In Beloved, we learn about the history and legacy of slavery from Sethe, Paul D, Stamp Paid, and Baby Suggs. Morrison writes history with the historical voices of the people without the right to speak, and Beloved recalls a history that had been lost – either due to wanting to forget - as in the case of Paul D’s iron bit. Beloved varies in tense between the close and distant pasts. It also includes irregular, …showed first 75 words of 1609 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1609 total…s brain does not allow her to forget: “there is still more that Paul D could tell me and my brain would go right ahead and take it and never say, no thank you, I don’t to know or have to remember that.” Sethe tortures herself with memories as a sort of punishment. Now that her daughter has returned she feels she does not have to remember anything or even have to explain anything.