When hearing about Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, one thinks, " Sure, another story about a slave's life." This is, of course, exactly right. Beloved does tell the tales of many slaves. It tells of whippings, rape, hard work, and escape. But, while portraying this historical story of enslavement and black culture, Morrison also tells the personal tales of a few very strong females slaves. Morrison's novel focuses mainly on the female characters, Sethe, Baby Suggs, Beloved, and their relationships. If one defines feminism, as "a major movement in western thinking since the 1960s, which puts particular emphasis upon the importance of women's experiences", Beloved can be seen as a feminist novel. Even though Beloved tells the story of many slaves, because of its focus on the proactive and independent women in the novel, it also makes a feminist statement.

Throughout Beloved, Toni Morrison gives readers touching insights into slave...