Use of color as a symbol in Beloved In Beloved, Toni Morrison portrays the barbarity and cruelty of slavery. It highlights African Americans' desire for a new life as they seek to escape their past by reclaiming their freedom and creating a sense of community. In Beloved, “Much of the characters' grief occurs as they rebuild themselves, their families, and their communities after the devastation of slavery” (Kubitschek 115). Throughout the novel, Morrison uses color to symbolically represent a complete life of happiness, freedom, and security, as well as involvement in community and family. In many scenes, Morrison uses color to convey a character's desire for such a life; while, in other cases, Morrison uses color to illustrate the satisfaction and fulfillment that the characters experience once they reach this life. Morrison uses color to symbolize the life Paul D desires as he heads north. When Paul D asks the Cherokee man “how he could get to the North. Free North. Magical North,” (Morrison 112) conveys his desire for a life that is free, safe, happy, and even a little magical. Equating color to this life, the Cherokee man responds, “Follow the flowers of the tree.” When thinking about or describing flowers, their colors are always important. On his journey north, Paul D “scanned the horizon for a flash of pink or white…[or] plum blossoms” (Morrison 113). By having Paul D look for colorful flowers, Morrison illustrates Paul D's desire for a life full of security, fun, and freedom. Just as Paul D wants a better life after slavery, so does Baby Suggs. As a slave, Suggs was repressed and did not experience the kind of life she wanted. Morrison indirectly demonstrates...... middle of paper ...... the beauty of this land that was not” theirs (Morrison 268). “They cling to its banks to lap the water and try not to love it;” for their life was not their own (Morrison 268). Therefore, when slaves are able to experience color, like Denver when she is part of the community, the symbolism of color is very powerful. Symbolizes a character's ability to possess a feeling or emotion. For example, when Sugars dies, she focuses on color because it is one thing in her life that she owns. The effects of slavery destroyed his family, his community, and even his freedom. Therefore, he focuses on the color because it is his experience and the happiness he feels when reflecting on the color is his. Works Cited Kubitschek, M.D. Toni Morrison: A Critical Companion. London: Greenwood Press, 1998. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Plume Press, 1987.