Date written: November 4, 2013
Blog by: Arlesia Grace McGowan
Blog by: Arlesia Grace McGowan
One of the main themes that Beloved was centered around was slavery's destruction of identity: how slavery can tear one human apart to the next. Just as Toni Morrison's Beloved expanded on the physical, emotional, devastation brought through Slavery, such theme is also identified in Steve McQueen's film 12 Years a Slave.
Even though Sethe in Beloved releases herself from slavery, she is still held captive by its effects it once had on her. She is free, but not "free" or rather she cannot seem to escape from the negative psychological impact and tends to alienate herself as she so does in house 124, and she seems to be held captive by her past, through the death of her mother, her children being taken from her, and the ghost of her child. Slaves as we all know were treated like animals and were subhuman and traded like objects for money. Although the white man treated the act as a common practice, to the slave it was continual deprivation of character. In 12 Years a Slave, Solomon Northup, a free man who had everything, is stripped from his successful career and is made to suffer through the awful torments. His master for part of the movie, Edwin Epps cruelly robs him of his spiritual, emotional, and physical riches, believing that abusing Northup and his slaves is "bibically correct."
In his article "12 Years a Slave, and art's commentary on the past" http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/richard-cohen-12-years-a-slave-and-arts-commentary-on-the-past/2013/11/04/f0e57a92-4588-11e3-b6f8-3782ff6cb769_story.html for Washington Post, Richard Cohen claims that 12 Years a Slave represents "...the sheer barbarity of American Slavery" and also claims that "Slavery was a lifetime's condemnation to an often violent hell in which people were deprived of life, liberty and, too often, their own children. Happiness could not be pursued after that." which reinforces my point in Beloved because again Sethe and Denver's lives are more difficult because of where they came from. As I mentioned earlier, the fact that Sethe and Denver were free didn't really matter. Life still was dark and difficult and the spirit of the baby that Sethe has killed still continued to haunt her. Perhaps if she had never been a slave,she wouldn't have to go out of her way to "protect" her baby by killing it. Perhaps if Solomon Northup wouldn't have been taken into captivity he would not have to suffer from the memories of the legacy of his past ancestors that he was introduced to. He may have been taken back to his home after 12 years of captivity, but never will he forget what he had to endure.
However, just as Denver was over come by the heavy spirit of Beloved and her mother, Northup was over come by the hypocrisy of the people who treated slavery as a common practice. Nevertheless, these two chose to fight against their difficulties in which put them in a better place physically not as much mentally and spiriually. I had to mention this comparison because the determination to get out of their situations were invigorating in every way. It signified the tenacious spirit that is kindled in every slaves mentality and Sethe and Northup really represented that.
On a final note, Denver, Sethe, and Northup all ended up running away from their problems but they were targeted by slavery's deadly aim from a psychological standpoint and it is amazing for any human escape from that kind of dehumanization. They may have ran, but they will never really be able to get away from their haunting past.
Arlesia Grace McGowan
Period 8
Even though Sethe in Beloved releases herself from slavery, she is still held captive by its effects it once had on her. She is free, but not "free" or rather she cannot seem to escape from the negative psychological impact and tends to alienate herself as she so does in house 124, and she seems to be held captive by her past, through the death of her mother, her children being taken from her, and the ghost of her child. Slaves as we all know were treated like animals and were subhuman and traded like objects for money. Although the white man treated the act as a common practice, to the slave it was continual deprivation of character. In 12 Years a Slave, Solomon Northup, a free man who had everything, is stripped from his successful career and is made to suffer through the awful torments. His master for part of the movie, Edwin Epps cruelly robs him of his spiritual, emotional, and physical riches, believing that abusing Northup and his slaves is "bibically correct."In his article "12 Years a Slave, and art's commentary on the past" http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/richard-cohen-12-years-a-slave-and-arts-commentary-on-the-past/2013/11/04/f0e57a92-4588-11e3-b6f8-3782ff6cb769_story.html for Washington Post, Richard Cohen claims that 12 Years a Slave represents "...the sheer barbarity of American Slavery" and also claims that "Slavery was a lifetime's condemnation to an often violent hell in which people were deprived of life, liberty and, too often, their own children. Happiness could not be pursued after that." which reinforces my point in Beloved because again Sethe and Denver's lives are more difficult because of where they came from. As I mentioned earlier, the fact that Sethe and Denver were free didn't really matter. Life still was dark and difficult and the spirit of the baby that Sethe has killed still continued to haunt her. Perhaps if she had never been a slave,she wouldn't have to go out of her way to "protect" her baby by killing it. Perhaps if Solomon Northup wouldn't have been taken into captivity he would not have to suffer from the memories of the legacy of his past ancestors that he was introduced to. He may have been taken back to his home after 12 years of captivity, but never will he forget what he had to endure.
However, just as Denver was over come by the heavy spirit of Beloved and her mother, Northup was over come by the hypocrisy of the people who treated slavery as a common practice. Nevertheless, these two chose to fight against their difficulties in which put them in a better place physically not as much mentally and spiriually. I had to mention this comparison because the determination to get out of their situations were invigorating in every way. It signified the tenacious spirit that is kindled in every slaves mentality and Sethe and Northup really represented that.
On a final note, Denver, Sethe, and Northup all ended up running away from their problems but they were targeted by slavery's deadly aim from a psychological standpoint and it is amazing for any human escape from that kind of dehumanization. They may have ran, but they will never really be able to get away from their haunting past.
Arlesia Grace McGowan
Period 8
