... at 124 Bluestone Road for years. Denver, however, likes the ghost, which everyone believes to be the spirit of her dead sister. Beloved's narrative moves quickly between past and present, frequently shifting forward and back in time and through the memories of characters. This narrative technique ... the number of the house: "124" draws attention to the missing "3," the third child, the dead daughter that now haunts their home. Toni Morrison uses inanimate objects effectively as a kind of time-travel device, meaning that the characters begin to reminisce when they see or talk about an .....

• Word Count: 1034
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... tries to forget it even happened, "As for the rest, she worked hard to remember as close to nothing as was safe " (Morrison 6). Later in the novel a character, Beloved, is introduced. Beloved is seen as the spirit of Sethe's dead daughter. Beloved represents the past returned to haunt the present and her presence is enabling while at the same time is destructive. Memories begin ... . In the story the community and Denver come together to exorcise Beloved. This is an important event because it takes the whole community to expel the presence of a dark past, which is slavery. By dealing wit...

• Word Count: 966
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Beloved, by Toni Morrison, is filled with reoccurring symbolism that adds deeper meaning to the story. Trees are frequently mentioned and function as a symbol of safety to the lives of characters including Denver, Baby Suggs and Paul D. For three characters in Beloved, trees represent safe havens from tragic memories and painful experiences in the characters" lives. Denver has a spot consisting of a circle of ... burdened with some problems in her life including Paul D staying at 124, her own lack of social companions, and disappointment in Beloved's interaction with her family. Denver deals...

• Word Count: 828
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School