slavery

天津外国语大学

应用外语教学中心英语双学位

英语阅读课学期论文

中文题目：《宠儿》中美国黑人奴隶的生存

英文题目：TheSurvivalOfAfricanAmerican

SlavesinBeloved

班级：

姓名：

学号：

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摘要

《宠儿》（1987）是普利策奖得主托妮·莫里森的小说，一直被视为一部美国文学经典。

《宠儿》说的是一个看似荒唐诡异的残暴故事：黑人女奴塞丝在逃跑的过程中亲手扼杀了自

己的女儿，为了不让她继续奴隶悲惨的命运。十几年后，鬼婴还魂前来阳间索债。《宠儿》

的基调是苦的。它像黑人音乐一样根植于悲伤。

在《宠儿》中，通过三代人不同的成长经历展现了处于弱势地位的黑人妇女在种族主义

和性别主义的双重压迫下艰难的心路历程。莫里森用她独特的视角讲述黑人妇女真实的处境，

使人们可以强烈深刻地感受到黑人妇女的痛苦经历。

关键词：托尼•莫里森；《宠儿》；奴隶制；创伤；反抗；生存

2

Abstract

Beloved(1987)een

dtellsabrutalstoryemsabsurd

omanSethethrottledhisdaughterinthewayofescape,fornotletting

rslater,theghostoftheinfant

esameasblackmusic

whichisrootedinsorrow.

ThroughBeloved,ToniMorrisonshowsthedifficultprocessofgrowthofthree

generationsoftheblackwomenwhoareinaweakpositionandinbothracistand

on,withheruniqueperspective,tellsabouttherealsituation

ofblackwomensothatpeoplecanfeelthepainfulexperiencesofblackwomen

stronglyanddeeply.

KeyWords：ToniMorrison;Beloved;Slavery;Trauma;Resistance;

Survival

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Introduction

InFebruary18,1931,ToniMorrisonwasborninCleveland,Ohio,nearthetown

heeditorofTheBlackBook,

1989,she

n

1993,the62-year-oldMorrisonwontheNobel

PrizeforLiterature.

ToniMorrisonistheonlyAfro-AmericanwomanwriterwhowinstheNobelPrize

irmsherrenownandmakesheroneofthemostinfluentialwriters

ongstothatera'sbestwritersandisoneofthemost

elis

famousfordistinctiveimages,khasalways

eBluestEyetoLove,

ea

fictionsofToniMorrison,thereisadistinctandeternalthemewhichcanbefeltand

touchedclearly:thetragiclifeoftheblackpeopleandtheconflictbetweenthewhite

hAcademy‘valuationonher:"Thenovelgives

theUnitedStatesaveryimportantaspectoftherealdynamicwithrichimagination

dwasrecognizedasMorrison'2006,it

wasregardedasthebestAmericannovelinrecent25yearsby"NewYorkTimes".

eblackslavewaspregnant,she

ter

rnotletherchildrenrepeattheirtragicfateof

slaves,sheresolutelykilledhisyoungdaughterBelovedwhocouldjustcrawl.18

yearslater,BelovedresurrectedbacktoearthandlivedwithSethe,Sethe‘sdaughter

DanFuandtheloverofPaul•notonlyobtainedextraloveofhermother

butalsohadluredPaul•anythingtodisruptanddestroythemother'slife.

tusofblackshadbeen

deniedthemeventherighttobecomeGod'r,theydon‘tbreakand

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don‘yand

freedom,confinementandescape,thisisallblacks‘fatesinceslaveryandracial

dalso

reflectsthistheme.

In1998thenovelwasadaptedintoafilmofthesamenamestarringOprah

lysandstudiesofBelovedinpreviousyearsmainlyfocusonthe

analysisofthetheme,

generationmakesitsownopinionsconcerningwhatthenovelisandwhatitoffers.

MypaperillustratesSethe‘srebellionagainsttheslaveryfromdifferentaspectsin

eethepercutionofslaveryontheirlivesandtheirstruggling

ronediscussblackslaves‘

rtworearchesthetwistedmotherlylove.

Chapterthreeanalyzesrebellionagainsttheslavery.

ChapterOnePsychologicalImpactofSlavery

Inthenovelwecanetheslaves‘,oneoftheslavesfrom

SweetHome,theplantationwhereBabySuggs,Sethe,Halle,he,andmanyother

slaveshadworkedinandeitherbeenfreedorrunawayfrom,s

triestomakethefamilymove

forwardintimeandleavethepastbehind.

Becauofthepainfulnatureoftheexperiencesofslavery,mostslaves

pression

anddissociationfromthepastcausafragmentationofthelfandalossoftrue

,verallexperiencethislossoflf,whichcouldonly

beremediedbytheacceptanceofthepastandthememoryoftheiroriginalidentities.

