Post Colonialism, Beloved and Ghosts

In Ruth Van Den Akker’s Hush, Little Baby-Ghost: The Postcolonial Gothic and Haunting History she analyses the ways Toni Morrison demonstrates the horrific actions of slavery through gothic style literature, and is able to “speak about the unspeakable”. In this article, Akker claims that trauma is an “injury to the mind”. This influences the way in which Morrison is able to write this story and view it as post colonialism. Because the ghosts in this story are a result of guilt and trauma Sethe faced, as a consequence of slavery. The “gothic” literature used throughout this story are all symbols used to represent the pain and guilt coming back and haunting Sethe. Akker claims that the death of Beloved as a baby represents the silencing of slavery and the years of oppressed people, who’s humanity and freedom were taken away. The return of Beloved as an adult ghost, brings up oppressed memories for Sethe and therefore represents these horrific things that she tried to let go, are brought up again and making both former slaves and slave owners face the awful things that happened.

In addition, Akker brings up the idea that the past can never be left behind. Beloved is greatly influenced throughout the story, shown with Sethe’s fear for her children going back to Sweet Home, not wanting to talk about her experiences as a slave, but still knowing that the events that happened will always be there. Morrison shows this when Sethe is describing to Denver about her experiences on Sweet Farm she states, “What I remember is a picture floating around out there outside my head. I mean, even if I don't think, even if I die, the picture of what I did, or knew, or saw is still out there. Right in the place where it happened” (43). This quote signifies the fact though slavery is now illegal, it will always haunt those were affected, and even the generations after.

Sethe’s fear of having her children return to Sweet Farm is so strong, she kills her baby, Beloved. The power that slavery had over her, even when she was free, drove her to insanity to try and protect her children. Though this is a very extreme and most people would see this as a deranged way to protect her children, this illustrates how Sethe believed that nothing is worse than being a slave, not even death and, was trying in her own way, to protect her kids, and her fear of returning to the past. This is just another example in how Morrison illustrates through the post colonial lens the effects of slavery, how it has haunted not just Sethe, but millions of others African American families like her.