ao5 interpretations and critical opinions

A2 english literature

who/what is beloved? susan corey’s interpretation

sees beloved as the african river goddess oshun, known for being generous and nurturing but also for her capacity for destruction when angered

who/what is beloved? pamela barnett’s interpretation

sees beloved as the collective memory of all african americans and their history

who/what is beloved? nancy krumholz’s interpretation

thinks beloved “embodies the power of the past and the need to recognise the past fully in order to bring forth the future, pregnant with possibilities”

who/what is beloved? harold bloom’s overall interpretation

beloved’s “identity is not fixed. she is alternately a daughter, a sister, and a lover… she represents what people want her to be… she embodies individual and collective pasts… she threatens to drown characters in that past… she is both a healer and a destroyer… her arrival is both necessary and troubling.”