Blog Post #6 - Critical Lens Expert

Critical Lens -"Psychoanalytic Strategies in Beloved" by Iyunolu Osagie

In this research article called "Psychoanalytic Strategies in Beloved" by Iyunolu Osagie, Oasgie talks about how there is the common perception that Beloved in the novel is obviously a ghost of the baby that Sethe murdered. Oasgie uses the Psychoanalytical lens to bring in another perspective on who Beloved could actually be. She thinks that Beloved could be another girl who was a slave and was abused by whites. This interpretation is a lot broader interpretation than the specific one that seems obvious to people who read the novel. She believes that Beloved shows characteristics of a slave girl who was abused by explaining that it represents the emotional and physical pain she experienced. In the end of the article, Oasgie concludes that Toni Morrison designed Beloved to be open to interpretation to anyone who reads it. 

Ship layout used to transport slaves

Oasgie's points are valid points that could be how she interpreted the novel, but they are quite specific for a novel whose focus is more around how people cannot hide their pasts. I think Beloved encases the character of a baby who is needy and doesn't represent a girl who was abused on a ship. Also, why would Beloved end up having a girl who was abused at her ship? Wouldn't this slave girl end up at the white's house that abused her? While it doesn't make sense, I would expect Morrison to not make us easily assume that Beloved is the baby who died. and Oasgie brings up a good point on how this slave girl could just represent the way Sethe was treated on the Plantation. Oasgie's point of Beloved not actually being the baby that was killed by Sethe represents the struggle of slaves during these times, but the actions of Beloved lean towards her being the dead baby because she plays the part of a baby. The neediness and the effort she is putting towards exhausting Sethe can be brought back on how taking care of a baby is exhausting work for both the mother as well as other family members.

- Chris Herndon