Why should you read Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”? - Yen Pham

Prevodilac: Tijana Vrtelova Lektor: Milenka Okuka

A mirror that shatters without warning.

Ogledalo koje se samo od sebe razbilo.

A trail of cracker crumbs strewn across the floor.

Trag mrvica od keksa koji se proteže po sobi.

Two tiny handprints that appear on a cake.

Dva majušna otiska ruku na torti.

Everyone at 124 Bluestone Road knows their house is haunted—

Svi u broju 124 u ulici Blustoun znaju da je njihova kuća ukleta -

but there’s no mystery about the spirit tormenting them.

ali nema mnogo misterije oko toga ko je duh koji ih proganja.

This ghost is the product of an unspeakable trauma;

Ovaj duh je proizvod neizrecive traume;

nasleđe varvarske istorije

the legacy of a barbaric history

that hangs over much more than this lone homestead.

koja nadkriljuje mnogo više od ovog usamljenog imanja.

So begins "Beloved," Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel

Tako počinje “Voljena”, roman Toni Morison koji je osvojio Pulicerovu nagradu,

about the suffering wrought by slavery and the wounds that persist in its wake.

a koji govori o patnjama izazvanim ropstvom i nezaceljenim ranama.

Published in 1987, "Beloved" tells the story of Sethe,

“Voljena”, roman objavljen 1987. godine, govori o Seti,

a woman who escaped enslavement.

ženi koja je pobegla iz ropstva.

When the novel opens, Sethe has been living free for over a decade.

Na početku romana, Seta živi slobodna već više od deset godina.

Her family has largely dissolved— Sethe’s mother-in-law died years earlier,

Njena porodica se uglavnom raspala - njena svekrva je umrla pre više godina,

and her two sons ran away from fear of the specter.

a njena dva sina su pobegla iz straha od aveti smrti.

Sethe’s daughter Denver remains in the house,

Setina ćerka Denver ostala je u kući,

but the pair live a half-life.

ali njih dve vode poluživot.

Shunned by the wider community,

Šira zajednica ih izbegava,

the two have only each other and the ghost for company.

pa one imaju samo jedna drugu i duha kao društvo.

Sethe is consumed by thoughts of the spirit,

Seta je obuzeta mislima o duhu,

whom she believes to be her eldest daughter.

za koga veruje da je njena najstarija ćerka.

When a visitor from Sethe’s old life returns and threatens the ghost away,

Kada se pojavi gost iz Setine prošlosti i pretnjama otera duha,

it seems like the start of a new beginning for her family.

to deluje kao novi početak za njenu porodicu.

But what comes in the ghost’s place may be even harder to bear.

Međutim, ono što dolazi umesto duha još je teže podneti.

As with much of Morrison’s work,

Kao i većina dela Toni Morison,

"Beloved" investigates the roles of trauma and love in African-American history.

“Voljena” ispituje uloge traume i ljubavi u afroameričkoj istoriji.

Morrison writes about black identities in a variety of contexts,

Toni Morison piše o crnačkim identitetima u različitim kontekstima,

but her characters are united by their desire to find love and be loved—

ali njeni likovi su ujedinjeni u svojoj želji da vole i budu voljeni -

even when it’s painful.

ček i kada je to bolno.

Some of her novels explore when love challenges social conventions,

Neki od njenih romana istražuju kako ljubav testira društvene konvencije,

like the forbidden affection that grows between the townsfolk of "Paradise"

poput zabranjene naklonosti koja raste između meštana iz “Raja”

and their fugitive neighbors.

i njihovih suseda - begunaca.

Other works examine how we can be blind to the love we already possess.

Druga dela istražuju kako smo ponekad slepi za ljubav koju već imamo.

In "Sula," one character realizes that it’s not her marriage,

U “Suli” jedan lik shvata da jedno njeno prijateljstvo,

but rather, one of her friendships that embodies the great love of her life.

a ne brak, predstavlja otelotvorenje njene velike životne ljubavi.

Perhaps Morrison’s most famous exploration of the difficulty of love

Možda i najpoznatije ispitivanje težine ljubavi Toni Morison

takes place in "Beloved."

smešta u roman “Voljena”.

Here, the author considers how the human spirit is diminished

Ovde autorka razmatra kako je ljudski duh umanjen

when you know the things and people you love most will be taken away.

kada znate da će vam stvari i ljudi koje najviše volite biti oduzeti.

