Group Project: Leading Class Discussion on Toni Morrison's Beloved
Instructions for Presentations and Discussion:
o Each group will be responsible for working together by discussing their topic in person (by arranging to meet outside of
class) and/or via e-mail and collaborating on workload to:
 Present a brief overview of their topic (5-10 minutes)
 Develop discussion questions and lead a 15-minute class discussion on their topic that includes relevant
specific examples from the novel.
 Create a visual supplement to the presentation: this could be a poster, overhead transparencies, PowerPoint
presentation, video clip, or combination of these
o
o Please limit your presentation/discussion to no less than 15 and no more than 20 minutes. Practice and time it on your
own. If you fail to present on the day you are assigned, you will receive a grade of F.
o
Your role is to present the topic to the class in an interesting manner. You may use notes or outlines to present the work
but please do not read to the class from a prepared text. Know what you are talking about, and be prepared to field
questions during and after your presentation.
o
In your oral presentation, begin by summarizing your findings about the topic, and leading the class through some
examples from the novel that illustrate your points. At the end of your presentation (5-10 minutes), start the class
discussion (15 minutes) by asking some key questions—these should be questions that generate a variety of
interpretations and/or opinions. These questions should be large and important enough to generate answers that help us to
understand the novel. You should also be prepared to follow up with your own answers, and lead the class to some
specific relevant examples (passages) from the text.
o
Grades will be based on my evaluation of each presentation as a whole
Group Topics and Dates:
Kenzie & Robin
Topic 1 (4/9)—Major Characters in Beloved: Help us understand the role, significance and interrelationships of some of the
major characters in Beloved (other than Beloved herself): Sethe, Denver, Paul D, Baby Suggs, Stamp Paid, Schoolteacher, Halle.
You may choose others that you feel are more significant if you prefer.
o o In general: Character Analysis defines characters' qualities to explore how they react to various conditions or attempt to
shape their environment. In other words, the reader/writer seeks to explain why characters behave/think/act in the manners
they do. Here are some questions that might assist in the analysis of characters:
 Consider the character's name and appearance.
 Consider if he/she a static (unchanging) or dynamic (changing) character.
 Consider how the author discloses the character:
 By what the character says or thinks.
 By what the character does.
 By what other characters say about him/her.
 By what the author says about him/her.
Ashley and Bailee
Topic 2 (4/9)—Beloved as character and symbol: Who is Beloved? Is she a ghost? Consider the possibility that she is something
different to each character. How does she function in the novel as a character and/or as a symbol? What is significant about the
timing of her appearance and her disappearance? How does Beloved fit into Morrison's idea of "rememory"?
o In general: Character Analysis defines characters' qualities to explore how they react to various conditions or attempt to
shape their environment. In other words, the reader/writer seeks to explain why characters behave/think/act in the
manners they do. Here are some things that might assist in the analysis of a character that you might wish to ask yourself:
o
o Consider the character's name and appearance.
o Consider if he/she a static (unchanging) or dynamic (changing) character.
o Consider how the author discloses the character:
 By what the character says or thinks.
 By what the character does.
 By what other characters say about him/her.
 By what the author says about him/her.
o Analysis of Symbolism (and Imagery) involves demonstrating why an author chooses to use one or more dominant,
recurring symbols or images. Consider if these images/symbols help to:
o
o
o
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Evoke emotions.
Establish mood.
Reinforce characterization.
Help convey a theme(s)
Topic 3 (4/10):—Major Symbols in Beloved: Help us understand the significance (and possibly interrelationships)
of some of the major symbols in Beloved: 124 (E.G. The opening sentence: "124 was spiteful" (3); Trees/nature;
Money and wealth; Colors (E.G. Baby Suggs, "between the nastiness of life and the meanness of death . . . used the
little energy left her for pondering color" [3-4]); Quilts; Masks; the Tin Tobacco Box. You may choose others that
you feel are more significant if you prefer.
o In general: Analysis of Symbolism (and Imagery) involves demonstrating why an author chooses to use one
or more dominant, recurring symbols or images. Consider if these images/symbols help to:
 Evoke emotions.
 Establish mood.
 Reinforce characterization.
 Help convey a theme(s)
Ethan and Michael
Topic 4 (4/10):—The Legacy of Slavery as a Theme in Beloved: In Beloved, Morrison attempts to show that
slavery is not just an institution, it is a philosophy and mindset which is far-reaching in its consequences. In what
ways (scenes, images, symbols, characters) does the novel demonstrate the extent of slavery and what must be done
to abolish it completely? In what ways does the novel suggest that the main characters and all the members of the
black community in Cincinnati are haunted by the traumas of slavery and racism? How does the novel try to show
that a person must confront the past (which is very much alive in the present) in order to heal the wounds it has
caused and find a future? Consider the relationship between Beloved and the history of slavery in the US. Who are
the "Sixty Million and more" to whom the novel is dedicated?
o In general: Analysis of Theme involves understanding the concept, thought, opinion or belief that the
author expresses. Two main questions to consider are:
  Does it seem as though the author is making a value judgment?
  How does the author convey her ideas? Consider:
 Direct statements. --Imagery and symbolism. --A character's thoughts or
statements. --A character who stands for something (e.g. an archetype) -Overall impression/tone/meaning of the work?
Tessa and Catie
Topic 5 (4/14)—The Importance of Community Solidarity as a Theme in Beloved: How does Beloved
demonstrate the extent to which individuals need the support of their communities in order to survive? (Consider
Sethe, Denver and Paul D. in particular.) How does Cincinnati's black community play a pivotal role in the events of
124?
o
In general: Analysis of Theme involves understanding the concept, thought, opinion or belief that the
author expresses. Two main questions to consider are:
  Does it seem as though the author is making a value judgment?
  How does the author convey her ideas? Consider:
 --Direct statements. --Imagery and symbolism. --A character's thoughts or
statements. --A character who stands for something (e.g. an archetype) --Overall
impression/tone/meaning of the work?