In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or
audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning
of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.

One work of literary merit that confronts the reader with scenes of violence is “Beloved” by Toni Morrison. In this novel, Morrison vividly depicts the horrors of slavery and its aftermath through the experiences of Sethe, an escaped slave haunted by the memories of her past. The violence portrayed in “Beloved” serves a crucial role in conveying the novel’s profound themes of trauma, memory, and the devastating effects of slavery on individuals and communities.