InawayBelovedrvestoopenthecharactersuptotheirrepresdmemories,

ysplitsapersonintoa

ntity,consistingofpainfulmemoriesandunspeakablepast,

deniedandkeptatbay,becomesa‗lfthatisnolf.‘Tohealandhumanize,one

mustconstituteitinalanguage,reorganizethepainfuleventsandretellthepainful

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ultofsuffering,the‗lf‘,subjecttoaviolentpracticeofmaking

andunmaking,,PaulD,and

BabySuggswhoallfallshortofsuchrealization,areunableto‗remake‘their‗lves‘

'lf'islocatedinaword,definedbyothers.

Thepowerliesintheaudience,ormoreprecily,intheword-oncetheword

changes,hecharactersinBelovedfacethechallengeofan

unmade'lf',compodoftheir'memories'anddefinedbyperceptionsandlanguage.

Thebarrierthatkeepsthemfrom'remaking'ofthe'lf'isthedesireforan

'uncomplicatedpast'andthefearthatrememberingwillleadthemto'aplacethey

couldn'tgetbackfrom'.

ChapterTwoTwistedMotherlyLove

InBeloved,Sethehastokillherdaughter,andundoubtedlythat‘ecuts

thebaby‘sthroat,

moment,Sethehasalreadybeguntofindsomewaystogetlibertyanddetermineherchildren‘s

cesherlftobethemurderofherdaughterundertheslaveryalthoughshe

estothisworldatawrongtime,andiskilledby

ecomesback,ndoftheBeloved,Morrison

writes:

Everybodyknewwhatshewascalled,butnobodyanywhereknewhername.

Disrememberedandunaccountedfor,shecannotbelostbecaunooneislookingfor

her,andeveniftheywere,howcantheycallheriftheyknowhername?Although

shehasclaim,lacewherelonggrassopens,thegirlwho

waitedtobelovedandcryshameeruptsintoherparateparts,tomakeiteasyforthe

chewinglaughtertoswallowherallaway.(Morrison274)

InSethe‘smind,ldstronglyfeelherrights

adeeperunderstandingofslaves‘lifewithherownpainful

rtoprotectherchildren,her,she

don‘ythingshewantstodoistoendthe

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baby‘ginningtotheend,shethinksit‘ulD,herboyfriend,knows

thetruthofthefactsaboutSethe‘skillingmatter,heaccusher―Yourloveistoothick‖.Butshe

answers,―Loveisoritain‘veain‘tloveatall.‖(Morrison164)Here,anationalitywhich

haslosttheirwordsforalongtimefinditsownsoundsandcharactersfromawoman.

ThematernalbondsthatconnectSethetoherchildreninhibitherown

evelopsadangerous

maternalpassionthatresultsinthemurderofonedaughter,herown―bestlf,‖and

theestrangementofthesurvivingdaughterfromtheblackcommunity,bothinan

attempttosalvageher―fantasyofthefuture,‖herchildren,fromalifeinslavery.

However,SethefailstorecognizeherdaughterDenver‘sneedforinteractionwiththis

finallysucceedsattheendof

thenovelinestablishingherownlfandembarkingonherindividuationwiththe

rytoDenver,Setheonlyreachesindividuationafter

Beloved‘xorcism,atwhichpointSethecanfullyacceptthefirstrelationshipthatis

completely―forher,‖lationshiprelievesSethe

fromtheensuingdestructionofherlfthatresultedfromthematernalbonds

dandSethearebothverymuchemotionallyimpairedasa

resultofSethe‘ycreatesasituationwhereamotheris

paratedfromherchild,,

mothersdonotknowthemlvestobeanythingexceptamother,sowhentheyare

unabletoprovidematernalcarefortheirchildren,ortheirchildrenaretakenaway

fromthem,rly,whenachildisparatedfromhis

orhermother,heorshelosthefamilialidentityassociatedwithmother-child

asneverabletoehermother‘strueface(becauhersmile

wasdistortedfromhavingspenttoomuchtime―withthebit‖)soshewasn‘tableto

connectwithherownmother,andthereforedoesnotknowhowtoconnecttoherown

children,rmore,theearliestneedachildhasis

relatedtothemother:straumatizedby

theexperienceofhavinghermilkstolenbecauitmeansshecannotformthe

symbolicbondbetweenherlfandherdaughter.

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ChapterThreeRebellionAgainsttheSlavery

Morrisonchoosthe124houonBluestoneRoadinCincinnatiasthesceneof

ghitwas18yearsagowhensheescapedfromthe

tillastrongmemoryinSethe‘smind.

