It may be argued that one of the recurring themes in the fiction of Toni Morrison is the problem of emotional suffering. Indeed, a line of her characters endure a series of traumatic past experiences, the consequences...It may be argued that one of the recurring themes in the fiction of Toni Morrison is the problem of emotional suffering. Indeed, a line of her characters endure a series of traumatic past experiences, the consequences of which are strongly echoed in their present lives and often foreshadow their future. Thus, this article discusses some of the characteristic literary-fantastic manifestations of grief and grieving in Morrison＇s novels, seen as internal and external expressions of the protagonists＇ mental pain. First, the text outlines the major grief-generating conditions for Morrison＇s heroes in general, and then it focuses on the various modes in which their feelings of grief and grieving are communicated. Second, the study exposes the characters＇ psychological strife and the influence it exerts both on themselves and their surroundings. Third and last, the paper concludes with an attempt to establish some typical patterns of grief and grieving common to Morrison＇s fictional figures. In order to reflect a variety of grief-stricken individuals populating Morrison＇s world, the analysis examines a group of three female characters. Taken all together, the selected examples serve to exhibit the complexity of the problem in question, as well as to illustrate the different shades of human sorrow.展开更多
文摘It may be argued that one of the recurring themes in the fiction of Toni Morrison is the problem of emotional suffering. Indeed, a line of her characters endure a series of traumatic past experiences, the consequences of which are strongly echoed in their present lives and often foreshadow their future. Thus, this article discusses some of the characteristic literary-fantastic manifestations of grief and grieving in Morrison＇s novels, seen as internal and external expressions of the protagonists＇ mental pain. First, the text outlines the major grief-generating conditions for Morrison＇s heroes in general, and then it focuses on the various modes in which their feelings of grief and grieving are communicated. Second, the study exposes the characters＇ psychological strife and the influence it exerts both on themselves and their surroundings. Third and last, the paper concludes with an attempt to establish some typical patterns of grief and grieving common to Morrison＇s fictional figures. In order to reflect a variety of grief-stricken individuals populating Morrison＇s world, the analysis examines a group of three female characters. Taken all together, the selected examples serve to exhibit the complexity of the problem in question, as well as to illustrate the different shades of human sorrow.
