Rape, and its relevance to Beloved

Rape is a very serious subject, and something that cannot be approached lightly. It can change people, affecting great psychological damage that in most cases can never be eased. Morrison knows this, yet chooses to attack it head on in Beloved, as she does slavery.

In Pamela E. Barnett's article, Figurations of Rape and the Supernatural in Beloved, Barnett discusses how Morrison uses rape as a central part of the novel. Barnett claims that the book is haunted by rape in two ways: figuratively, with allusions to past rape and sexual abuse littered throughout the text, and literally, with Beloved's haunting of the house and sexual abuse of men (Paul D).

The rape that occurred in the past has dealt a great deal of trauma to both Paul D and Sethe, has changed the way they act, and has forever damaged them mentally. Sethe was most affected by the time she was raped by the men on the plantation, those who also stole her milk. She can no longer see herself the same way, but forever sees herself as tainted, as imperfect. Not only that, but she cannot take joy in sex as she once was able to. This is shown in the scene with Paul D. After they make love, rather than feeling relaxed or happy, she is filled with remorse.

The same is true with Paul D. After his experiences at the slave camp, he is broken, and feels as though his heart is locked inside of a "tin can." After sex with Sethe, he is likewise unfulfilled and disinterested. Morrison uses these displays as illustrations of the destructive power of rape, and allows the reader to understand just how broken rape victims can feel.