The role of Memory and Relationality in the Construction of Black identities in Toni Morrison’s Beloved

Abstract

This study aims at exploring the representation of the process of Black identity construction through memory and relationality in Toni Morrison’s Beloved. In light of postcolonial trauma theory framework, this dissertation analyzes how legacies of slavery such as; violence, dehumanization, displacement, exploitation, and cultural erasure shape fragmented individual and communal identities, relationality, memories, and collective trauma. Moreover, the analysis focuses on the intersection between memory and relationality, and their role in shaping the former slaves’ sense of self. This research investigates how Black characters, more specifically, former slaves, navigate the tension between remembering and forgetting to confront past traumatic experiences. Also, it examines the relational dynamics among characters to highlight that identity is not merely an individual construct. Ultimately, I argue that Morrison depicts trauma and healing in ways that align with postcolonial trauma theory, portraying how Black characters in Beloved work through suffering using traditional healing practices, storytelling, spirituality, and communal rituals. The novel thus is a narrative that depicts memory and relationality as vital mechanisms through which Black identities are built and understood in the aftermath of slavery. In the end, this study contends that Morrison illustrates identity not as a solitary endeavor but as one that is deeply rooted in communal and familial relationships, underscoring the necessity of relational healing in postcolonial contexts