Learn about the true story behind Morrison’s famous novel Beloved in this video from the American Masters film Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am. Margaret Garner, a woman born into slavery who escaped, tried to drown herself and her youngest child to avoid returning to the plantation—the child drowned and she survived.

At Garner’s hearing, the debate surrounded whether or not her actions should be considered “murder or destruction of property.” This case served as a place of creative generation for Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. While this is the framing tool for this video clip, the larger theme is Morrison’s push to reveal the “story beneath the story.” Since literature allows for empathy and the ability to experience the “secret inner life” of characters within these fictive imaginations, teaching Morrison offers the space for a pedagogy of hope, healing, and empathy in the classroom. Support materials include discussion questions, an image analysis of the painting “Behind the Myth of Benevolence,” and ideas for extending learning in the classroom.  

About the film: Toni Morrison is truly an American treasure, a writer all students should encounter and critically examine as part of their journey in understanding American identity. The film, directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, presents the extraordinary life and artistry of Toni Morrison. An artful and intimate meditation on the legendary storyteller, the film shares her life, her works, and the powerful themes she confronted throughout her literary career. She was the author of 11 novels, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, the American Book Award, and the Nobel Prize for Literature. She was also an educator and activist. In this resource, explore how blending text with the film’s content can foster engaged inquiry among students to bring relevance to their here and now.