In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, memory and trauma or two of the most recurring motifs throughout the novel. These motifs stood out to me particularly in reading the section we have read so far given that these two concepts are illustrated in such different ways. More specifically, these motifs mean such different things to each of the characters despite having somewhat mainly shared experiences.
A scene that I think of when I think of memory in Beloved is the conversation between Paul and Sethe in chapter 7, when Paul tells a story of him and Halle together after the boys had ‘taken Sethe’s milk’. Paul describes Halle working churning butter and himself with a bit around his mouth, preventing him from speaking to Halle. Paul also recalls the roosters roaming around freely while he stood with the bit in his mouth, illuminating a shame of being almost lesser than an animal.
Interestingly, the way this conversation even gets brought up is when Paul confronts Sethe and Denver about his distrust towards Beloved. Ultimately, Beloved starts this conversation, which is strange because she has nothing to do with what Paul later talks about. This seems to be a pattern involved with the motif of memory throughout the novel in that Beloved seems to bring out memories in people.
Another example of this is when she asks Sethe about the crystal earrings she received from Mrs. Gardner as a gift of marrying Halle. She continues into her past, as she tells of her mother and the branding on her chest Sethe could not see as she died hanging.
Here, Beloved encourages memory and remembrance more directly. With these two instances, it seems as though her character provides a way for both Sethe and Paul to become more comfortable with the past and acknowledge its existence.