Toni Morrison s Beloved Moral Ambiguity - 1108 Words

Moral Ambiguity in Beloved Toni Morrison’s classic novel, Beloved, can be briefly summarized as a story with woman who is living in both the horrible aftermath of slavery, as well as her action of murdering her baby child in an attempt to save her from slavery. This story is based on the true story of Margaret Garner, who killed her own child and attempted to kill her other children instead of willfully letting them all return to lives of slavery. While slavery is today clearly classified as wrong by the vast majority of civilized society, as is infanticide, the event that takes place in this book is not as black and white. These instances of a grayer side of morality represent a sort of moral ambiguity that runs rampant throughout the entire novel. The example that is of paramount importance is when Sethe, the protagonist of the story, murders her child in order to save the child from a life of slavery. While at first glance, this act may seem wrong to modern readers, there is actually some evidence th at, when thought about, justifies Sethe’s actions. Sethe lives in the shadow of her act of infanticide throughout the entire length of the book. This is because its legacy pervades itself throughout the entire novel, showing events leading up, and ways the future has been affected. The novel begins as such: â€Å"124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom. (Page 1)† This baby refers to Beloved, who became a ghostly presence in Sethe’s house and continuously terrorizes the houseShow MoreRelatedTwo Contrasting Views of Slavery in Literature: Beloved and American Negro Slavery2068 Words   |  9 PagesIn this essay, I will be examining the works of two authors on the topic of slavery in America: Ulrich B. Phillips American Negro Slavery (1918) and Toni Morrison Beloved (1987). One writes as a Southerner and a historian who is defending southern slaveholders and draws upon contemporary racial theory to justify the system as beneficial to African Americans. The other writes as an African-American woman who is looking to write women into history and in doing so, add a female voice to the pastRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Beloved `` By Toni Morrison2353 Words   |  10 PagesAs a contemporary novel, Beloved also resembles the work of historical fiction. Morrison s work accentuates popular black culture, as well as art, music and literature. In addition, Morrison is known for the juxtaposition of her novels and combination of bliss and agony as well as amusement and tears. These combinations can be compared with those of the blues and jazz music. In addition to this sense of culture that Morrison adds to her works, the legacy of black female writers play a key role inRead MoreBrief Survey of American Literature3339 Words   |  14 PagesTranscendentalism As the leader of this movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson interpreted transcendentalism as â€Å"whatever belongs to the class of intuitive thought,† and as â€Å"idealism as it appears in 1842.† He believed that the transcendental law was the â€Å"moral law† through which man discovered the nature of God as a living spirit. Three Sources It was a system of thought that originated from three sources. First, American Unitarianism. It represented a thoughtful revolt against orthodox Puritanism. Unitarianism

