Looking back on the colonization period we can see that that caused colonized nations to fall behind in technology and economy compared to the rest of the world. Specifically in Africa there are many nations that are in difficult situations economically, but that isn’t the worst hinderance to that area. What causes more harm is the mental state that is affected.
As I keep reading through Beloved, the characters always revert back to the past where they felt the most pain. The characters that lived through slavery seem to be stuck in a time warp where they can never break free. Paul D knew that bringing the past back to the present would, “push them both to a place they couldn’t get back from” (84). The mind can only take so much damage that it can handle and once it exceeds that amount, it begins to blocks out to make it more manageable.
In history classes, we learn the facts about what happened during time periods and what were the consequences afterwards, but what we don’t see is the individual stress and damage it has done to the affected people. Our way to see and feel the situations that people are placed in is through literature. We can imagine how the people feel by hearing what happened, but we can’t actually feel it unless we immerse ourselves into their shoes.
For the characters Sethe and Paul D, the feeling of oppression can never leave their emotions. For a long time they struggled with having to take order after order after order while also taking punishments and being exploited that are etched into their minds. They’ve tried to recuperate for all the time that they have been free, but nothing can ever push away the times of misery. In today’s world people have the same issues with forgetting about hurtful events that have plagued them. Even though times have changed same characteristics are still relevant to today.
I totally agree with you, we can learn all about history and how it affected people yet we can never truly understand the pain the people went through, especially with slavery. Most historical events are traumatizing and causes the victims to be psychologically messed up for a very long time, and no one can understand that.
ReplyDeleteQuite, and I think it stems to an even greater question which is whether or not such atrocities ever be absolved regardless of how much work you put towards recuperating. Sometimes, it takes more than just discipline to combat traumatic experiences, but instead it takes having true understanding of what causes you to resurface repressed memories and make that your focal point in conquering it.
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog! It focuses on how the past is continuing to affect the characters in their future. Its an important theme you are getting at. Its very understanding how Sethe and Paul D feel tramatized from there past as slaves. Is there any other characters going through the same thing?
ReplyDeleteI enjoy how you gave us the context on how we did learn about the post slavery time period in the 18th century yet you were able to identify how we never got the opportunity to analyze the people and their personal affects great job,I like how address the fact that even know people are still being oppressed because of these things.
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