Thank you, Mr. Achebe.

It is clear upon reading just the first few chapters of Morrison's novel that a thematic point in Beloved will include a loss of identity. Slavery has left Sethe, a former slave, in the graveyard of her child and in the absence of her runaway sons. She struggles as a human being to associate herself as one worthy of love and affection as she'd been enslaved, and she attempts to protect her child from her own ugly truth.The first thing I thought of as soon as I began to read the novel was how the identity, culture, and values of enslaved peoples had become lost in the shuffle of horrific trade. This immediately reminded me of Things Fall Apart, and I became overwhelmed with gratitude to have read that novel. Specifically, I'd never understood the complex, technologically sound nature of the communities from which enslaved peoples came. Also, the roots of so many cultural values in America today would be unclear to me, specifically musically as a New Orleanian. I'm so thankful to have made this connection and to understand how literature is built upon itself. This validates for me that conclusions, even those drawn distantly, can lead to understanding and educational growth.