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2. Women
	1. This theme is two fold, one quote that stuck out to me was on the beach when the women were discussing the future and their children etc, one woman said, “My baby was born dead I got through it by nursing other children” I think that this speaks to a joint theme of motherhood and physical trauma. The woman maintained her feelings of worth through nursing babies that weren’t hers, the image of female is often collapsed with mother and that’s not always maintainable for women (especially black women for various reasons). Beloved clearly grapples with this in a different way but it is still very prevalent and interesting to see different depictions of how this female ideal was not accessible. This theme also blurs the lines between social ideals and personal remorse/ healing because while being a mother does have important social implications it is also a huge personal emotional/physical endeavor. This theme explores the  humanity of black women by centering their stories of motherhood that do not fit cleanly in the construct (for various reasons- i.e. manipulated by external fears/ pressures of slavery).


	2. This theme is also seen in both pieces through matriarchal structures. Both center the roles/ stories of women and include an elderly woman who is like a guide. This theme is also reminiscent of both pieces highlighting the significance of ancestral connections, which seem to be gendered female in both.

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Beloved and Daughters of the Dust connections

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Beloved and Daughters of the Dust connections

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They are both narrated by someone who was not present for most of the events. In Beloved, the narrator is not connected to the family for large portions of the book. In Daughters of the Dust, The Unborn Child narrates their story. I find this connection to having narrators who were not “present” represents the story telling and the passing down of these narratives through multiple generations. Additionally, it shows how the stories can have an impact on someone even if the story is just being re-told to them. While in Beloved we occasionally hear monologues from the characters themselves, having a narrator be somewhat detached from the story allows the reader or watcher to get an outsider's opinion on the whole story.
Another similarity between the two pieces was the elements of trauma the characters had surrounding sexual assault. Sethe was violated by the schoolteacher’s nephew while Halle hides up in the loft. This rape eventually leads to Sethe’s loss of her milk production. In the Daughters of the Dust, we learn that Eula, the pregnant wife of Eli, was raped by a whiteman on  the mainland. She struggles to convince Eli that he is the father of her unborn child not the rapist. Both these women were victims of sexual assault by white men. In both these stories we see them try to not only come to terms with a terrible trauma but also see how it affects their lives. Sethe chooses to report her rapist and ends up being whipped because of it, she carries these scars with her not only the mental scars but the physical ones as well. Eula deals with the shame her husband has towards the fact the child she is carrying might not be hers. This in a way adds to the trauma of being raped as she loves Eli and feels guilty. Both these women who were victims of rape, not only do not recieve the justice they deserved, but also were in a way blamed.

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Connections between Beloved and Daughters of the Dust

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Connections between Beloved and Daughters of the Dust

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1) The Narration by the "unborn child" reminds me of the beloved ghost at the beginning of novel - elements of the supernatural/mystical - blurring between the past and the present (unborn child speaks before born & Beloved reappears to Sethe several years after her death and haunts the house)

2) Separation of families - most members of the Peazant family leave Nana by the end of the film - Sethe's sons leave her (only left with Denver & ghost/reincarnation of Beloved) - both the film and novel center around family, and in particular, paving a better path and brighter future for their respective families

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Connecting Beloved and Daughters of the Dust

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Connecting Beloved and Daughters of the Dust

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1. The first connection that stuck out to me between Beloved and Daughters of the Dust was the use of voice in regards to storytelling. The unifying connection here is that the character Beloved is a ghost, and similarly, the Unborn Child may not be a ghost, but is an elusive figure who is not exactly living yet. This is interesting because both of these stories are told through the voices of the nonliving. However, even though these characters are not living, they have such a powerful role as far as storytelling, which offers new perspectives for both the reader and viewer.

2. Complicated Family Structures
In both Beloved and Daughters of the Dust we see the complicated yet intriguing relationship between familial structures. For example, I think about Sethe who attempted to kill all her children so they would not have to endure a life of slavery. This is a prime example of the love a mother may have for her child, but how complicated that love can be due to numerous factors, and in this case, slavery. This is apparent in Daughters of the Dust as well, since some family members like Nana Peazant, desire to stay on the island and please their ancestors, However,  individuals like Haagar would rather leave the island to see more wealth or education. This shows how family structures can be complicated, and how different family members may have differing views as far as what is best for them or the rest of their family.

