Different Viewpoints on Song, A Response to a Critical Reading By Lindsey Bogott

Song plays an important role in society and has been used since humans were capable of speaking. It is used to convey emotions, to pass time, and to tell a story, all of which were especially used by slaves. The author Peter J. Capuano writes an essay diving into the portrayal of song in Beloved and how it symbolizes what the characters are feeling and experiencing. His analysis goes deep, covering topics that one may not associate with song such as brutality and status, causing his interpretation, in my opinion, to be too deep. Of course Toni Morrison is a very intelligent writer and I can see her making song a symbolic characteristic in the story, yet from my perspective, I believe the characters sang out of historical habit.

It can be dated all the back to the beginning of time in Africa when African-American ancestors used song in the work fields to pass time. It was used to tell stories, like how the native americans passed down events and morals through storytelling. Capuano does briefly come to this conclusion when he mentions how it made the slaves feel more human when they sang, allowing them to express their feelings out in the fields and bring the slaves together to form community. However he fails to mention how it passed the time. Men and women sang out in the fields to make the work more enjoyable and of course that habit stuck with them once they were freed. Song gets passed through family because children hear it as their mothers cook or when their father are tucking them into bed. It’s historical trait, nothing more or less.

However Capuano argues in his literary essay that the song in Beloved represents the horrors of slavery. He claims that Paul D and Sixo sang to remind others of the brutality they faced in prison camp or out in the fields. He also claims that song is used to indicate human status and gives slave an “alternative voice.” I can see where Capuano is coming from, I do agree that song gives slaves an alternative voice because it allows them to express their feelings, yet what I don’t like about Capuano’s argument is that he makes it sound like that only slaves can sing while they work. I almost want to ask Capuano if I am considered a slave when I sing as I wash the dishes at my work or when I do my homework, I just believe his argument is invalid.

In conclusion African-Americans singing gives them a way to practice their heritage by expressing their emotions while also passing time. The African-American community is known for their songs out in the field which led to the creation of jazz during the Harlem Renaissance. Song of course can be interpreted in many different ways since it’s art, which can be clearly seen as Capuano and I have different viewpoints on song in the context of Beloved.