags her pregnant body to escape from Sweet Home plantation, but continues to endure the hardship of her flight Although she crossed the "River of Hell" real freedom was to elude her. Sought out by slave catchers and Schoolteacher she refuses to allow her children to be returned, to Uie inhumanity of slavery. In the face of this threat Setlie draws-a handsaw across her baby daughter's throat Therefore, Selhe is "buried alive" in the metaphorical tomb reserved for those guilty of the crime of killing their own offspring. The whiles put her into prison, even the abolitionists regard her as political pawn. Setlie is completely alone: even her black compatriots regard her as a ^lood-sucking beast due to the murder of her child. For eighteen years she vehemently struggled with the emotional pain borne from her extreme action. During this time she failed to establish contact with her missing husband, unsure as to whether he was alive or dead. Furthermore, her two sons left her, and her mother-in-law, her one pillar of support, died. Her tragic situation is compounded when she is haunted by (lie incarnation of her murdered daughter which constantly reminds her of that period of history upon which it is unbearable to reflect-her personal history mirroring the history of the whole black world.In stark contrast from traditional slave literature Toni Morrison used her own unique slave narrative to validate the black slaves' voice which was suppressed by white master discourse, and therefore reconstructed the complete history of black slavery. The loss of power of discourse amounted to the loss of the right to record their own history. Although traditional slavenarratives addressed the history of black people lo a certain extent, in general they dealt only with the exterior details of their lives, and therefore from a humanitarian perspective failed to disclose the inhumanity suffered throughout black history. The authors of traditional slave narratives were often compelled, consciously or subconsciously, to adhere to the conventions and values of white society in order lo gain acceptance for their work; this compromise shows how deeply white discourse had been inscribed upon their thought and aesthetic consciousness. Tom Morrison, as a black woman, in the depths of her awareness is alTecled by the all-pervasiveabsence ofthe power of discourse. Because of Hie author's own experience she is fundamentallyaware that black history could be kept alive in the common memory even given absence ofthe power of discourse. As there was no way for black people to record their own history, Sethe's body and Beloved'.s ubiquitous ghost bolh serve as vehicles for Tom Morrison's reconstruction of black American slave history. Her novel discloses precisely the real history which is recorded by black people's bodies. Although the method of Sclhe's discourse-to slit her baby's throat with her own hands-is the only choice she has in the circumstances, it can be seen that by giving her this choice Morrison...