We haven’t read much of Toni Morrison’s Beloved yet. However, we can already tell that colors are a prominent symbol/motif in the story.
First off, I would say it is very appropriate Afro Morrison to have included such a symbol because this story is clearly about race. More specifically, the story is about the history of African Americans and their ties to slavery. The thing that color is referring to is the color of African American considering that in the Jim Crow Laws era of the United States, African Americans were called “colored” people.
In the first chapter of the book we see color being used as a coping mechanism for Baby Suggs. Baby Suggs, before her death, was very depressed because of a life of slavery. When she was finally set free due to her son buying out her freedom, it did not make her happier considering that her son brought himself into slavery and because she was already too old to celebrate any kind of freedom. To distract herself from her old age and depression, she wishes to look at colored objects. This contrasts with what one usually sees right before death, whiteness (i.e. no color). Therefore, the idea of life vs death is presented with Baby death wanting to see colors because she herself is on the brink of death. She hopes that the colors bring her life but she remains on the fence of life and death.
We also see color when Paul D first enters Sethe’s home. Paul D, upon entering, walks into a red light which doesn’t feel natural to him. Sethe explains that this is due to the ghosts of her dead child and Baby Suggs remaining in the home. Their souls are disturbed and as a result they remain in the home. It is as if, even though the child and Baby Suggs are indeed not alive, they still are there, among the world of the living. It also makes sense that the light is red because the thing that gives us our very lives, blood, is also this color. Thus, once again, we see color presenting the idea of life vs death.
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Nice blog post, Rico. I think that the location really stands out in this story. As we know, the story begins in Cincinnati, Ohio which is in Ohio but sits right next to Kentucky. Ohio was a free state whereas Kentucky was a slave state. Therefore, Cincinnati would appear to have a conflicting values of slavery vs freedom which resembles the state of Sethe in her flashbacks during the opening chapter.
I like your post, Rico! I agree that color is very important thus far. This reminded me of a movie I had watched called Brooklyn. The main character is an Irish girl who moves to America, in hope of a better life, but has to leave her family behind. In the beginning, she blends in well in Ireland, which symbolizes that she fits in. When she goes to America, she stands out in her clothing, which means she doesn't fit in all the way. She starts wearing blues and greens because her heart starts to stand somewhere between Ireland and America, and the blues and greens represent the ocean in between them. When she returns back to Ireland for a brief period, she stands out and no longer fits in. I watched it a few years ago, but I've remembered that symbolism because I thought it was clever and well done. (Also, my favorite actress is in it, hehe. Saoirse Ronan!) As we continue to read our new book, I'll be sure to keep my eyes open for anymore possible connections to Brooklyn's use of color! :)
This is a really in depth analysis of color so far and I totally agree! I mentioned a few days earlier in class how the cover of the book is also red, but I would like to elaborate on it. Usually in such profound and famous pieces of litterateur; a lot of thought is put into the cover, usually conveying some symbol of motif found within the book. For example, "Catcher in the Rye" had an illustration of its overarching symbol of the carousel on its cover, and "One Hundred Years of Solitude's" cover depicted the wild and beautiful Utopia the town would soon be founded upon. Yet, the cover of "Beloved" is a solid red cover, but this may be purposeful. So far, our most powerful use of red has been used to signify the presence of the distressed ghost of Sethe's dead baby. It represents sorrow, anger, the supernatural, and perhaps even the past lingering in the present. SO far, we have also seen Baby Suggs and Sethe both holding onto and longing for the past. Therefore, we might expect the color red to make multiple re-appearances throughout the novel and be an important motif.
This is a really interesting observation! I love when movies and books include color as symbolism for different themes of the stories, and Beloved is no exception! The color motif didn't really click for me until Paul D came into the house and the red light literally washed over him. Using colors like this is such an interesting way to convey themes in motifs in novels, as well as in the cinema.
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