Morrison shows that slavery is destructive to love in all forms,

Morison pokazuje kako je ropstvo pogubno za ljubav u svim svojim oblicima,

poisoning both enslaved people and their enslavers.

trujući istovremeno i porobljene i njihove porobljivače.

"Beloved" examines the dehumanizing effects of the slave trade

“Voljena” istražuje dehumanizujuće efekte trgovine robljem

in numerous ways.

na brojne načine.

Some are straightforward, such as referring to enslaved people

Neki su direktni, kao odnos prema porobljenima

as animals with monetary value.

kao prema životinjama koje imaju novčanu vrednost.

But others are more subtle.

Međutim, drugi su diskretniji.

Sethe and Paul D.— the visitor from her old plantation—

Seta i Pol D. - posetilac sa njene stare plantaže -

are described as trying to “live an unlivable life.”

opisani su kako pokušavaju da “žive nemoguć život”.

Their coping mechanisms are different; Sethe remains mired in her past,

Njihovi mehanizmi suočavanja su različiti; Seta ostaje zaglibljena u svojoj prošlosti

while Paul D. dissociates himself completely.

dok se Pol D. u potpunosti distancira.

But in both cases, it’s clear each character has been irreparably scarred.

Međutim, u oba slučaja je jasno da oboje imaju neizlečive ožiljke.

Morrison also blends perspectives and timelines,

Morison takođe meša perspektive i vremenske linije

to convey how the trauma of slavery

da bi prenela kako se trauma ropstva

ripples across various characters and time periods.

provlači kroz različite likove i vremenske periode.

As she delves into the psyche of townspeople, enslavers,

Udubljujući se u psihu građana, porobljivača,

and previously enslaved people,

i prethodno porobljenih ljudi

she exposes conflicting viewpoints on reality.

ona izlaže suprotstavljene poglede na stvarnost.

This tension shows the limitations of our own perspectives,

Ova napetost pokazuje ograničenja naših sopstvenih perspektiva,

and the ways in which some characters

kao i načine na koje neki likovi

are actively avoiding the reality of their actions.

aktivno izbegavaju realnost svojih postupaka.

But in other instances, the characters’ shifting memories align perfectly;

Međutim, u drugim primerima, promenljiva sećanja likova savršeno se slažu

capturing the collective trauma that haunts the story.

prenoseći kolektivnu traumu koja proganja priču.

Though "Beloved" touches on dark subjects,

Iako se “Voljena” dotiče mračnih tema,

the book is also filled with beautiful prose,

knjiga je takođe puna predivne proze

highlighting its characters’ capacity for love and vulnerability.

koja ističe sposobnost njenih likova za ljubav i ranjivost.

In a stream-of-consciousness sequence written from Sethe’s perspective,

U sekvenci toka svesti pisanoj iz Setine perspektive,

Morrison unspools memories of subjugation alongside moments of tenderness;

autorka odmotava sećanja na potčinjenost zajedno sa trenucima nežnosti,

like a baby reaching for her mother’s earrings, spring colors,

kao na primer beba koja hvata mamine minđuše, prolećne boje,

and freshly painted stairs.

ili sveže ofarbane stepenice.

Sethe’s mother-in-law had them painted white, she recalls,

Setina svekrva ih je ofarbala u belo, sećala se,

“so you could see your way to the top… where lamplight didn’t reach."

“kako bi videli put do vrha... tamo gde svetlost lampe ne doseže.”

Throughout the book, Morrison asks us to consider hope in the dark,

Kroz čitavu knjigu, Morison nas navodi da razmotrimo nadu u mraku,

and to question what freedom really means.

i da se zapitamo šta zapravo znači sloboda.

She urges readers to ponder the power we have over each other,

Ona podstiče čitaoca da premišlja o moći koju imamo jedni nad drugima,

and to use that power wisely.

kao i da tu moć mudro koristimo.

In this way, "Beloved" remains a testimony to the destructiveness of hate,

Na ovaj način, “Voljena” ostaje kao svedočanstvo o destruktivnoj moći mržnje,

the redeeming power of love,

iskupljujućoj moći ljubavi

and the responsibility we bear to heed the voices of the past.

i odgovornosti koju imamo da saslušamo glasove prošlosti.