ABUSE AND NEGLECT: A CRITIQUE ON THE TRAUMATISED FEMALE CHARACTER OF CEE IN MORRISON’S HOME

Abstract

Morrison's novels have addressed the most common themes in African-American literature: domestic violence, neglect and abuse. Although the characters in Morrison's books endure the pervasive problems of domestic violence, physiological, psychological, emotional, or sexual abuse, they also go through many positive transformations. This research attempts to elucidate the various forms of suffering blacks face through her novels and convey a message that if children are kept in that state, they will perish. Instead, they would lose their sanity and sense of self. She uses her novels to protect and safeguard children from being mistreated by pointing out child maltreatment. In her novel Home, Morrison depicts Cee's struggles with domestic abuse, ending in elopement. Morrison has brought to light the physically and verbally abusive behaviour of Lenore. Morrison went on to say that regardless of what you do to a person while he or she is still in their childhood, that person's life will be shaped by it. During the novel, she tried to rescue herself, but she was constantly placed in different kinds of situations where she had to suffer. Still, this novel "Home" deals with the themes of healing and child abuse, which can traumatise a life. This study looks at society's hidden realities, including the potential for abusive behaviour on the part of a mother towards her children and how that behaviour harms those children.