
                                INTRODUCTION

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Beloved is a contemporary novel with the appeal of a ghost story, a
mystery, and a work of historical fiction. It is a complex literary work
which will challenge sophisticated teenage readers to piece together the
story line and haunt them with descriptions of how black people were
treated before, during, and directly after the Civil War. It will acquaint
them with three generations of women--one who was born in Africa and
brought to America as a slave, her daughter-in-law who suffered so terribly
as a slave she would do anything to prevent her children from being raised
in slavery, and her grandaughter who, saved from slavery by her mother's
outrageous action, represents hope for future generations of black females.
They will also meet Paul D, a black man, ex-slave, and escaped convict, who
helps the women in the story put the past into a workable perspective. And
they will meet Beloved, the ghost whose presence is keenly felt by all who
encounter her, even if only through the written word.

This teacher's guide presents an approach to Beloved that encourages
student involvement when studying the novel. It emphasizes the significance
this literary work holds for the lives of its readers. Many of the
activities suggested are inductive, frequently relying upon the reader's
experience while reading the work and the sharing of individual experiences
with other readers. The approach is designed to incorporate reading,
writing, speaking, listening, and creative thinking as they relate to the
literary work.

This guide is divided into three sections. The first section offers an
overview of the novel which includes a synopsis of the plot, a commentary
on the novel, an introduction to Toni Morrison's life, and some historical
commentary about slave narratives. This information is provided as a review
for the teacher, to aid in answering questions students may ask or to
assist in directing interested students toward further research in these
areas. The second section contains suggestions for teaching Beloved. These
activities are arranged according to effective times to introduce
them--either before, during, or after reading the novel. The third section
provides ideas for extending the students' learning to include current
events, literary criticism, and other literary works.

Beloved won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; it was a 1988 National
Book Award Finalist and a 1988 National Book Critics Circle Nomination. It
was also selected by the American Library Association's Booklist as one of
the best books for young adults written in the 1980s. It is truly a story
worth reading, but one that should probably be reserved for advanced
students due to the complexity of the plot and the mature subject matter.
The novel's sexual explicitness, violence, language, and criticism of white
people and the historical past of the United States may make it a target
for censors. To avoid censorship of the novel, teachers may want to develop
a written rationale for teaching the novel. Critical points to include in
the rationale are the importance of the black perspective in literature
about slavery, the contextual significance of the explicit sex, violence,
and language to the novel's overriding message about the abhorrent
institution of slavery, and the novel's literary merit. Having an
alternative work available for students who find the novel objectionable is
strongly advised.

The plot of Beloved may seem confusing to students because it unfolds in
bits and pieces as different characters remember and share their
experiences. Many of their memories, or rememories, as Morrison calls them,
have been long repressed. Uncovering them is a slow, painful process and
does not always follow a linear pattern. Various characters add their
stories and perspectives to round out the plot as people try to explain to
themselves and others what took place and why. This indirect way of
discovering what happened puts the reader in a situation similar to that of
the characters, although the reader has the advantage of an omniscient
narrator.

The following synopsis lists Beloved's plot in chronological order, rather
than in the "bits and pieces" order of the novel. It is not meant to
replace the reader's challenge of disentangling the plot, but to provide a
reference for the teacher. Along with a clear understanding of the plot,
the teacher should be prepared to explain or discuss such topics as
prostitution. bestiality, and sexual abuse of female slaves as these
situations occur in the story and students may have questions about them.

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