Beloved by Toni Morrison | Summary & Analysis

Summarize videos instantly with our Course Assistant plugin, and enjoy AI-generated quizzes: bit.ly/ch-ai-asst Toni Morrison's Beloved book summaries in under five minutes!
Kristen Over, Associate Professor at Northeastern Illinois University, provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Toni Morrison's famous novel Beloved.
Toni Morrison's Beloved, first published in 1987, tells the story of Sethe, an escaped slave. Tragically, Sethe murdered her own infant daughter rather than allow the child to grow up in slavery. This terrible past returns to haunt Sethe's home and family in the form of Beloved, a ghost that is central to all the events in the story.
In the novel, we encounter characters such as Baby Suggs, Paul D, Denver, and of course Beloved, whom we learn about in relation to Sethe, the protagonist. Themes such as identity, guilt, and past vs present are all explored in an unforgettable plot. It is a vital, haunting work in modern African-American literature that raised important, unanswered questions about America's history and culture.
Download the free study guide and infographic for Beloved here: www.coursehero...
Explore Course Hero’s collection of free literature study guides, Q&A pairs, and infographics here: www.coursehero...
About Course Hero:
Course Hero helps empower students and educators to succeed! We’re fueled by a passionate community of students and educators who share their course-specific knowledge and resources to help others learn. Learn more at www.coursehero.com.
Master Your Classes™ with Course Hero!
Get the latest updates:
Facebook: / coursehero
Twitter: / coursehero

[@shinkleihh]

a little less than a year ago, i had to do multiple paper one/two tests for an ib course. i can DEFINITELY say that taking notes on both this video and each individual chapter analysis video was more than enough - obviously, reading the book will always be the best option, but when you're in a pinch and need to scram,

[@carolthomas8528]

These videos have been a great help to me because we are reading Beloved in my book group .

[@glatrader5389]

Yeah me too this video is very helpful to me and my friends

[@sophiaetka22]

That’s a harsh topic for a book group. The book is graphic and honestly mortifying.

[@John_Malka-tits]

Condolences. If they didn't brainwash kids with this nonsense- NOBODY would put up with it

[@John_Malka-tits]

@@sophiaetka22 beloved was invented to have white people flagilate themselves for entertainment. Talk about mortifying.

[@blake7675]

If this is a correct analysis, why is this not allowed in schools in Virginia? This seems like a very good story to challenge a readers beliefs and inform them on what some slaves went through.

[@AB-yp4ll]

Because people are embarrassed that this is how some people used to be treated in the US, so instead they want to just ignore it so they don’t have to confront the harsh reality

[@smusser8854]

You answered you own question. It is a very real raw look at the pain and trauma of slavery. The people banning this book want to pretend this didn't happen. Or at least soften it.

[@John_Malka-tits]

Just because something is "true" doesn't make it appropriate to teach to kids. I trust that children will grow up LESS prejudiced just by themselves than adults constantly stepping in and pointing and saying "lookit that thar kneeeegrow ova there? You needa think about how you can takacara that man, or yer a bad person" We should encourage kids to fixate on race. We should teach them to be comfortable in THEIR OWN SKIN and to accept the differences in others.c

[@John_Malka-tits]

@@AB-yp4ll speak for yourself. I wouldn't ever recommend a child reads this book. This book is moral and physical TORTURE PORN. What in God's name would possess people to feel compelled to share this with children?

[@Veronica-jc8zf]

There’s sex scenes + graphic descriptions + crude language. Currently reading it rn in AP Literature as a HS Senior. I would call it 17+

[@WifeOfDJSteveHouston]

Great quick narration and explanation of the novel Beloved.

[@bravelizard494]

I loved the movie and almost finished the audiobook reading by Toni Morrison. The movie is scarier than the book but that might be the way Ms. Morrison reads through it.

[@rhondawaller8764]

Professor Over, you've done a magnificent job in unfolding the meaning of this book. Really enjoyed it.

[@loulouxx3642]

As a French who read the novel in English this was so helpful thank you

[@eseulkang2271]

Thank you. This clip’s really helpful for me to understand the novel!

