Written by Maxime Masson

for Prof. Evelyne Hertel

In her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison depicts, through effective characterization and description, how slavery in the United States led to the loss of individuality within the black population. Upon arriving in the free state of Ohio, Baby Suggs begins to understand the unfathomable truth: she is the sole owner of her body. Slaveholders, such as Schoolteacher, attempt to control the minds and bodies of their slaves and eliminate any trace of selfhood. Consequently, once freed, ex-slaves, such as Baby Suggs, Stamp Paid, and Sethe, must begin the extensive reconstruction process of their long-lost individuality.

In order to maximize productivity, slaveholders attempt to gain ultimate control over their slaves by resorting to oppression and the annihilation of selfhood. While relating Baby Suggs’ past, references are made to “the self that was no self” (165). The ex-slave admits that “she knew more about [her children] than she knew about herself” (165). During her entire life as a slave, she was never given “the map to discover what she was like” as her owners tried to minimize the development of her personality (165). At Sweet Home, Mr. Garner’s successor, Schoolteacher, is definitely one of the cruelest slaveholders and greatest promoters of white supremacy. Following his arrival at 124 and his witnessing of Sethe’s wildness, he chastises his nephew, “see what happens when you overbeat creatures God has given you the responsibility of…” (176). In his opinion, slaves are not human beings; they are mere animals who must be tamed to avoid returning to their so-called “cannibal life” (177). Sixo was also a victim of Schoolteacher’s evil treatment. After stealing some food from the plantation and being caught, he attempts to explain his actions in terms of productivity to his narrow-minded master. Nevertheless, he is brutally beaten and vehemently told that “definitions belonged to the definers—not the defined” (225). How can slaves develop their individuality and build a personal identity when they are living under the shadow of constant threats, never knowing when their owners will strike?

Although most slaves have never experienced liberty, once a slave’s unconscious eleutheromania is fulfilled, an extensive process of individual reconstruction begins: ex-slaves must claim themselves and learn to glue their fragments back together to make themselves whole again. Upon arriving in free Ohioan territory, driven by her former master, Baby Suggs realizes that she has “her own heartbeat” and that her body belongs to herself: “ ‘These hands belong to me. These my hands’ ” (166). Her earthly mission does not consist in serving white people. Just like the “superior” race, black people, men and women alike, are human beings who ought to be allowed to progress, develop their selfhood, and enjoy life. In an attempt to enlighten other blacks about her revelation, Baby Suggs hosts activities in the Clearing and informs others about the importance of loving themselves wholly: “ ‘The dark, dark liver—love it, love it, and the beat and beating heart, love that too. More than eyes or feet. More than lungs that have yet to draw free air. More than your life-holding womb and your life-giving private parts … love your heart’ ” (104). In order to further advance and detach themselves from bondage, slaves change their identity. Stamp Paid, formerly known as Joshua, completely altered his name, marking the beginning of his new life and new social identity as a free man, that is, one who has no debt to anyone. Similarly, Baby Suggs decides to conserve her married name—instead of “Jenny Whitlow,” the official name written on her “sales ticket” (167). Building one’s own identity is a great step in the development of individuality. Even Sethe, following her courageous—yet nearly fatal—escape from Sweet Home and her settlement in 124 with Baby Suggs, begins her transformation as she finally fulfills her desire to love and take care of her children: “ ‘I couldn’t love em proper in Kentucky because they wasn’t mine to love’ ” (190).

Following a successful attempt to escape the hideous working and living conditions at a plantation, newly freed slaves are bound to begin an extensive process of individual development in which they learn to love themselves as equal human beings—and to focus, for the very first time, on their own personal interests.

Works Cited

Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Vintage. 1999.