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1. In both pieces there is a sense of exploring a new frontier. Towards the end of Beloved, Denver ventures out of 124 and into the world for the first time in years. She was very geographically sheltered while growing up in 124, and her trip(s) out were a large step in her life. In the movie, some of those in the younger generation express desires to travel to the contiguous United States like Yellow Mary and Viola did. Finally at the end of the movie, a lot of the clan did end up fulfilling their desires, embarking on a new chapter of their lives just as Denver did when she left her house to look for work.

2. Also in both works there is a manipulation and toying with the storytelling. In Beloved, there are many different narrators that recount varying aspects of the story. One of these narrators is Beloved herself, the ghost of Sethe's murdered daughter. This is similar to the narrator in the movie who is Eli's unborn child. There are many subplots that unravel in both the book and the movie, creating more sophisticated stories that entice the reader/viewer to continue consuming the work.

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1. Motherhood
Both works are focused on familial bonds, and highlight the endurance of mother-child bonds. These are central importance in terms of community building and familial structure; at the same time, both works show the complex trauma Black families, and in particular, Black women faced while enslaved. The gendered abuse that Sethe endures at Sweet Home is traumatizing to both her, her body, and to her husband Halle. In the film, Eula and Eli are tormented by Eula's pregnancy, as Eula was raped by a white man. Motherhood is a fraught, agonizing terrain both physically and mentally for Black women.

2. Storytelling
The film is narrated by Nana Peazant and the Unborn Child (of Eli and Eula), who's is reminiscent of Beloved and her intense role in Morrison's book. Additionally, Black women are at the center of the film (and community), similar to how Sethe is in Beloved. And similar to Morrisons piece, while Black women's narratives may centered in the film, others' memories & stories are told and are intertwined/related in vignettes-- showcasing how trauma is not isolated-- it is communal.

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1. Ghost
In both works there is a ghost and narration from a baby. In "Beloved" there is a ghost from Sethe's deceased daughter who is haunting the family as Beloved. When Beloved joins the family after being nursed to health, Denver develops a close connection with Beloved until she witnesses Beloved try to strangle Sethe. Additionally, in 'Daughters of the Dust', the unborn child narrates in the voiceover. The narrator of the film, the unborn daughter, narrates wisdom and her passage from the unborn to the living.
2. Matriarchy
In 'Daughter's of the Dust', the social order of the island is a matriarchy. It is headed by Nana Peazant and a community of strong and capable women. Female leadership is not explicitly discussed, but the portrayal of a female community and women's centers matriarchy are a huge theme. For example, a woman is at the head of a religious/spiritual experience where both women and men are kissing a book. In 'Beloved', Sethe is the head of the household and cared for her two sons and Denver. She had a husband, Halle, a slave,  however he is not in the picture. When Paul D comes to her doorstep, she is still head of the household and watches over Denver, the only child that lives with her.

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1. Isolation - Isolation is something that is present in both ‘Beloved’ and ‘Daughters of the Dust’. The residents of 124 are isolated from their surrounding society both because of the communities perceptions of them, but also because they choose to stay separate from those around them. The Peazant family is also isolated from much of the world around them by nature of the place that they live, the cultural and geographic seperation that sets them apart. The families in both works are ultimately faced with a choice to either continue on in the isolation that is the hallmark of their experience, or to integrate with the world at large as a necessary step towards progress and moving forward.

2. Spirituality -Spiriturality is also something that appears in both works, specifically with the matriarchs in both families, Nana Peazant and and Baby Suggs. Nana Peazant carries on the spiritual traditions of their ancestors and the island where they reside. Baby Suggs acts as a de factor preacher for the community where she resides, providing a pillar for the community in the same way that Nana provides a pillar for her own familial community..

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1. Family - Both works revolve around family or a family story. In both, families face difficulties both similar and different, but they must confront their past and work through the present. I would add too that at times the narrative progression of the two families can be similar. Beloved has moments where the narrative skips around and the reader has to catch up quick. A similar structure is incorporated in Daughters of the Dust, although the visual medium of film makes this tactic more apparent in Daughters of the Dust as opposed to Beloved.

2. Time, memory, the past and present. These are all themes of or related to time that repeat in both works. Past traumas are referenced in both works whether that be the transportation and sale of slaves or the tortures of slavery itself. This is best exemplified in the relationships between grandparents, children, and grandchildren in the respective works. Baby Suggs, Sethe, and Denver share stories, experiences and perspectives just as Nana Peazant does with her children/grandchildren - Eli, Viola, Yellow Mary, etc.