ThereisamottoofIrishRevolution–―Youshouldsallyoutbyyourlfifyouwant

liberty‖(詹妮特467)—that‘ckwomen

o,peoplealwayssay

thatwherethereisoppression,ckwomen‘ssituationisbad,

emakingunremittingeffortstofindtheirways

‘eoftheslavery,grandma

BabySuggswasdeprivedofrightstobetheothers‘friend,daughter,wife,mother

andsoon,andshehadvenchildren,butwasallowedonlytoleaveherlittleson

hattime,thechildren

oftheslavemothersdon‘tbelongtothem;allofthemaretheprivatepropertyofthe

slaveowner,andlikethetoolsofworkers,theyaretreatedequaltothelivestock.

BabySuggshatestheWhitesverymuchandshehopesthereisaclearplaceleftfor

ntheWhitesbreakintotheyard,shecandonothing,butjustacceptit,

shehasbeenransomed,shehasno

hegetsfreedom,sherealizesthatiftheBlackswanttoget

liberty,theyshouldknowtheirownvalue,,inthe

woods,sheappealshercompatriotsforlovingthemlves:

Loveyourhands!thers

withthem,patthemtogether,strokethemonyoursface‘cautheydon‘t

toloveit,you!Andallyourinsidepartsthat

they‘djustassoonslopforhogs,k,

dark—loveit,loveit,andthebeatandbeatingheart,

an

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yourlife-holdingwombandyourlife-givingprivateparts,hearmenow,

sistheprize.(Morrison89)

Infact,thegetstoknow

thattheschoolteacherandhisnephewsaredoingrearchaboutblackslavesandput

Sethe‘s―humancharacteristicsontheleft;heranimalonesontheright,‖(Morrison

193)Sheisshockedandswearsthatshewouldneverallowherchild‘scharacteristics

tobeputontheanimal‘,whenherhusbandHalleandSixo‘sfirstescape

planfails,n,

Sethe‘ekills

herdaughter,ansthataslave

tedly,sheushercourageandstrengthto

eschoolteacheriscoming,Sethedecidestokillher

ecutsthebaby‘sthroat,she

moment,Sethe

hasalreadybeguntofindsomewaystogetlibertyanddetermineherchildren‘s

destinyherlf.

AndforDenver,attheendoftheBeloved,shefinallyrealizestheonlywayto

protecthermotheris―Shewouldhavetoleavetheyard,stepofftheedgeoftheworld,

leavethetwobehindandgoasksomebodyforhelp‖(Morrison243)―Knowit,andgo

.‖(Morrison244)Withtheencouragementofherpasd

grandma,Denverfinallyhasthecouragetogoouttheyard,andfoundherfirstjob,

thenthecond,ulDwantstoexpresshisopinionabout

Beloved,shestopshim,―Ihavemyown.‖(Morrison267)Denvergoesoutoftheyard

withlf-confidence,sheknowswhosheis,andfinallyshehasfoundheridentity.

Conclusion

ThroughBeloved,ToniMorrisonshowstheprocessofgrowthofthree

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generationrealizedtheirmiries,butthey

donotknowhowtochangethesituation,sotheyjustacceptthem;thecond

generationisunwillingtobeoppresd,ndof

thefiction,thethirdgenerationfinallyfindstheirownidentity,andthenbeginsto

buildupabetterfuture.

However,theydonotandwillnotstoptheirresistanceifthereisstillunequal

fetosaythattherevolutionoftheblackwomenis

likea―glassceiling‖.Theycanetheirprospectclearlybuttheystillhavea

ately,theygraduallygrowup

,the

blackwomenhavegreatstrengthandarefullofhope,andtheyarefollowingtheway

ofBabySuggs,Sethe,andDenver,andmakingtheirfuturemorewonderful.

athehadadreamthathischildrenwould

notbejudgedbythecoloroftheirskinbutthecontentoftheircharacter,itwas

understoodthatequalrightsforAfrican-AmericanswouldbegoodforallAmericans.

Likewi,whentheblackwomenhaveequalrightswithothersandwhenlaws

supportthepracticeofthatequality,peoplewillliveinabetterAmerica,andalsoina

,undoubtedly,thereasonwhyToniMorrisondeliberately

demonstratesthetragedyandgrowthoftheblackwomenthroughthestoryofBeloved.

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WorksCited

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3.屈婉玲.黑人女性的凝聚力[J].四川外国语学院学报，2005.

4.王守仁，吴新云.性别•种族•文化―托尼•莫里森与二十世纪美国黑人文学

[M].北京：北京大学出版社，1999.