Toni Morrison Biography

Although reared in the North, Toni Morrison is the genetic and historical offspring of southern traditions. These traditions derive from her maternal grandfather, a carpenter and farmer who, seeing no chance for advancement in Kentucky’s racism and poverty, moved his family to Ohio. Morrison’s father, sharecropper George Wofford, had similar […]

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Character Analysis Denver

With the loss of her brothers and grandmother, Denver becomes increasingly isolated and self-centered. Even as a young adult, her attitude is still very childlike; for instance, she behaves rudely when Paul D arrives and wants only to hear stories about herself. Denver’s initial immaturity demonstrates how Sethe’s inability to […]

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Character Analysis Beloved

Because Sethe’s mother came from Africa, the experience that Beloved remembers is also Sethe’s mother’s experience. In a sense, Beloved is not only Sethe’s daughter but her mother as well. Because Beloved is supernatural and represents the spirit of multiple people, Morrison doesn’t develop her character as an individual. Beloved […]

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Character Analysis Sethe

Much of Sethe’s internal struggle also derives from her ambiguous relationship with her mother. Because of the long hours her mother worked, Sethe barely knew her. However, through Nan she knows that she was the product of a loving union. Of all her mother’s children, Sethe was the only one […]

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