1. “Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” – Sethe
2. “Love is or it ain’t. Thin love ain’t love at all.” – Sethe
3. “Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.” – Sethe
4. “She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.” – Sethe
5. “I don’t have to remember nothing. I remember everything.” – Sethe
6. “If a house burns down, it’s gone, but the place—the picture of it—stays, and not just in my rememory, but out there, in the world.” – Sethe
7. “In this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard.” – Baby Suggs
8. “You your best thing, Sethe.” – Beloved
9. “Lonely, ain’t it? Yes, but my lonely is mine. Now your lonely is somebody else’s. Made by somebody else and handed to you.” – Beloved
10. “I am not my best thing.” – Sethe
11. “It’s funny. Time never moved so quickly as it did then, and it’s never moved so slowly as it does now.” – Sethe
12. “Something that is loved is never lost.” – Denver
13. “Not a house in the country ain’t packed to its rafters with some dead Negro’s grief.” – Stamp Paid
14. “What she was, was alive. Suffering like a mother.” – Denver
15. “Everything depends on knowing how much to do with what. Take what you can, but be smart about it.” – Paul D
16. “Me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.” – Paul D
17. “They do not love your mouth. Or your hands. Or the place between your legs.” – Sethe
18. “Love is never any better than the lover.” – Sethe
19. “You can beat a horse and that horse will still love you, but if you’re a nigger, love won’t help.” – Schoolteacher
20. “For a used-to-be slave woman to love anything that much was dangerous, especially if it was her children she had settled on to love.” – Sethe
21. “He wants to put his story next to hers.” – Beloved
22. “What you do to children matters. And they might never forget.” – Baby Suggs
23. “It’s my job to know what’s hurtin’ you. It’s my job.” – Sethe
24. “There is a loneliness that can be rocked. Arms crossed, knees drawn up, holding, holding on, this motion, unlike a ship’s, smooths and contains the rocker. It’s an inside kind—wrapped tight like skin.” – Sethe
25. “You your best thing, Sethe. You are.” – Denver
Summary:
Beloved tells the story of Sethe, a former slave who has escaped to Ohio in the years following the American Civil War. However, Sethe is haunted by the memories of her past, particularly the ghost of her baby daughter, whom she killed in a desperate attempt to save her from a life of slavery. Sethe’s life is further disrupted when a mysterious young woman named Beloved appears at her doorstep, bringing with her a powerful and unsettling presence.
The novel explores themes of memory, trauma, and the psychological impact of slavery on individuals and communities. It delves into the complexities of identity, motherhood, and the search for freedom and self-acceptance. Through vivid storytelling and poetic language, Toni Morrison weaves together the narratives of various characters, shedding light on the brutal legacy of slavery and the lasting scars it leaves on both the individual and collective psyche.
Beloved is a poignant and emotionally charged work that examines the depths of human experience, the resilience of the human spirit, and the power of love and healing. It is a powerful exploration of history, memory, and the haunting effects of trauma, offering profound insights into the human condition and the enduring struggle for freedom and self-redemption.