The Importance Of Pride In The Kite Runner - 1608 Words

Humans have been known to take the majority of actions solely for their own personal gain, especially if the outcome allows them to receive praise and public recognition. In many different cultures, pride is a quality character trait because of the respect and honor that come with it. Amir, an Afghan boy in the novel, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, is pressured by his society’s view on pride because of its importance in his culture. In addition, the high standards that his father has set by being a highly successful and idolized businessman add to the expectation that Amir must follow in his father’s footsteps to create a good life for himself. In his younger years, Amir’s views on pride were solely based off of others. His†¦show more content†¦Since many people who saw how hard he had worked to finish this project were there listening to his speech, Amir’s father gains this feeling of pride that all Afghans strive to attain, one which c omes publicly and through the strong approval of peers. Since the â€Å"people stood up and cheered†, â€Å"clapped for a long time†, and â€Å"shook his [Baba’s] hand†, it is clear that they recognize the hard work that Baba has put into making the orphanage. Even though Baba may have partially wanted to build the orphanage to provide a safe haven for children who needed help and shelter, he also wanted to do it to show how well-rounded he was. After all, Baba wasn’t a proficient architect, or even a normal architect; he wanted to show to his peers that he could accomplish whatever he set his mind to. Baba makes a big deal out of the grand opening so everyone can see this great deed that he’s done while showcasing his talents and ability to succeed in things that are new and unfamiliar to him. He achieves this spectacularly, evident through all of the people who sat in chairs and even a â€Å"lot of people [who] had to stand to watch the opening ceremony† (14). After the speech, his whole audience congratulates him, boosting his self esteem and sense of pride. Another example of Afghan pride can be seen when Baba is being doubted by those surrounding him. When the â€Å"...people were alwaysShow MoreRelatedThe Kite Runner Analysis1526 Words   |  7 Pageswith his childhood enemy Assef and Hassan’s rape relates to the violence of the islamic revolution and chaos of Afghanistan, which illustrates the importance of the past, the feeling of guilt and the redemption for one’s past sins. Khaled Hosseini regained control of the beauty of Afghanistan, especially the city of Kabul, in his novel The Kite Runner. He narrates the turbulent journey of a man named Amir, who is haunted by his past and the ghosts of his sins. The novel is not just the history ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Khaled Hosseini s The Kite Runner 1256 Words   |  6 Pagesunaware. When, you could call yourself the superior one, just because of the unfortunate misinterpretation of the society of power, as greatness. That is when one realizes that the abuse of power has ensued. Several instances in the novel, ‘The Kite Runner’, by Khaled Hosseini, occur where authority has been mistaken for enormity. Baba s expectations out of Amir and his tactics of dominance towards making Amir into someone he desires, is the power, mistook as magnitude. Also, the element that babaRead MoreThe Story Of Amir And Hassan s Development1104 Words   |  5 Pagesstory manifests itself in their decisions by having t he ‘onion’ become a second choice in any situation the characters face, but the onion being different for Amir and Hassan due to which option they are inclined to always choose. The foremost importance of the onion in the story is that it represents a choice that was not taken. The story follows a poor man who must cry into a cup to get gold, so he sacrifices his wife to cry, but ends up heartbroken and not happy in the end. After Hassan finishesRead MoreThe Importance Of Father Son Relationship In The Kite Runner1335 Words   |  6 PagesThis quote contributes to the understanding of one of the many themes of The Kite Runner, which is the importance of a father-son relationship. Amir desperately tries to understand his father because he feels that he does not reach Baba’s high expectations, which he conveys by saying that he may â€Å"disappoint him again.† So, this drives him to want to do anything to make Baba proud. However, he even fails to understand his father’s one main principle: theft is sin. As a result of the confusion betweenRead MoreThe Prophet Of Small Things By Jhumpa Lahiri2316 Words   |  10 PagesThe four texts â⠂¬Å"The Namesake† by Jhumpa Lahiri, â€Å"The God of Small Things† by Arundhati Roy, â€Å"The Kite Runner† by Khaled Hosseini and â€Å"The Inheritance of Loss† by Kiran Desai all share the theme of a struggle for identity either though geographic, political or cultural displacement. Both â€Å"The Namesake† and â€Å"The God of Small Things† are examples of post-colonial literature. Through their themes and settings, they both show the repercussions of post-colonialism, cultural shift, suppression, migrationRead MoreBelonging - the Kite Runner Essay1399 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, ironically, these barriers that present hardship can truly liberate an individual and help them in finding a more fulfilled state of belonging. These ideas are explored in Shakespeare’s play, As You Like It and Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner. Barriers to belonging are evident in the play in ‘As you like it’ and are explored through gender paradigms, and social structures. Particularly through the relationship between Rosalind and Duke Frederick. Due to the usurpation of her fatherRead MoreThe Kite Runner Analysis 1844 Words   |  8 PagesTherefore, being a father is very difficult, having to overcome obstacles and being strong for each other. A well-known saying â€Å"like father, like son† is evident in this novel by the different ties of relationship each character had. In the novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini proves that there is need of a fatherly figure when growing up. Having a father-son bond helps the child differentiate right from wrong. The relationship which demonstrates the need of a father figure is depicted by Baba and AmirRead MoreEthics And Virtue Ethics By Russ Shafer Landau1791 Words   |  8 PagesNicomachean Ethics and as it is expressed in the pages of The Fundamentals of Ethics by Russ Shafer-Landau is a complex and dubious notion. It is one that is easily related to characters in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. More specifically, Shafer-Landau writes a lot about the importance of normative ethics, virtue ethics, and moral education, complexity, and wisdom. Normative ethics can be explained as the moral relationship one has with another and what moral obligation a person has to upholdRead MoreA Thousand Splendid Suns By Khaled Hosseini1421 Words   |  6 Pagesfinds a box of personal items left by Jalil to Mariam after his death. Among other items, Laila finds money intended for Mariam, and she and her family settle down in their hometown. Reflection on Culture: What I found most interesting about the importance of setting in A Thousand Splendid Suns is how fundamentally different the atmosphere was and is for women. Certainly, the Taliban’s extremely repressive politics and laws have been given significant airtime, however, it is hard to think of a moreRead MoreThe Kite Runner Essay2862 Words   |  12 PagesThe Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini Chapters 1-5 (PP. 1-47) Reading Questions 1. The novel begins with a flashback. What do you think is its purpose? What do you learn about the narrator? The purpose of the book in my opinion is to set up the setting of the main idea of the book and to give the readers Amir’s opinion on his fellow characters, so they can see the main idea. You learn about Amir’s life and how this event has affected him. 2. Who is Hassan? Describe him physically. What

