1.1SignificanceoftheResearchThisthesisanalyzesToniMorrison’snovelBeloved,inwhichtheblackwomanSethekillsherdaughterbysawingherheadwithahandsaw,andforthisreasonyearslaterthelittleghostcomesbacktorevengeSethe.Inrecentyears,scholarshaveconcentratedonanalyzingBeloved’sliteraryfeatures,themesanditscontents.Everygenerationhasitsownunderstandingaboutthenovelanditsvalue.ThisthesisfocusesonillustratingSethe’sresentmentsagainstslavery.Toalargeextent,blackwomen’spsychology,humannatureandmaternallovearedistortedbecauseofthelong-termpersecutionofslavery,suchasSethe,whoevenkillsherdaughter.ThisthesisisdiggingoutthedifferentformandexpressionofmaternalloveinthenovelBelovedbycomparingitwithnormalmaternallove.Undertheoppressionofcruelslaveryandotherfactorsarousedbyit,blackwomenhavenochoicebuttodosomethingseemingcruel.1.2OrganizationofthePaperThisthesismainlyanalyzestheprotagonist’sabnormalmaternalloveanditsreasons.Afteranoverallintroduction,Iwillbrieflypresentstudiesofthisnovelbyscholarscomingfromhomeandabroad.ThemainpartfocusesonthemotherhoodoftheblackwomanSethe,especiallystatingthereasonsofSethe’sabnormalmaternallove,includingthecrueltyofslavery,lackingofmaternalloveinherchildhoodandSchoolteacher’soppression.Atlast,aconclusionwillbegiventoterminatethethesis.Chapter2LiteratureReviewToniMorrison(1931-)isoneofthemostfamouscontemporaryblackwriters.Morrisonpaysgreatattentiontoblackpeopleandhaswrittenaseriesofnovelsconcerningblackpeople’smiserablefate.ToniMorrison’snovelsarefamousforvividdialogue,specialthemesandtypicalcharacters.Inhernovels,Morrisonprofoundlyexplorestheinnerworldofblackpeople,includinglove,race,religiousbelief,alienation,friendship,andbetrayal,sex,andevensupernatural,especiallyAfricanAmericanwomen’sprivilegedandsensitiveobservation.Inhernovels,sheshowspeople,language,andsocietyconceptsofvalue,places,politics,andculturaltraditionsthathaveinfluencedAfricanAmericanpeopleaswellasherself.In1993,MorrisonwonNobelPrizeforLiterature.AsthefirstAfricanAmericanwhoreachedthehonor,shehasgainedreputationallovertheworldandhasbeenfamousasoneofthemajorfiguresinAmericannationalliterature.Belovedispublishedin1987andisviewedasMorrison’sbestnovel.TheheroineofthisnovelisSethe,whofledfromtheSweetHome----theplantationinKentucky.WhileapossearrivesinOhioandtriestocaptureherback,shekillsherdaughterandtriestokilltheotherthreechildren.Filledwithsuspenseandbitterpoetry,Belovedisanextraordinaryachievement.Glaringattheabyssofslavery,thisexcellentnovelportrayshistoryintheformofastory,whichisasmeaningfulasExodusandassmoothasalullaby.Afterpublishing,thisnovelhasgainedacriticalsuccess.Itwonthemanyprizes.Moreover,ithasbeenadaptedintofilmin1998.Nowadays,theliteraryworldstillhasahighpraiseforthisnovel,forexample,ChicagoSun-TimeonceregardedBelovedasToniMorrison’sbestworkandthatthisnovelexcellentlydisplaysherprodigious.LosAngelesTimesconsidered“itisevendeemedtobesuchamasterworkthatIcan’timagineAmericanliteraturecanwithoutit”.However,therestillaresomecontroversialaboutthenovel.Ontheonehand,criticsconsideritismelodramaticevenself-indulgenttosomeextent.Ontheotherhand,admirersofthenovelsaythesecriticismsfailtoappreciateMorrison’simaginativerisksarenecessitatedinhermagnitudetopic.Basedonsomuchargumentation,scholarsfromhomeandabroadareincreasinglymore.Consequently,Iwouldliketoillustrateafewofthemasfollows....
