Marginalized Voices In "Beloved" By Toni Morrison: A Feminist Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this research paper is to look into the minority representation through a critical lens in Toni Morrison’s Beloved. As a theory, the paper employs the intersectionality concept formulated by Kimberlé Crenshaw. This will be employed to explain how the characters’ and identities are all connected, as well as the cumulative impact of different types of marginalization. Furthermore, this research will reveal the manner in which Morrison builds up for the oppression of the double oppressed African American women by highlighting race, class, and gender intersectionality. Thus, the analysis will not only reveal various forms of oppression portrayed in the novel but also emphasize on the survivals and some power of the characters. The paper contributes to the understanding of the structural nature of oppression and the unsilenceable voices, which offers a deeper layer to the analysis of Morrison’s texts. In conclusion, this research paper provides a critical analysis of “Beloved” under the analytical lens of the intersectional feminist theory and also argue that the intersectional approach should be adopted as a critical tool in the analysis of other texts from a feminist perspective.