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Allusions
Part 1, Chapter 3
Explanation and Analysis—AAVE:
The characters in Beloved speak and think in African American English (AAE) as it existed in the 19th century. The dialect appears in various grammatical markers that differ from Standard American English (SAE). For example, forms of "be" are often removed from sentences, such as in Chapter 9 when Sethe says,
What you gonna cook?
The use of dialect situates the reader within the setting by showing how these characters realistically would talk. The added realism builds community between the Black characters that share this dialect and adds to the intimacy and authenticity of emotional moments. Furthermore, some grammatical distinctions of the dialect produce a stylistic effect. For example, double negatives emphasize the meaning of a sentence, such as in Chapter 3:
So, Denver, you can’t never go there. Never.
The use of double negatives strengthens Sethe's command for Denver to never run into a "rememory" and reflects how much Sethe fears the idea of Denver being affected by the trauma of slavery.
Beyond the dialect's influence within the novel, its application also signals how Morrison is reclaiming the genre of the "slave narrative," which was often co-opted by white writers and editors or written for a white audience. Instead, Morrison tries to give voice to enslaved people of the past by using uniquely Black vernacular and de-centering white writing and speech. The novel demonstrates how Black people have reshaped and reclaimed the language imposed on them by white people to create something new and beautiful.
Related Themes:
Part 1, Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis—AAVE:
The characters in Beloved speak and think in African American English (AAE) as it existed in the 19th century. The dialect appears in various grammatical markers that differ from Standard American English (SAE). For example, forms of "be" are often removed from sentences, such as in Chapter 9 when Sethe says,
What you gonna cook?
The use of dialect situates the reader within the setting by showing how these characters realistically would talk. The added realism builds community between the Black characters that share this dialect and adds to the intimacy and authenticity of emotional moments. Furthermore, some grammatical distinctions of the dialect produce a stylistic effect. For example, double negatives emphasize the meaning of a sentence, such as in Chapter 3:
So, Denver, you can’t never go there. Never.
The use of double negatives strengthens Sethe's command for Denver to never run into a "rememory" and reflects how much Sethe fears the idea of Denver being affected by the trauma of slavery.
Beyond the dialect's influence within the novel, its application also signals how Morrison is reclaiming the genre of the "slave narrative," which was often co-opted by white writers and editors or written for a white audience. Instead, Morrison tries to give voice to enslaved people of the past by using uniquely Black vernacular and de-centering white writing and speech. The novel demonstrates how Black people have reshaped and reclaimed the language imposed on them by white people to create something new and beautiful.
Related Themes:
