Development Unit: Beloved
Is it possible to leave the past behind? Or will it forever shape, in some way—miniscule or great—our future? In Beloved, author Toni Morrison utilizes a myriad of narrative techniques to develop the novel’s characters and powerfully portray the effect of their past on their present. In this unit, we will read the novel Beloved and several supplemental texts and poems as we explore the Central Question: In what ways does a person’s past have power over their present? We will analyze narrative techniques employed by Morrison in Beloved, such as changes in point of view, nonlinear event sequencing, and masterful use of language and style, and we will determine their impact on the development of the themes of the novel. Additionally, we will evaluate the idea of the uncanny as it is presented within the novel. Through analysis and application of the author’s craft, we will write a narrative that establishes a theme and utilizes at least one literary element employed by Toni Morrison in Beloved.