“definitions belonged to the definers—not the defined.” – Schoolteacher (Beloved)
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| from http://www.marketingtechnews.net/news/2013/may/17/11-tips-for-creating-great-brand-names/ |
Greetings, Students.
Think about the names in the novel Beloved and what is named
and unnamed in the novel. You may have
your own ideas about names in the novel or you may want to think about Beloved’s
name and origin. The unnamed ‘she’ that
Beloved is always seeking is another instance of naming worth considering.
Draw connections between Schoolteacher’s quote and
instances of naming in the novel. You may want to also consider drawing connections between the
quote and other instances of naming
American culture.
Dr. Hill
ReplyDeleteI think the naming of Beloved is somewhat ironic. Though Sethe believes that killing her daughter was the upmost sign of motherly love, Beloved probably doesn’t understand the meaning behind her name. It seems as if she still needs Sethe to prove her love, when really she wanted to save her the trauma of the life as a slave. So, while in Sethe’s eyes Beloved was a very loved and cared for baby, to everyone else the name seemed empty and artificial.
I think the reason that Toni Morrison did not name some people in the book is because I believe she wants the readers to think about the personalities of the characters opposed to her just coming out and telling us. Also, the names that she does give, have significance to each individual character. for example, all the Paul's are named the same name because they don't have a huge role in the book. The only brothers that are named are Sixo and Halle and these two are named because they play bigger roles in the book.
ReplyDeleteI think the naming in Beloved is very interesting and I say that because there is a reason to every name in the novel including the 'she' that Beloved talks about. I think the unnamed she is Sethe only because she never Calls her mother or mommy and she doesn't even call her by her name so she has to be talking about Sethe.
ReplyDeleteIn beloved naming is done by those around characters not the character him or herself. Beloved for instance, didn't do anything to define herself as beloved. It was through Sethe's decisions and actions that Beloved obtained her name, as well as how she is seen and defined by others.
ReplyDeleteKelly makes a good point ^ that the less important people's names aren't mentioned because she wants us to focus on the personalities instead. For example, schoolteacher is a minor character but played a big role in the mentality and psychic of Sethe and Paul D. The name schoolteacher also demonstrates that the slaves and people that knew him could not care less about his name because of the trauma he caused in their life. Morrison names the previous slave owners, the Garner's, because they did not stir up trouble among the slaves.
ReplyDeleteBeloved, both the ghost and the character don't have actual names to identify themselves, just more of a symbol for the reader to realize that they are there. I think that Toni Morrison does this in order to personify what really isn't there. It gives the readers a deeper understanding of the real characters such as Sethe and Denver.
ReplyDelete