Approaching Beloved
I. Create a collection of 10 single short sentences or clauses (try to keep them under 10 words each) from the book which you believe to be particularly rich and impactful. For each sentence, write some initial notes about why you chose it, questions you have about it, etc. (~30-50 words each). This will help prepare you to write a longer essay about a rich and powerful sentence from the text.
II. Identify one additional “key passage” from the text. Type the passage, then type a 250-500 word analysis of why you consider it a key passage. Look at the language of DeMott and also David Long as you select the passages you wish to write about. Why does this passage require slow and deliberate re-reading? Why? In writing about your passage, focus specifically on ITS features, but also consider how this passage “contains the whole.” Over the course of your responses, try to include:
-Connections across imagery and ideas within the novel
-Your interpretations of specific features within each passage
-Awareness of and appreciation for Morrison’s craft
-Your voice and reactions to the text