As we make the leap from Morrison’s A Mercy to Beloved this week, I can’t help but ask myself one question:
Why so many infant deaths?
In A Mercy, we learn of the numerous untimely passing of Rebekka’s babies. These deaths cause her grief that essentially serve as a driving force for her actions and relationships. For instance, Lina notes that she observes Mistress turning to God for prayer, although she previously believed her to not be much of a “Christian woman”. In Rebekka’s extreme grief, Morrison highlights the severity of impact that a broken maternal bond can produce for a mother. These dead essentially children “haunt” Rebekka, causing her shame, despair, and sadness. Continue reading “Infant Death and Haunting in “A Mercy” and “Beloved””