[@John_Malka-tits]

It is pretty Obtuse isn't it?

[@shxbxnxxnsxri]

You've been so helpful I can't really thank you enough.

[@Zeldarw104]

Excellent work, I wish this video was an available tool when the film was first released, I had no context, or reference point in which to start watching a movie with so much deep, traumatic, with such complex human, characters, and with such a historical backdrop of pain and triumph -- Beloved. I did this movie such a disservice - I don't understand why the movie studio, assumed the movie public, had read the book it was just dropped like a bomb, and everyone just ran away from it, I must admit I was one of those people, wow.😑 I believe, I need to give this movie another watch first I'm going to purchase the book, on audible, I want to understand because this movie was given such bad-bad, reviews' by all the movie critics at the time, oh my goodness, I remember.🤔

[@John_Malka-tits]

Are you.. retarded or something?

[@tomurien9364]

great video, simple and clear, thank you for the work

[@vankudothmohan97]

Thank you

[@chanduyadav2444]

Very nice and simple

[@vanis5261]

Very nice one... Love to listen to your videos... Waiting for more

[@toryo2796]

thx

[@betty3797]

Course hero's videos are quite informative

[@panduranganarangar588]

Please would you give us the video of lost in the fun house

[@jadeacampbell5206]

I’m here to gain better understanding of the text, so that the movie don’t scare me anymore

[@Olalala1204]

1:52

[@Derrako]

I hope the book makes more sense than the film. It gave me nightmares. It had a pretentiousness I didn't appreciate.

[@lieslleora1085]

...this is horror, the stuff of human horror

[@John_Malka-tits]

It was nice of you to have an antithesis. This is technically a video essay and not a half assed summery. More that saying that opponents say "it's untrue" My biggest critique is the sheer self righteous tone, the transparent agenda and emotional blackmail this book employs to get what should be "a universal" message across. If you aren't free to criticise question or confirm something, it's trying to force ideas on you. If you aren't free to say "I don't agree with this" Then your "alliance" also doesn't mean anything when you compulsurally regurgitate it.

[@frenchdonut22]

The books agenda of being anti-slavery? Lol

[@John_Malka-tits]

@zane4956 *posted from phone made with child labor* Slavery abolishionists started their day with coffee and sugar grown and picked by slave hands. They put on work clothes made from slave cotton.. After a LONG, HARD, ARDUOUS DAY of "being anti slavery" and hob nobing with other slavery Abolishionists about how they all are SO GREAT for being of the CORRECT disposition- Those abolishionists would toast to their superiority to the slave owning states with a cup of RUM PRODUCED BY CARIBBEAN SLAVE LABOR. Being "anti slavery" while being the beneficiary of the fruits of that free labor is an EMPTY BOURGOIS PLATTITUTE. You wanna eat the cake of imperial industrial capital without having to recognise the fact that eggs were broken to get you that luxurious cake you enjoy every day. Being "anti slavery" is like ordering a "gluten free, sugar free, egg free, zero calorie cake". It's like saying "I'm against cruelty to animals" as a way to JUSTIFY eating at chick-fil-a 6 days a week. Toni Morrison is sucking on the teet of industrial capitalism. I don't see how scapegoating ghosts of the past do anything but put people in denial, makes them feel powerless and keeps people in the SUNKEN SPACE. Being anti slavery didn't end slavery- Technological change making slaves redundant and too expensive compared to machines- Oh yeah and the bloodiest war in american history is what ENDED slavery. How conceited are you to think your opinion matter that much?? South African gold miners aren't going to consult YOUR moral opinion before putting an AK74 to a group on 9 year Olds and telling them to get back in the Samsung gold mine. Cotton producers didn't ask tea tottling sexually frustrated Yankees if "slavery was justified" before selling them cotton- Yankees didn't consider that they rely on slavery for a modern life. "It's none of my business where the sugar in my tea came from *sips*" Sure "anti slavery" and five bucks will get you a cup of coffee, these days.

[@118Columbus]

Woke woke woke woke woke woke / can you even talk about the text itself? Burning Shakespeare much?