What Do I Read Next?
Morrison's debut novel, The Bluest Eye (1969), offers a modern depiction of the self-loathing and destruction that can arise when African Americans seek validation from white society. The story centers around Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl who idolizes white child star Shirley Temple. This comparison makes Pecola feel unattractive, leading her to desperately wish for blue eyes. After being raped by her father, Pecola's fixation drives her to madness. She gives birth prematurely to a baby that dies and retreats into a fantasy where she possesses the bluest eyes imaginable.
Morrison's acclaimed novel, Song of Solomon (1979), narrated from a male perspective, follows Milkman Dead on his quest for identity. Milkman is torn between the selflessness of his aunt and the materialism of his father, prompting him to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Throughout his travels, he overcomes his confusion and dissatisfaction, ultimately uncovering the richness of his African-American heritage, the significance of community, and the essence of love and faith.
Published after Morrison received the Nobel Prize, Paradise (1998) recounts the tale of Ruby, Oklahoma, a fictional town founded by African-American freedmen post-Reconstruction. Morrison delves into themes of community, responsibility, and history, detailing the events that lead the townsmen to destroy a nearby convent.
Charles Johnson's Middle Passage (1990), which won the National Book Award, tells the gripping story of a recently freed slave who stows away on a New Orleans ship to avoid marriage. Unbeknownst to him, the ship is a slave clipper bound for Africa, thrusting Rutherford Calhoun into a physically and spiritually harrowing journey.
Harriet Beecher Stowe's landmark novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), was inspired by the controversy surrounding the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. This pioneering work exposed the horrors of slavery and highlighted the humanity of slaves. (The derogatory "Uncle Tom" stereotype emerges from poorly adapted play versions of the novel, not Stowe's Christ-like protagonist.) The book sold over three hundred thousand copies in its first year, inspiring many anti-slavery activists.
Virginia Hamilton, a highly praised author for children and young adults, has compiled and retold numerous African-American stories and folktales. Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom (1992) uses real narratives to chronicle African-American history, while Her Stories (1995) gathers folktales, fairy tales, and true stories featuring African-American heroines. Both books are illustrated by award-winning artists Leo and Diane Dillon.
Another young-adult author, Gary Paulsen, provides a poignant depiction of slavery's brutality in Nightjohn (1993). The story follows twelve-year-old Sarny, a slave girl who risks severe punishment to learn how to read.
One critic compared the public impact of Morrison's Beloved to that of another novel chronicling a people's struggle against prejudice and oppression. Leon Uris's bestselling epic, Exodus (1957), narrates the Jewish settlement of modern Israel. In preparation for writing the novel, Uris read 300 books, traveled 12,000 miles within Israel, and interviewed over 1,200 people.
Harriet A. Jacobs's "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself" (1862) stands as one of the earliest autobiographies penned by an African American. In this work, Jacobs recounts her birth into slavery, her relationship with a white neighbor, her daring escape from a plantation in North Carolina, and her relentless efforts to secure freedom for herself and her children.
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