Beloved

The pages of Beloved are haunted. Operating through “rememory,” an erasure of linear time, and the ghost of protagonist Sethe’s daughter, slavery is ever-present, a specter in the pages. Recent scholarship has recognized the glimpses of science fiction in Beloved as a rare use of Afrofutursistic themes in Toni Morrison’s work. Morrison’s combination of U.S. history and the speculative creates a neo-slave narrative that blurs the lines of reality. This rare galley proof (or draft copy) of Beloved was the final opportunity for Morrison and her editors to alter the text prior to publication. By donating this innately ephemeral edition to DePaul, Arnold and Jane Grisham have insured that textual critics, scholars, and students will have access to this vital stage in the creation of Morrison’s landmark novel.