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Lesson 1

We will discuss the Section Diagnostic and meet the character Beloved. We will take notes on our Character Note-Taking Tools, paying attention to the relationships between characters. Additionally, we will solidify our understanding of the text by answering text-dependent questions and evaluating Toni Morrison’s artistic craft by analyzing specific portions of the text.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I make inferences and use evidence to support understanding of pages 60–86 in Beloved?

  • Can I analyze relationships among thematic development, characterization, point of view, significance of setting, and plot in Beloved?

  • Can I analyze how the behaviors and underlying motivations of Beloved, Sethe, Paul D., and Denver contribute to moral dilemmas that influence the plot and themes?

  • Can I evaluate how Morrison’s diction and syntax contribute to the mood and tone of Beloved?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Beloved, Toni Morrison, Vintage Books, 2004

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss – Write

We will discuss the unit’s Section Diagnostic and make a personal connection to it by completing a quick-write in our Learning Log.

Read the Section 2 Diagnostic prompt:

With an understanding of how Morrison utilizes the literary element of flashback, write your own narrative vignette that includes a flashback.

Use the following questions to guide a discussion with a partner or small group:

  1. What interests you about the prompt?

  2. What confuses you about the prompt?

  3. Can you provide a definition or example of flashback?

In your Learning Log, write a response to Question 3. You will return to this initial response in later lessons to examine whether your understanding of flashbacks has evolved.

Activity 2: Read – Write – Discuss

We will read pages 60–75 of the novel and take notes in our character Note-Taking Tool. We will also answer text-dependent questions and discuss the responses.

Step 1

Read and annotate pages 60-75 of Beloved independently during class. As you read, take notes in your Character Note-Taking Tools. You should have at least one entry per main character. Pay special attention to the introduction of new characters and the relationships between characters, as some relationships developed in the beginning of the novel will likely continue to evolve.

Step 2

With a partner or small group, answer and discuss the following text-dependent questions:

  1. On pages 60-61, we are introduced to a new character. Create a mental image of this character to help deepen your understanding of what she’s like. Record several words or phrases used to describe the physical state of this character that you are imagining in your mind. What tone do these words and phrases establish about this new character? (You might include some of these words in your Vocabulary Journal for later reference and use).

  2. What are Paul D.’s and Denver’s reactions to Beloved? Briefly describe the relationship that each has with her and use at least one statement from the novel as evidence for your description.

  3. On pages 68-69, Morrison illustrates the relationship between Sethe and Beloved. Describe their relationship and provide at least one citation from these pages to support your description.

  4. "In lamplight, and over the flames of the cooking stove, their two shadows clashed and crossed on the ceiling like black swords" (p. 68). How does Morrison use symbolism in this line? Could it be an example of foreshadowing? How?

  5. Sethe begins to tell stories of her past: "She was remembering something she had forgotten she knew. Something privately shameful that had seeped into a slit in her mind right behind the slap on her face and the circled cross" (p. 73). What was Sethe remembering?

Step 3

As a class, dive deeper into these questions by discussing the following extension questions:

  1. What is the significance of Sethe’s mother’s "mark"? Why did Sethe want a mark and why was her mother so upset by her wanting one?

  2. What was Sethe’s relationship with her mother? Familial ties during slavery were different. Why? How is this relationship an example of that? What effect would this have on Sethe as a mother? What do we know about the relationships Sethe has with her own children? What evidence from the text supports that conclusion?

  3. What tone does Morrison establish while Sethe tells the story of Nan and her mother? What mood is created as a result?

It might be helpful to write responses to these questions in your Learning Log.

Activity 3: Discuss – Read – Write

We will discuss what we learn about Sethe’s past and track our analysis of the tone and mood created by Morrison when revisiting the characters’ pasts using the Analyzing Relationships Tool.

Step 1

As a class, revisit the following question:

  1. Sethe begins to tell stories of her past, "She was remembering something she had forgotten she knew. Something privately shameful that had seeped into a slit in her mind right behind the slap on her face and the circled cross" (p. 73). What was Sethe remembering?

We will use the Analyzing Relationships Tool to further analyze this quotation in an attempt to answer the following guiding question:

  1. How does Sethe respond to recollections of her past?

Record the citation (p. 73) as Key Detail 1.

Step 2

With a partner, read pages 76-86 and identify two additional key details that assist you in answering the guiding question: How does Sethe respond to recollections of her past?

Complete the Analyze Relationships and Explain Effects portions of the tool to assist in your analysis of your identified details. Pay specific attention to the tone established and mood created by your details.

We will discuss our responses in the next lesson.

Activity 4: Read – Write

For homework, we will read pages 85–124 and answer guiding reading questions. We will also update our character Note-Taking Tools with any new information learned about the characters.

Read pages 85-124 of the novel. As you read, update your Character Note-Taking Tools with details specific to each character. Comment on any changes in relationships that you see occur.

In addition to updating your Character Note-Taking Tool, respond to the following questions to guide your understanding as you read. Note your responses in your Learning Log for later reference and discussion:

  1. According to Paul D., what had happened to Halle? Why did he not join Sethe and their children at Baby Suggs’?

  2. Who is Mister and why does Paul D. compare himself to Mister (pp. 85-86)? How does this comparison address ideas such as freedom, masculinity, or definition of identity? What deeper meaning emerges as you study this comparison through the eyes of Paul D.? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

  3. Who is Miss Amy Denver of Boston? How did Denver get her name?

  4. On page 93, we learn about Sethe’s chokecherry tree. Describe your understanding of Sethe’s chokecherry tree.

  5. Pages 111-113 shift between present time "in the clearing" to Sethe’s recollection of her first "twenty-eight days" of unslaved life. Describe Sethe’s life during that time. What happens at the clearing while Sethe is remembering her past?

  6. Pages 119-123 are told through the eyes of Denver. In these pages, we learn about Denver’s past and her relationship with the baby ghost. Provide a brief description of who Denver was as a young girl compared to who she is now, at this point in the novel. What details about her past help you gain a better understanding of who she is now? Think about the relationships she has with others.