Challenging the Gender Norm in Toni Morrison’s selected Novels
1.Introduction of Author:
Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019),
known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist and editor. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye, was
published in 1970. The critically acclaimed Song of Solomon (1977) brought her national attention and
won the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 1988, Morrison won the Pulitzer Prize for Beloved (1987);
she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
Born and raised in Lorain, Ohio, Morrison graduated from Howard University in 1953 with a B.A. in
English. Morrison earned a master's degree in American Literature from Cornell University in 1955. In
1957 she returned to Howard University, was married, and had two children before divorcing in 1964.
Morrison became the first Black female editor for fiction at Random House in New York City in the late
1960s. She developed her own reputation as an author in the 1970s and '80s. Her novel Beloved was made
into a film in 1998. Morrison's works are praised for addressing the harsh consequences of racism in the
United States and the Black American experience.
She focused on giving voice to the often silenced experiences of Black individuals in history, infusing her
novels with a profound sense of historical consciousness. Morrison's writing style is characterized by its
vivid lyrical quality and emotional intensity
2. Books
Beloved:
Beloved is a small girl who is murdered by her own mother. This is a historical novel/ghost story with
anonymous narration. This novel was published in 1987 and Toni Morrison got a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for
the novel Beloved. The novel is set in the period after the American Civil War. The novel is about the
destructive legacy of slavery in 1873.She didn’t want her daughter to be subjected to the trauma of slavery.
Sethe killed her own baby because she didn’t want her children to suffer from slavery. The novel Beloved
explores the physical, emotional, and spiritual devastation caused by slavery.
Song of Solomon:
The novel is a story about the life of Macon Dead III, also known as Milkman, and his journey to discover
his family's history and his own identity. Milkman comes from a wealthy African American family in a
small town in Michigan. Milkman's journey begins when he becomes fascinated with his aunt Pilate's
mysterious life and the family's history. He starts to uncover secrets about his family's past, including their
origins in rural Virginia. The novel explores themes of identity, family history, cultural heritage, and the
complexities of African American experiences. It also examines the tensions between materialism and
spirituality, as well as the importance of community and connection.
Sula:
Sula addresses the role of women in relationships as well as in the community,sula's determination to be
her own person was met with negative criticism and deep resistance from other characters in the novel ,
feminist in late 1960s and early 1970s met with resistance and were heavily criticized when they demanded
equality.the start of the women's movement also began to shed light on the problems of domestic violence
and the acceptance of violence against women by society.
3.Research Question
How do the protagonist challenge the patriarchal norms ?
