The idea of a ghost story or horror story has long since been introduced into the world of American literature starting in These works played with the idea of lifeafter death and its effects on the present. The term gothic orgothic horror has been used to describe this form of literature.The literary meaning of the gothic style of is hard to define, but to give it a simple meaning the gothic is when thesupernatural encounters the natural. In the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison this form of thegothic is used. The story involves Sethe, an ex-slave, whom theghost of her dead daughter haunts. The ghost of this novel is atwo year old who is young in age, yet strong in power. Thecharacter Sethe, is based on the real life story of the slaveMargaret Garner. On Jan. 28, 1856, Garner killed her two-year-olddaughter rather than have her sent back to slavery due to thefugitive slave law. Garner was later found guilty and sent backto the plantation she fled in Mississippi.The story of Beloved delves into the most painful part ofthe African American heritage, slavery. The memory of thishorrifying time is presented in what Morrison calls rememory--actively making the past real in the present. The novel is setduring the Reconstruction(1870-1890) which follows the Civil Warand emancipation. Much of the characters pain occurs as theythemselves try to reconstruct their families, communities andtheir own sense of identity. While this novel has been comparedmany times to that of a slave narrative, Morrison chooses to usethe gothic to tell her story. Yes this novel does use slavenarrative form, but it explores a greater range with the gothic.Morrison chooses to use the gothic because it allows her toexplore the true effects of her characters and their effects oneach other. The novel is broken into three major parts. As part oneopens Morrison introduces the house with, 124 was spiteful. Fullof babys venom....
