The breath-taking story by Toni Morrison had won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize; as well as being the first African American woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Toni Morrison's novel was chosen to be on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Best English language Novels from 1923 to 2005. Also, a survey of writers and literary critics, administrated by The New York Times, found Beloved to be the best work of African American fiction in the past 25 years. She is also known for her two other best selling novels, The Bluest Eye, and the Song of Solomon.
Early Begininng
Toni Morrison was born as Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, in Lorain,
Ohio; she was the second oldest of four children. Her father, George Wofford, worked mainly as a welder, as her mother, Ramah, was a domestic worker. Morrison later accredited
her parents with introducing her love for reading, music, and traditions into her life.
Early Begininng
Toni Morrison was born as Chloe Anthony Wofford on February 18, 1931, in Lorain,
Ohio; she was the second oldest of four children. Her father, George Wofford, worked mainly as a welder, as her mother, Ramah, was a domestic worker. Morrison later accredited
her parents with introducing her love for reading, music, and traditions into her life.
Living in an integrated neighborhood, Morrison did not become fully aware of
racial divisions until she was in her teens. "When I was in first grade, nobody
thought I was inferior. I was the only black in the class and the only child
who could read," she later told a reporter from The New York Times.
Reason Behind Creating Beloved
Toni Morrison had first obtained the idea of creating Beloved when she had came across a shocking yet powerful story of an escaped slave, Margaret Garner, who was a mother of four in 1856. Margaret had tried to kill all four of her kids when her slave owner had came to retrieve her and the children back (due to the Fugitive Slave Act). She had successfully killed the youngest one by slitting her throat, but was stopped into killing the other three once her owner reached her. Toni states, ''It was absolutely the right thing to do, but she had no right to do it. I think if I had seen what she had seen, and
knew what was in store, and I felt that there was an afterlife - or even if I
felt that there wasn't - I think I would have done the same thing. But it's also
the thing you have no right to do.'' (Morrison Toni).
Toni Morrison was beyond interested about Margaret's story and had decided to write ah whole book about her, but she had wanted to re invent Margaret's character and way of life. As Toni states in the interview of New York Times, ''I was amazed by this story I came across about a woman called Margaret Garner who had escaped from Kentucky, into Cincinnati with four children.'' ''Now I didn't do any more research at all about that story, I did a lot of research about everything else in the book -Cincinnati, and abolitionists, and the underground railroad - but I refused to find out anything else about Margaret Garner. I really wanted to invent her life." (Morrison Toni).
racial divisions until she was in her teens. "When I was in first grade, nobody
thought I was inferior. I was the only black in the class and the only child
who could read," she later told a reporter from The New York Times.
Reason Behind Creating Beloved
Toni Morrison had first obtained the idea of creating Beloved when she had came across a shocking yet powerful story of an escaped slave, Margaret Garner, who was a mother of four in 1856. Margaret had tried to kill all four of her kids when her slave owner had came to retrieve her and the children back (due to the Fugitive Slave Act). She had successfully killed the youngest one by slitting her throat, but was stopped into killing the other three once her owner reached her. Toni states, ''It was absolutely the right thing to do, but she had no right to do it. I think if I had seen what she had seen, and
knew what was in store, and I felt that there was an afterlife - or even if I
felt that there wasn't - I think I would have done the same thing. But it's also
the thing you have no right to do.'' (Morrison Toni).
Toni Morrison was beyond interested about Margaret's story and had decided to write ah whole book about her, but she had wanted to re invent Margaret's character and way of life. As Toni states in the interview of New York Times, ''I was amazed by this story I came across about a woman called Margaret Garner who had escaped from Kentucky, into Cincinnati with four children.'' ''Now I didn't do any more research at all about that story, I did a lot of research about everything else in the book -Cincinnati, and abolitionists, and the underground railroad - but I refused to find out anything else about Margaret Garner. I really wanted to invent her life." (Morrison Toni).