Fried Green Tomatos free essay sample

Fried Green Tomatoes is a novel written by Fannie Flag and the setting is in the 1930’s. The novel, made national blockbuster by Jon Avnet, is a story of two women and the right to live and be free in a world where anything outside of â€Å"the norm† was hard for others to understand. Cited in the text of Women and Gender, a radical feminist Rebecca West (1913) said, â€Å"I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat† (p. 6). This analysis paper will discuss the three views of feminism, radical, liberal, and cultural. Radical feminism is about domination and male control. According to Crawford and Unger, â€Å"Women as a group are oppressed, not by their biology or social class, but by men as a group† (p. 7). The film Fried Green Tomatoes fits in with radical feminism, for the abuse handed to Ruth from her husband seemed to be very brutal. Physical abuse is not the only form of abuse, for the verbal and overall controlling dominance is overbearing for anyone. â€Å"In other words, the power of men over women in society is expressed and acted out not only in sexual violence but also in male control of the very definition and meaning of sexuality (MacKinnon, 1994). Chapter 13 of the text Women and Gender explains the intimidation, criticism, threats, and humiliation of partner abuse. Radical feminism does not just speak of physical abuse, for mental abuse can be just as damning to a woman or man for that matter. In the movie, Ruth had a black eye at one point, was being carried up the stairs over her husband’s shoulder and pushed down the stairs of their home. That was a form of physical abuse. The scene where her husband comes in dressed in a KKK outfit, not only showed intimidation toward her about taking the baby, but against the caring black people that were family to Ruth. That was a form of intimidation and threats. According to Crawford and Unger, Liberal feminism is about equality between females and males. Chapter 6 of our Women and Gender text talks gender roles and the scripts ones follow for girls and boys. â€Å"Baby girls were dressed in pink, puffed sleeves, ruffles, and lace, whereas boys were dressed in blue or sometimes red, but nothing ruffled or pink (Shakin, Shakin, Sternglanz, (1985). The scene where Idgie is in her sister’s wedding at a young age is a very good example of a gender role. Idgie is ridiculed by an older sibling for being in a dress with a bow in her hair. Idgie is a tomboy little girl and this goes against the gender norm of a little girl. The mother tried so hard to tell her how pretty Idgie looked, but Idgie in the end was dressed in her â€Å"tomboy attire for the wedding†. Therefore instead of the cute little dress and the bow in Idgie’s hair, she had on a yellow/gold short suit. â€Å"Appropriate distinctions are very important if two genders are to be constructed. Gender-appropriate behaviors must be elicited from the infant and reinforced when they occur. Girls’ more delicate and restrictive attire can inhibit play and promote gender-stereotypic behavior. Kathy Bates played a lonely housewife, Evelyn Couch, trying to gain any kind of attention from her husband. Liberal feminism is about equality, but can it be equality of the same sex? One example in the movie is when Evelyn had her blinker for a parking place in a grocery store parking lot. These two ladies in a VW Bug wheeled in and took the spot and this infuriated Evelyn, especially when the lady said she was â€Å"younger and quicker. † Evelyn in the film was always being â€Å"run over† per say, from others that were younger than her. Being treated as an equal from opposite sex, same sex, younger, older, or people of other ethnicity can make one feel liberal. According to Crawford and Unger, â€Å"Cultural feminism emphasizes differences between women and men. This perspective stresses that qualities characteristic of women have been devalued and should be honored and respected in society† (p. 7). One belief is that women can be more nurturing than men. Ruth, for example, was a very nurturing character in Fried Green Tomatoes. Not only to her son but to all her admired her. Evelyn Couch, on the other hand, wanted to feel needed and valuable to her husband. Evelyn started attending a group therapy class for women on how to rekindle her marriage. The several ways in which to get her husband to notice her did not seem to work. The expectations of women from men are to be there to nurture when men are ready, stay home and make sure their needs are taken care of. In the text of Reading Women’s Lives, Judy Syfers (1972) I Want a Wife, is a very good example of cultural feminism. â€Å"I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife that cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. (p. 36). † These are the types of events that took place when Evelyn was trying to get her husband to notice her, to feel valuable to him again. When Evelyn Couch stopped paying attention to her husband so much and focusing on herself and her needs, it is then that he realized what a pompous ass he had been. As we wrap this course up on Psychology of Women, I have learned so much on radical, cultural, and liberal feminism. For women not be beaten, ridiculed, or imitated by their male partner. Be able to be a liberal person. Be the person on the outside that you are on the inside without being judged by others in your life, job setting, church, or community. Most of all: Cultural Feminism. The feeling of being valuable to someone or for something is a wonderful feeling. Whether you are a man or a woman, we all want the same thing.