Passage 169 · 1987
"Beloved"
Main effectThrough numerical subject 124, copulative spiteful character, fragmentary full-of elaboration, oxymoronic baby's-venom genitive, definite women-in-house, epistemic knowing, and coordinate children-too, Morrison creates syntax of haunting—grammar that makes house address into malevolent character, breaks standard sentence structure, combines infant innocence with poison, establishing supernatural presence known by all inhabitants.
Device index
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Tropes
Human qualities to abstractions.
Contradictory terms.
Associated term for thing.
Syntax
"124"—house number as grammatical subject. Syntax makes address into character.
"was spiteful"—subject-copula-adjective. Syntax assigns human emotion to location.
"Full of a baby's venom."—sentence fragment without subject. Syntax breaks grammatical completeness.
"a baby's venom"—possessive with oxymoronic noun. Syntax makes infant source of poison.
"The women in the house"—definite article with locative phrase. Syntax makes women defined by dwelling place.
"knew it"—cognitive verb with pronoun. Syntax makes house-character's nature knowable.
"and so did the children"—coordinating conjunction with inverted auxiliary. Syntax adds children's knowledge.
Close reading
1Close Reading
Numerical Subject
"124"—house number as grammatical subject. Syntax makes address into character.
Copulative Character
"was spiteful"—subject-copula-adjective. Syntax assigns human emotion to location.
Fragmentary Elaboration
"Full of a baby's venom."—sentence fragment without subject. Syntax breaks grammatical completeness.
Genitive Contradiction
"a baby's venom"—possessive with oxymoronic noun. Syntax makes infant source of poison.
Definite Collective
"The women in the house"—definite article with locative phrase. Syntax makes women defined by dwelling place.
Epistemic Verb
"knew it"—cognitive verb with pronoun. Syntax makes house-character's nature knowable.
Coordinate Addition
"and so did the children"—coordinating conjunction with inverted auxiliary. Syntax adds children's knowledge.
Stylistic Effect
Through numerical subject 124, copulative spiteful character, fragmentary full-of elaboration, oxymoronic baby's-venom genitive, definite women-in-house, epistemic knowing, and coordinate children-too, Morrison creates syntax of haunting—grammar that makes house address into malevolent character, breaks standard sentence structure, combines infant innocence with poison, establishing supernatural presence known by all inhabitants.