Beloved by Toni Morrison | Plot Summary

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.

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[beliciamaria]

i wasn’t able to read this book … the writing was too confusing for me. thank you for this ! it helps me understand it a lot better

[nachinwa]

I read this book in my first year in Uni. It was very traumatizing for me, probably because I was too immersed in the story. I dreamt about it for weeks. It got recommended again in school and just the thought of it scares me to death. I can’t bear reading it again. That’s why I am here.


If you can read, it is a very good read. It opens your eyes to a lot of things. Just try to detach yourself from the story for your mental health.

[susamongus]

Who else is here because of their teacher?

[abishekv]

This video is very helpful to my study.thank you❤️❤️❤️

[itsvanessa]

I had to ready this book but its was so hard to understand thank you for this summery.

[jessicawang]

it's so helpful for me to read this book as well as my essay!

[jessicayu]

Thank you so much for this incredible video! It has greatly succeeded in helping me study as well as thoroughly analyze the novel.

[cadehogan]

missing the relationship between Paul D and beloved, where beloved tries to seduce him several times, bringing up hi memories of slavery, and how he was emasculated.

[opmules]

Why was this book banned? It's relatively tame compared the media teenagers consume now. Do you know how high school students have already watched Squid games?

[Hoshinko]

I'll surely fail without course hero

[joeburreaux]

You forgot a *LOT* of things, Course Hero.

[toolbox]

Why would you make us pay for this? Like it was free before...

[dwainewhitley]

Good summary but fails to give the historical context behind the movie which would have been helpful (Slavery, Fugitive Slave Act,

[shihyizu]

How come this kind of books can win Nobel Prize. Full of trash. I knwo black people had been treated unfairly. But this kind of books do not provide any healing or comforting to suggesting any vision for the future.

[buraktoksoy]

It is far more worse than bestsellers craps.

[PipByMac]

I love how people want to ban Dr. Seuss but allow this trash to be read by children