Beloved
Toni Morrison
Based on the true story of Margaret Garner who killed her daughter to spare her from becoming a slave, Morrison explores the intersection of love and trauma in this Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Sethe, a former slave must confront her past when it shows up on her doorstep in the form of the angry, destructive ghost of her baby that she killed.
Major themes: family, identity, the trauma of slavery, memory
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IB Literature and IB Language and Literature Connections
Place of publication: United States
Language: English
Era: 20th Century
Genre: Fiction
Author: Female
Readers, writers and texts | Time and space | Intertextuality: Connecting texts
Identity | Culture | Creativity | Communication
Perspective | Transformation | Representation
Full text, basic summaries, and overviews
Belovid by Toni Morrison (Audio by YQ) | YouTube | WhyQueue_Cue
Free audiobook of Beloved. The audio quality isn’t professional level, but it’s clear enough to be a good support for students.
Listen here
Why should you read Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”? - Yen Pham | YouTube | TED-eD | 5:06
This animated video provides an overview of Beloved’s plot, characters, and themes.
Watch here
Slavery, Ghosts, and Beloved: Crash Course Literature 214 | YouTube | CrashCourse | 11:38
John Green teaches about Beloved. The lesson includes a summary of the text and overview of important literary aspects of the novel.
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Beloved | Penguin Random House | First chapter excerpt
Under the image of the book, click “read an excerpt” to read chapter 1 from beginning to ending at: “Paul D, the last of the Sweet Home men.”
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Jaunted By Their Nightmares | The New York Times | Margaret Atwood | Book Review | September 13, 1987
Margaret Atwood reviews Beloved with a focus on the supernatural elements of the text, how race is treated in the text, and the style of prose.
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Beloved Study Guides | Various Sources
Beloved Study Guide by SparkNotes
Belove Study Guide by LitCharts (not all features are fully accessible)
Beloved Study Guide by CourseHero
Course Hero Video Study Guide (includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis as well as symbols, themes, plot summary, etc.)
Toni Morrison | YouTube | VisionaryProject | Video Playlist
There are 11 videos in this playlist which touch on a variety of topics. The third video “Toni Morrison: Beloved” is excellent; Morrison talks about how she thinks about character and their motivations.
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Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am - Exclusive Clip - Toni Morrison and Angela Davis Talk ‘Beloved’ | Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing | 2:05
This trailer for the documentary The Pieces I Am touches on the themes and topics Morrison writes about and how she brought a new kind of story to literature.
Watch here
To view the full movie (purchasable through several vendors) click here.
About the author
Toni Morrison: Biographical Note | Toni Morrison: A Teaching and Learning Resource Collection
This detailed biography covers Morrison’s childhood and identity, influences, education, personal life and career in publishing.
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Watch: Toni Morrison on capturing a mother’s ‘compulsion’ to nurture in ‘Beloved’ | YouTube | PBS NewsHour
This video was produced in 1987 just after the publication of Beloved. The interview may be a little long to hold the attention of students, but the first half is great.
Watch here
From 2004: Toni Morrison on a writer’s life | YouTube | CBS Sunday Morning
A CBS segment (with interview) on Toni Morrison after the publication of her novel Love.
Watch here
Articles, essays, and videos about Beloved
“Beloved” (1987): Overview and Links | Toni Morrison: A Teaching and Learning Resource Collection
Amardeep Singh, professor of English at Lehigh University, has put together an entire website with resources related to the writings and career of Toni Morrison. There are pages for each novel, biographical notes, maps and data, links to scholarly essays, and so much more. For the full site, click here. For the Beloved-specific page:
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The Story of Margaret Garner: Inspiration for “Beloved” | Toni Morrison: A Teaching and Learning Resource Collection
This page provides detailed background related to the story of Margaret Garner using two primary sources. At the bottom of the page is a list of significant differences between the true story and Beloved.
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The Aural in Beloved | UNF Digital Commons | Jody Morgan, University of North Florida
This essay explores the ways in which characters in Beloved use to “establish themselves as individuals and to negotiate their trauma.”
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Lesson plans and other teaching resources
Her Subject is America: Teaching Toni Morrison with The New York Times
This article isn’t lesson plans, it’s an overview of the different approaches a teacher can take when teaching one of Morrison’s works. For example: teaching Morrison with a focus on langugage or with a focus on the legacy of slavery, or how her works represent America. It’s a nice start if you’re just thinking about adding Beloved or any of Morrison’s works to your classroom.
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Narrative Structure and Perspectives in Toni Morrison’s Beloved | Read Write Think | Lesson Plans
This website includes a preview of the lessons, standards, resources, instructional resources and related resources.
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Toni Morrison’s Beloved: For Sixty Million and More | EDSITEment / NEH | Kathryn Milschewski | Lesson Plan
This lesson plan takes students through the novel’s major themes and helps them make connections to other novels. It includes guiding questions, learning objectives, background and standards, three activities, assessment, and downloadable handouts.
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Language Matters II: Reading and Teaching Toni Morrison | The Toni Morrison Society | Dr. Giselle Liza Anatol, associate prof. at University of Kansas
This page includes a discussion of the novel, a historical chronology integrated with the basic plot of the novel, and information on the novel’s structure, themes, and more. This could be a great resource for students or a starting point if you’re looking to put together a lecture on the novel.
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“This is Not a Story to Pass On”: Teaching Toni Morrison’s Beloved | Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute | Unit Guide
This curriculum unit includes background, entry points to the novel, ways to teach the novel as history and literature, and activities. To read the full unit, click one of the icons under “tools for this guide.” You can email, download, or print.
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Shopping List
Texts and other resources you may find helpful.
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Beloved (Film)
starring Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover
DVD on Amazon.com
Novels in paperback on Amazon.com
The Bluest Eye
Sula
Song of Solomon
Tar Baby
Jazz
Paradise
Love
A Mercy
Home
God Help the Child
Approaches to Teaching the Novels of Toni Morrison by Nellie Y. McKay
Paperback on Amazon.com
Hardcover on Amazon.com
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
DVD on Amazon.com
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