A Conversation On Toni Morrison’s Beloved

Abstract I would like to thank both of you for taking the time to talk with me about Toni Morrison’s Beloved. I have always felt that this book embodies many oral qualities, perhaps because we learn a great deal about the narrative through the dialogues that the characters have with each other as well as with themselves as they struggle with their memories. Consequently, I believe that an oral component in this book makes an appropriate contribution to the collection. I have no prepared questions to lead us into the discussion since I envisioned a more spontaneous and less structured dialogue: something that captures some of the flavor of the oral tradition. So, I now invite you to relax and jump in with your questions and ideas as they come to you. We’ll bounce our ideas off of each other for the next hour or so.