Abstract:Toni Morrison, the author of Beloved, is one of the greatest contemporary writers in the world. This paper interprets the redemption of Sethe, the main character in Beloved, from the perspective of Freudian’s psychoanalysis, focusing on her trauma and healing. Sethe’s traumatic memory of body, her traumatic experiences in Sweet Home, and her ultimate trauma from the killing of Beloved lead to her hysteria while Paul. D, Beloved, Denver help her as the healing elements to her redemption. This paper attempts to reveal Toni Morrison’s purpose of writing Beloved: It is extremely important for the black to reconstruct, confront, and recover their past traumatic history. Only in this way can those enslaved souls be liberated and seek for their lost selves.

Key words：Beloved; trauma; healing; redemption

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-1

3. A Brief Introduction to Freudian Psychoanalysis-2

4. A Psychoanalytic Analysis of Sethe’s Redemption-3

4.1 The Origin of Sethe’s Trauma-3

4.2 The Healing Process of Sethe-8

5. Conclusion-11

Works Cited-12