Reclaiming Identity: A Feminist Analysis of Trauma and Resistance in Toni Morrison's Beloved and God Help the Child

Authors

  • Srividya Lakshmi K Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology
  • Priyadarshini M. C Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology
  • Sheik Hameed N B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology
  • Manimozhi R A.D.M. College for Women (Autonomous), Affiliated to Bharathidasan University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1601.09

Keywords:

Black Feminism, trauma, motherhood, colourism, resistance

Abstract

This paper offers a feminist analysis of Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) and God Help the Child (2015), exploring the intersection of trauma and resistance in Black female identity. Drawing on Black feminist thought, particularly Bell Hooks, Patricia Hill Collins, and Judith Butler, the study examines Sethe and Bride’s psychological experiences as reflections of Black women’s struggles for self-definition within oppressive systems. Beloved highlights the trauma of slavery and its impact on Black motherhood, while God Help the Child addresses internalised racism and the performative nature of beauty standards. Through acts of resistance and identity reclamation, Morrison's protagonists assert self-love as a transformative force in healing from intergenerational trauma.

Author Biographies

Srividya Lakshmi K, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology

Department of English

Priyadarshini M. C, Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of Science and Technology

Department of English

Sheik Hameed N, B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

Department of English

Manimozhi R, A.D.M. College for Women (Autonomous), Affiliated to Bharathidasan University

Research Department of English

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Published

2026-01-07

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Articles