Critical Study of Mother-Daughter Relationship in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and A Mercy

Authors

  • Nisha V. Mehta Research Scholar, P.P. Savani University
  • Dr. Ananta Geetey Uppal Professor, P.P. Savani University

Keywords:

Trauma, Humiliation, Aggression, Endure

Abstract

The paper aims to discuss the mother-daughter relationship in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and A Mercy. The paper mainly focuses on convolution in the lives of female characters and how it affects their relationship with their daughters. Female characters of these novels were physically and emotionally maltreated by the traumatic experiences of their past life which were mostly correlated to the social issues like gender, class and race faced by Afro-Americans. The “Black” mothers of Afro-America were the “tough” mothers who shaped their daughters to confront the challenges of a racist environment thus preparing them to struggle with all types of situations in life. Yet there are some Black mothers who helplessly killed their daughters in an attempt to safeguard them.

Author Biographies

Nisha V. Mehta, Research Scholar, P.P. Savani University

Nisha V. Mehta is a passionate researcher who’s pursuing her Doctorate from P.P. Savani University, Gujarat. She has an interest in women issues and likes reading literature on gender studies. She’s also keenly interested in Indian writings in English and American Literature.

Dr. Ananta Geetey Uppal, Professor, P.P. Savani University

Dr Ananta Geetey Uppal is a Professor and Head at P.P. Savani University, Gujarat. Dr Uppal is the head of Centre for language Studies and has expertise in both language and linguistics. She holds over twenty years of rich experience in training, teaching, writing, editing, administration, supervision, learning outcomes and assessment.

References

Brent, Linda. “Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl”. The Classic Slave Narratives. Henry Louis Gates. ed. New York: American Library, 1987. Print. p: 405.

Matus, Jill. Toni Morrison Contemporary World Writers. New York: Manchester University Press, 1998. Print. p:119.

Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Signet, 1987. (All the subsequent references are quoted in the parenthesis of the text). Print. p: 250.

Morrison, Toni. A Mercy. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2008 (All the subsequent references are quoted in the parenthesis of the text). Print. p:18.

Middleton, David. Toni Morrison’s Fiction: Contemporary Criticism. New York: Garland Publishing, 2000. Print. p:159.

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Published

01-07-2022

How to Cite

Nisha V. Mehta, & Dr. Ananta Geetey Uppal. (2022). Critical Study of Mother-Daughter Relationship in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and A Mercy. Journal of Teaching and Research in English Literature, 13(3), 18–22. Retrieved from https://journals.eltai.in/index.php/jtrel/article/view/JTREL130304

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2022): July

Section

Research Articles