Why is this book important to Christian fiction?
Could it be Toni's revision of the Old and New Testaments. Or they way she made her main character, Sethe, a metaphor for Slavery in America, a study on black and white relations in America? Or is this another allegory on the Song of Solomon or The Jews in Exile in the Old testament ?
"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine."
--Song of Solomon (6:3)
"I AM BELOVED and she is mine."
--Toni Morrison, Beloved
Is Morrison's work an example for post post modern christian authors to discuss and explore? She has no conversion scenes. No angels coming down from Heaven to speak to us. But she takes a deep seated hurt and dissects the African American psyche, a christian's psyche, our undying faith or simply an alienated heart. She uses simple observations, incredible circumstances and hidden truths to do this. And she won a Pulitzer in spite of it.
A few writing scholars have pondered the same question over the past decade. Peggy Ochoa wrote a critical essay, "Morrison's Beloved: Allegorically Othering "White" Christianity" discussing the relation between the Biblical Song of Solomon Book and Toni Morrison's other novel Beloved.
Although many christian fiction authors use biblical text in their novels, Morrison--who is not labeled a christian fiction author--takes the text and bends it to parallel with the conflicts her characters grapple against, in this case it is slavery in American society, black american identity and black feminist thought.
Many christian fiction authors quote bible scriptures through dialogue or character reverie. Rarely have an african american woman author expanded upon the psyochological nature of the written word and how it may relate to current society. Nor do these stories speak on the struggles of african american women in present day.
Therefore, I think it is imperative that we continue to study Morrison's work as relates to race, religion and womanism, since the christian fiction market--particularly on the part of inspirational romances--have increased in the past decade.
If you are a christian fiction, women's lit or mainstream author, has Morrison's writing shaped the way your chatacters see the world?
On an another note...Outside of Zora Hurston are there any others today beside Toni Morrison that can create such head authority from the use of biblical text? I'm still searching. If you know of anyone, let me know.
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