AMST 384 1st EditionLecture 14Outline of Last Lecture II. Story of Bentio CerenoIII. Fictional historical eventsIV. Main Characters outlinedOutline of Current Lecture V. Relating the stories we read to oneCurrent Lecture: Characters in the books are sights of memory created by the author.How is Melville’s creation of Babo different than Douglass’s Madison Washington?- Madison is more of a heroo Desire for freedomo Douglass wants Madison as symbol of liberty o Had good relation with at least 1 white person, cross racial allegiance in heroic slave- author wants to show they ccan get along, ongoing hope (Listwell and Madison)o Has educated speech- Babo more villain who is portrayed poorlyo Desire for dominance/revenge of whiteso Didn’t get along with any whiteso Babo speaks very little, less educated, doesn’t say a word after he is captured (voiceless, rebellious, symbolizes lost voice of enslaved people) Benito Cereno’s Disposition- the legal decision into the narrative, purposeful - Babo always called “nero Babo” in legal document- Seen as a terrorist, danger revolutionary who is sentenced to death- Different than Madison who is seen as a Heroic Slave- Melville placing shadow of the negro over the entire story, wants reader to be affected by itFugitive Slave Law of 1850 - Any Federal marshal or other official who didn’t arrest an alleged runaway slave is to be fined- Law enforcement officials everywhere now had a federal duty to arrest anyone suspected of beinga runaway slave BelovedThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Sethe’s family has to go all the way to Canada not just Ohio like in Madison Washingtono Safe there because legally returned to freedom because of the Fugitive Slave Lawo Slave states and free states must be balanced by the Senateo All whites had responsibility to return her to slave owner- 1855> the year of Sethe’s escape and birth of Denver- 1863>year of Baby Sugg’s death, Howard and Buglar are gone. Just Sethe and Denver in the ghost house for ten years- 1873>the year of the story and Paul D’s arrival Particular and Universal- Particular- detailed story, very specific o “to pitcha tent in a cememtry inhavited by highly vocal ghosts” –toni Morrisono “Not a house in the country aint packed to its rafters with some dead Negro’s grief”o “there was no bad luck in the world by whitepeople” –Baby Suggs- Universalo Booked dedicated to 60million or more All those who came from Africa  Universal history of the slavery peopleo Haunting of slavery is in every black home!o Morrison is refusing to suppress slavery o Trying not to let America forget slavery o “drifting from ruin” (62-3) Paul asking where she came from…  Emancipation and black people freed but not given equality Larger landscape of horror that is universalized o “Negroes so stunned” (78) universalized story What can former slaves afford to let themselves remember?- Paul D “theres a way to put it there and heres a way to take it out. I know em both and I ahvent figured out yet which is worse”o Is It better to suppress and forget the pasto Or the pain of rememberingo Universal struggleo This book is an attempt to remember - Denver about Sethe’s legs “Anything dead coming back to life hurts” (42)o Pain of being open and sympathetic to slavery o Cost of forgetting slavery Is seeing Beloved as a ghost Lives in reconciled reality o Theory of Memory - “Nothing every dies” (43)- “Some things you forget, Other things you never do. But its now. Places. Places are still there. If ahouse burns down, its gone, but the place-the picture of it-stays, and not just in my rememory, butout there in the world.” (36)o idea that whatever happens historically leaves a trace and can never be forgotteno Morrison’s task is to find pictures of rememory and expose them- “A thought picture. But no. Its when you nump into a rememory that belongs to someone else. Where I was before I can here, that place is real. Its never going away because though its all over…its going to always be there waiting for you.” (36)o history written is the distortion of the past but the history is as it really was never leaves us Sethe- “wife” of Halle, Baby Sugg’s son, mother of 4 children: Howard, Buglas. “Beloved” and Denvero Blessing, recklesso “Walk-on water life” (114) amazing that all 4 are freed remarkable, special story, lucky story before the death of Beloved- What was her experience in Sweet Home which led her to flee while pregnant?o She didn’t want to think of pasto But when Paul D arrives, she is forced to confront her past life and days in Sweet Home PTSD Haunting and dehumanizing her, makes her crazy and loses her sanity  “Every mention of her past life hurt”The Fate of Love- making tracks, can they make a home togethero only way they can is by confronting the past that they shareo “temptation to trust and remember.. would that be all right? Go ahead and count on something” (46)- Bad news is white people 2 Sites of MemorySweet Home- Pulaski Country in Kentucky- Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Garner and “Sweet Home men”- Three Pauls, Halle, Sixo, Setheo Allowed to work every Sunday to raise the money to free his mother because the Garners were willing to acknowledge he can be a man as well- Place of horrors after the Garners dieo Horrors begin- “Shameless beauty” (trees Paul talks to as a friend turns into lynching trees” (7)124 Bluestone- Venemous spite from the “rebuked” baby ghost- haunted by Beloved o Also haunted by all those who have died because of slavery- Place where black people can come together and honor their flesh- When Baby Suggs was alive, it was a place for blacks to come together as a community (The Clearing) but once died, the house becomes haunted by Beloved Theory of RememoryRememories- “headless bride” behind Sweet Home- the “chokeberry tree” on Sethe’s back- Corn and silk (33)- Breastmilk and butter churn- Amy Denver’s velveto See that through amy, white people also have dramatic past and hopes for future- Sethe’s earringso “diamonds”o given to her by Ms. Garner on her wedding day o didn’t have pierced earso only thing she brings on her fleeo once arrived, pierces her ear and symbol of freedom- Paul D’s Roostero His feeling that the