Toni Morrison, the Nobel Prize winning author of “Beloved” passed away at the age of 88, in New York on Monday night, 6th August 2019.
Morrison was raised into a family of the working class, who had migrated North fleeing Southern racism. Born in the depths of the Great Depression, Morrison became the voice of the unheard, carving out a literary home for the Afro-Americans. First, working as an editor and then as a novelist.
She was one of the most iconic and phenomenal writers of her time, producing great literary works like “The Bluest Eye, “Beloved” and “Song of Solomon” etc. She excelled as a novelist, editor, short story writer, and essayist and was presented with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.
Exploring the African-American experience, Morrison chronicled it using vivid imagery and poignant language. She was a writer who brought into the limelight the harsh realities and mythic stories of the Afro-American struggle.
Talking about her writing style, she created a world in which the reader could dwell into. Her narratives consist of the voices of men, women and even ghosts. Child narrative also plays an important role in her writings.
Throughout her work, slavery and its legacy remain one of her abiding concerns. A majestic figure, whose writings left a mark on millions of people, Morrison was also a champion of libraries and a dedicated teacher.
She inspired people through her work and her writings prove to be a motivation in the darkest of times.
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shi* that weighs you down, she wrote in “Song of Solomon”. Rest in Peace, Miss Morrison.