Throughout the story in “Beloved” by Toni Morrison memory seems to be a major theme.       As Baby Suggs (Sethe’s mother-in-law) preaches to the children and their mothers about the hardships slavery has done to her. As she’s talking to everyone in attendance she makes a very powerful statement as she says “in this here place, we flesh; flesh that weeps, laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh. They despise it. They don’t love your eyes; they’d just as soon pick em out. No more do they love the skin on your back. Yonder they flay it. And O my people they do not love your hands. Those they only use, tie, bind, chop off and leave empty. Love your hands! Love them. Raise them up and kiss them. Touch others with them, pat them together, stroke them on your face ’cause they don’t love that either. You got to love it, you! And no, they ain’t in love with your mouth. Yonder, out there, they will see it broken and break it again. What you say out of it they will not heed. What you scream from it they do not hear. What you put into it to nourish your body they will snatch away and give you leavins instead. No, they don’t love your mouth. You got to love it”(Morrison, 88).

Baby Suggs gives an insight of what happens in slavery, as you will be working daily, when you do something wrong; you will be beaten but at the end of the day you will have to love yourself in order to survive. Even if you scream, your voice will not be heard. Baby Suggs memories are a reminder of those bad times. As she says earlier that she had lost everything, except for her heart. Without her heart, she would have nothing left of herself.