Representation of the Korean War in Toni Morrison’s Home
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Faculty of Art in English
Abstract
This present thesis deals with the African Americans’ involvement in war in general and
in Korean War in particular which is either ignored or misrepresented by mainstream history of
America. Toni Morrison’s novel Home, mostly raises the awful conditions of African Americans
and their community before, during and after the Korean War of the early 1950s. She expresses
the outcome effects from the 1950s scenario up to now. In the novel, African American veterans
like Frank, Mike, Stuff are enlisted in Korean War because of participation in war is the only
option for African American males to run their life. Most of them are killed but only Frank
returns to his nation. But American government mistreats returnee veterans and keeps them in
hospital for their bodily experiments in order to invent new medicine in America. Another fact,
in the absence of men in community, African American women like Cee and Sarah are involved
in household activities thinking that city is better place to run life. They are also victimised by
their masters like Dr. Beauregard who misuses their body to experiment new medicine and to
earn name and fame. After going through these conditions, Morrison visualises the determination
by Frank to live purposeful life for his only remaining family Cee and for his community. And
Cee’s decision to identify herself as an independent woman accepting her old tradition, culture,
life style and so on makes boldness and awakening among African Americans by which
Morrison creates counter- history to American history to give voice to marginalized African
Americans