Beloved is a novel with many interesting themes which are worth examining.
The following paper deals with the significance of numbers in Toni Morrison's Beloved. Numbers play an important role in this novel. The novel was first published in 1987 and is a neo-slave narrative (cf. Palladino 54) written in free indirect discourse. It is about Sethe, a former slave, and her family. Sethe will not deal with her past and the trauma she has suffered during her time in Kentucky on the plantation “Sweet Home”. She is hunted by the ghost of her baby that she has killed because she did not want her to become a slave. The ghost will only disappear after she has dealt with it and with her past.
Numbers play an important role in Beloved. Morrison did not choose them by chance, they all have a meaning in the story of the novel. I want to show the significance they have – by some numbers with reference to the Bible. First, there is an analysis of the overall structure and the numbers of the book, of the three parts and the chapters including the first sentence of all three parts (cf. chapter 2.1). Then the numbers which occur in the novel are examined (cf. chapter 2.2-2.9), after this analysis, there will be an examination of the dedication – which is also a number (cf. chapter 3). The end of the paper is composed of the conclusion in chapter
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. General thoughts about the significance of numbers in Beloved
2.1 The three parts of Beloved and their quantity of chapters
2.2 Number three
2.3 Number eighteen
2.4 Number seven
2.5 Number twenty-eight
2.6 Number four
2.7 Number one
2.8 Number two
2.9 Number six
3. Sixty Million and more
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper examines the symbolic and structural significance of specific numbers in Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, exploring how these numerical references function as stylistic devices to deepen the reader's understanding of trauma, history, and the dehumanization inherent in slavery.
- The symbolic function of numbers as literary and structural elements.
- Biblical allusions and their subversion in a post-slavery context.
- The connection between numerical patterns and the psychological state of the protagonists.
- The parallels between the novel's numerical motifs and the trauma of the Holocaust.
- The role of "Sixty Million and more" as a memorial to the victims of the Middle Passage.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4 Number seven
Seven is the sum of digits of 124 (1 + 2 + 4 = 7). As mentioned in chapter 2.1, seven is the number of letters in the name Beloved and also in “slavery”. It is a number which stands for completeness, like the number three, – for the completed creation of the world. God created the world in seven days (cf. Genesis 1,1 – 3,3). Morrison uses biblical numbers but uses them in a black context, she is “signifyin'”. According to the Christian belief, God created a perfect world in seven days but Beloved, whom the seven refers to in the novel, is not perfect at all. She seems more like the opposite. An evil ghost who is haunting its family, and even as a person she brings harm to her family until the exorcism and her final death.
In the Bible it is said that one is supposed to forgive seventy times seven (cf. Matthew 18, 21-22). In the Bible, the number seven has a positive connotation but in Morrison's novel it has a negative one. Baby Suggs had seven children who died when they were little. Halle, Sethe's later husband, is her eighth child and he “survived” his childhood (cf. Morrison 163).
At one time in the novel, the number seven has a positive connotation. Sixo shouts out the word “Seven-O” when he is tortured by schoolteacher (Morrsion 270). Seven-O is the name of his unborn son, of his successor.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the central thesis regarding the significance of numbers in Toni Morrison's Beloved and outlines the analytical scope of the paper.
2. General thoughts about the significance of numbers in Beloved: Discusses the non-numerical, spontaneous arrangement of chapters and the interconnected nature of the novel's numerical symbolism.
2.1 The three parts of Beloved and their quantity of chapters: Analyzes the structural division of the novel into three parts and how the quantity of chapters in each correlates with the narrative content.
2.2 Number three: Examines the recurrence of the number three, its biblical connotations of the Trinity, and its complex reflection in the family dynamics at 124 Bluestone Road.
2.3 Number eighteen: Explores the calculation behind the number eighteen, linking it to the age of Denver and the duration of Sethe’s isolation.
2.4 Number seven: Discusses the number seven as a sum of digits and its ironic application within the novel, contrasting creation with the haunting presence of Beloved.
2.5 Number twenty-eight: Analyzes the number twenty-eight as a symbol of closure, menstrual cycles, and the temporary period of happiness Sethe experienced.
2.6 Number four: Investigates the apocalyptic symbolism of the number four in the Bible and its application to the arrival of the "four horsemen" at 124.
2.7 Number one: Focuses on the number one in the context of loneliness, personification of the house, and the individual isolation of characters like Denver and Baby Suggs.
2.8 Number two: Looks at the dynamics of pairs in the novel and the inability of characters to achieve stability in a house haunted by a missing third party.
2.9 Number six: Details the significance of the number six in relation to the characters' names and biblical references to oppression and creation.
3. Sixty Million and more: Interpretates the novel's dedication as a profound link to the Holocaust and the victims of the Middle Passage.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes how the interaction of numerical references emphasizes the inhumanity of slave holding and the potential for memorializing the past.
Keywords
Toni Morrison, Beloved, Numerology, Slavery, Trauma, Bible, Holocaust, Middle Passage, Sethe, Symbolism, Literature, History, Dehumanization, 124 Bluestone Road, Memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the hidden significance and symbolic meaning of various numbers throughout Toni Morrison's novel Beloved.
Which thematic areas are primarily addressed?
The analysis covers themes of trauma, slavery, biblical parallels, the Holocaust, and the process of remembering or recovering history.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate how Morrison uses numerical structures as a stylistic device to highlight the dehumanization of slaves and to provide a deeper meaning to the characters' experiences.
What research methodology is applied?
The author performs a textual analysis of the novel, focusing on numerical patterns and comparing them with biblical, historical, and secondary academic sources.
What does the main body of the work examine?
It examines specific numbers—such as three, seven, eighteen, twenty-eight, four, one, two, and six—and analyzes their occurrence within the text in relation to the characters and the plot.
How would you characterize this work in keywords?
The work is characterized by keywords such as numerology, slavery, trauma, biblical symbolism, and Toni Morrison's stylistic techniques.
How is the number 124 interpreted in the novel?
124 is interpreted through its digits and its role as a haunted house, where the missing "three" (the child Beloved) disrupts the family unit.
What is the significance of the dedication "Sixty Million and more"?
It serves as a memorial for the victims of the Middle Passage, comparing the scale of slave suffering to that of the Holocaust.
Why does the author focus on the "three" in the family?
The number three represents completeness, yet in 124, the "unit of three" is constantly disrupted by the haunting of the murdered child, preventing the family from being "whole."
Does the number seven carry a positive meaning?
While often used ironically or negatively, the author notes that seven can hold positive connotations in specific moments, such as the naming of Sixo's unborn son, "Seven-O."
- Quote paper
- Nora Nobis (Author), 2012, The Significance of numbers in "Beloved", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/204561
