#3 The Circular Communities

In the text “Circularity in Toni Morrison's Beloved” author  Philip Page, discusses a point in Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved that many people may not have read or identified. Morrison has written this story with so much detail, that many interpretations of the text can be derived. Page discusses the idea of circular metaphors. Page reveals that “An examination of these explicit and implicit circles and their implications reveals the subtle relationships between the novel's content and its form.” (Page, 31) He goes to prove how these circular metaphors enhance the reading of the text. However, other than enhancing the experience as a reader, it gives the reader immense insight on how Toni Morrison chose to write the novel. She clearly chose to write the novel with a theme of power and strength in mind. All characters in some way show power and strength in their individual stories. With a dedication of the book made to the 60 million slaves, Morrison uses the “circle” to exemplify the unity and solidarity these slaves had while going through such hardship. Page writes, “One circle is the black neighborhood around 124 Bluestone. Composed of other refugees of slavery and war, this neighborhood constitutes a community circle whose presence is felt throughout the novel.” This is the circle that holds all the slaves together and binds them together. Page further explains how when one is isolation from this “community circle” they “are haunted by their past…”.(Page, 32) Like mentioned earlier, Morrison used this “community circle” as a way to show the solidarity and togetherness these slaves had through all the beating and dehumanizing tactics used against them. It is so interesting to me that even though Philip page and I are reading the same book, how one person finds meaning in such small details. I personally wouldn’t have identified such a theme myself.  Now that it is visible, however,  my reading is definitely going to become more focused on the smaller details that make the novel so powerful.