'Love' by Toni Morrison

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that Toni Morrison's novel 'Love' is far from being a simple love story. Instead, the writer claims that it is a novel that delves into several major themes related to the family. This includes issues of child abuse and neglect, issues related to families and extended families, rape and violence against women, the role of the father in a family and the role of friendship. Each of these major themes are considered, with the discussion showing how the novel deals with each theme and what Morrison is suggesting about each of the issues.

Contents:
Child Abuse and Neglect
Family and Extended Family
Rape and Violence Against Women
The Role of the Father
The Role of Friendship

From the Paper:

"One of the interesting things about Cosey's family is how the family is created by Cosey's decisions, while all the members of the family have to live with his decisions. This is clearly seen in Cosey's marriage to Heed, which Christine has to cope with. Christine is Cosey's granddaughter, so she cannot escape being part of Cosey's family. When Cosey decides to marry Heed, Cosey and Heed become linked as family. This relationship is always based on conflict as both women continue to reject each other. Yet as much as they continue to reject each other, they can never escape from each other. Cosey's decisions have linked them as family whether they like it or not. This is made especially clear when Christine is described deciding to leave, with Morrison describing her as thinking "Put on your shoes, old man, and look at me good now, because you will never see me again". This is more than just a statement about not seeing Cosey. It is also a statement about leaving her family forever."

More papers on 'Love' by Toni Morrison:

• Book Review # 120122 : "Love" by Toni Morrison"
• Analytical Essay # 125292 : "Duality in Toni Morrison's Novels"
• Book Review # 27115 : "The Role of the Black Community in Morrison's Works"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: