Text B Traumatic Family（第1页）

TextBTraumaticFamily

—fromBeloved（PartOne）

ToniMorrison

124ITEFUL。Fullofababy’svenom。Thewomeninthehousekandsodidthe。Foryearseachputupwiththespiteinhisownway，butby1873SetheaerDesonlyvictims。Thegrandmother，BabySuggs，wasdead，andtheslar，hadrunawaybythetimetheywerethirteenyearsold—assoonasmerelylookinginamirrorshatteredit（thatwasthesignalflar）;assoonastrihecake（thatwasitforHoward）。herboywaitedtoseemore;alefulofchickpeassmokihefloor;sodacrackerscrumbledandstrewniothedoorsill。Nordidtheywaitforohereliefperiods:theweeks，monthsevehingwasdisturbed。No。Eaefledatohehouseittedwhatwasforhimtheonottobebornessedasee。Withintwomonths，inthedeadtheirgrandmother，BabySuggs;Sethe，theirmother;alesister，Denver，allbythemselvesinthegrayandwhitehouseoodidn’thaveahen，beatididfar。Infact，Ohiohadbeengitselfastateoyyearswhenfirstoheuffedquiltpatohishat，snatcheduphisshoes，aawayfromthelivelyspitethehousefeltforthem。

BabySuggsdidn’tevenraiseherhead。Fromhersickbedsheheardthemgobutthatwasn’tthereasoill。ItwasawohergrandsonshadtakensolohateveryhousewasheooneRoad。Suspehenastinessoflifeandthemeahedead，she’tgetiedinleavinglifeit，letalht-offboys。Herpasthadbee—intolerable—andsinewdeathwasanythingbutfetfulhelittleeherfcolor。

“Bringalittlelavenderin，ifyougotany。Pink，ifyoudon’t。”

Ahewouldobligeherwithanythingfromfabrictue。WinterinOhioeciallyroughifyouhadaeforcolor。Skyprovidedtheonlydrama，andgonaatihorizonforlife’sprincipaljoywasredeed。SoSetheandthegirlDenverdidwhattheydwhatthehousepermitted，fethertheyerfunctorybattleagairageousbehaviorofthatplastturned-overslopjars，smathebehind，andgustsofsourair。Fortheyuhesourceoftheeaswellastheykhesht。

BabySuggsdiedshortlyafterthebrothersleft，withsoeveriakingorhers，andrightafterwardSetheandDeoeionbygfhostthattriedthemso。Perhapsaversatio，anexgeofviewsorsomethingwouldhelp。Sotheyheldhandsandsaid，“eon。Youmayaswelljusteon。”

Thesideboardtookastepforwardbutnothingelsedid。

“GrandmaBabymustbestoppingit，”saidDeenandstillmadatBabySuggsf。

&heopenedhereyes。“Idoubtthat，”shesaid。

“Thenwhydon’tite?”

“Yhowlittleitis，”saidhermother。“Shewaswoyearsoldwheoolittletouoolittletotalkmu。”

“Maybeshedon’twaand，”saidDenver。

“Maybe。Butifshe’donlyakeitcleartoher。”Sethereleasedherdaughter’shandaheypushedthesidebainstthewall。Outsideadriverwhippedhishorseintothegalloplocalpeoplefeltnecessarywhentheypassed124。

“Forababyshethroowerfulspell，”saidDenver。

“NomorepowerfulthanthewayIlovedher，”Setheahereitwasagain。Thewelingchiseledheadstoheooleanagainstontiptoe，herkneeswideopenasanygrave。Pinkasafirihglitteringminutes，hesaid。YougottenminutesI’lldoitforfree。

&esforsevehaencouldshehavegotteoo?Shehadnotthoughttoaskhimanditbotheredherstillthatitmighthavebeefortwentyminutes，ahalfhour，say，shecouldhavehadthewholething，everywordsheheardthepreachersayatthefuneral（aravedonherbaby’sheadstone:DearlyBeloved。Butwhatshegot，settledfor，wastheohatmattered。Shethoughtitwouldbeenamooheengraver，hisyoungsonlookingon，theangerinhisfacesoold;theappetiteihatshouldlybeeoansweronemorepreaoreabolitionistandatownfullofdisgust。

goillnessofherownsoul，shehadfottehesirl。Whowouldhavethoughtthatalittleoldbabycouldharborse?Ruttingamooheeyesoftheengraver’ssonwasnotenough。Notonlydidshehavetoliveoutheryearsinahousepalsiedbythebaby’sfuryathavingitsthroatcut，butthosetenmipressedupagainstdawoarchips，herkneeswideopenasthegrave，werelohanlife，morealive，morepulsatingthanthebabybloodthatserslikeoil。

“Weove，”shesuggestedoher-in-law。

“What’dbethepoint?”askedBabySuggs。“NotahouseiryaisrafterswithsomedeadNegro’sgrief。Weluckythisghostisababy。Myhusband’sspiritwastoebahere?oryours?Don’ttalktome。Youlucky。Yougotthreeleft。Threepullingatyourskirtsandjusthellfromtheotherside。Bethankful，whydon’tyou?Ihadeight。Everyohemgoneawayfromme。Fourtaken，fourdall，Iexpect，wsomebody’shouseintoevil。”BabySuggsrubbedhereyebrows。“Myfirstborn。AllIrememberofherishowshelovedtheburomofbread。youbeatthat?Eightandthat’sallIremember。”

“That’sallyouletyourselfremember，”Sethehadtoldher，butshewasdowntooneherself—ois—theboyschasedoffbythedeadone，andhermemlarwasfadingfast。Howardatleasthadaheadshapenobodycet。Asfortherest，sheworkedhardtorememberasothingaswassafe。Unfortunatelyherbrainwasdevious。Shemightbehurryingacrossafield，runningpractically，togettothepumpquidriheilesapfrs。Nothingelsewouldbeihepieningtonurseherwasaslifelessasthenervesinherbackwheretheskinbuckledlikeawashboard。Norwastherethefaiofinkorthecherrygumandoakbarkfromwhichitwasmade。Nothing。Justthebreezegherfaceassherushedtowardwater。Andthensoppingtheileaumpwaterandrags，hermiibitofsapoff—onheressintakingashortcutacrossthefieldjusttosaveahalfmile，andnotnotighowhightheweedshadgrownugwasallthewaytoherkhing。Theplashhtofhershoesandstogsawryohwhereshehadflungthem;orHereBoylappinginthepuddle，aherewasSweetH，routbeforehereyes，andalthoughtherewashatfarmthatdidtoscream，itrolleditselfoutbeforeheriy。Itneverlookedasterribleasitwasanditmadeherwonderifhelllacetoo。Fireandbrimstht，buthiddeninlacygroves。Boyshangingfromthemostbeautifulsytheworld。Itshamedher—rememberingthewhihertharyasshemighttomakeitotherwise，thesycamoresbeatouttheeverytimeandsheivehermemoryforthat。

1。FillinthemissingwordstopletethefollraphonToniMorrisonandBeloved。

AfterpublishingfouroniMorrisoablishedherselfasopopularandsuccessful1）femalewritersofhertime。Withthepubliofherfifthnovel，Beloved，however，criticswherewasanauthorthandbrilliamadeherwork2）。Inthistalesetiion3），Morrisonpaintsadarkaraitofthedehumasof4）。Inspiredbyanactualhistorit，Belovedtellsthestoryofawomahedaughtershe5）ratherthaoslavery。Part6）story，partrealistiarrative，thehementalandphysical7）causedbyslaveryaswellasthelingeriedonitssurvivors。Iarkandlyrical，Morrisonaddressesseveralthemes:theimportanceof8）anduforindividualandcultural9），aureof10）。

&herthefollowirue（T）orfalse（F）。

1）Belovedbeginsin1873inati，Ohio，whereSetheisaformerslave。（）

&hehasbeenlivieen-year-olddaughterDenverandherbabygirlioneRoad。（）

&her-in-law，BabySuggs，livedwiththemuheightyearsearlier。（）

4）ShortlyafterBabySuggs’sdeath，Sethe’stwoslar，rana>

5）Beforeshedied，BabySuggssankintoadeepdepressioedbyalifeofslaveryandbythelossofalleightofher。（）

6）Shespedaysrequesting“color”—bitsofdark-coloredobjectsshehopedwouldalleviatehersadness。（）

&hebelieveshersonsfledbealevolentpresenabusiveghostthathashauheirhouseforyears。（）

8）Denver，however，likestheghost，whiebelievestobethespiritofherdeadfather。（）

&heworkshardtorememberasmuchaspossibleaboutherpast，butthememoryofhersonsisfadingfast。（）

10）MostofherhappymemoriesiHome，aplantatiouckywhereshelivedasaslaveuntilherescapeeighteenyearsago。（）