Although people today say that slavery is a thing of the past, the lingering traces of that history are still worth looking into. For a clearer picture than this article can afford you, there are plenty of slave narratives and documents about the atrocious institution that was American slavery. However, these five books, ranging from novels to poetry, bring us fresh perspectives on what it means for America to remember slavery today. While the theme of slavery is difficult to read about, especially when addressed by women (as it often brings in instances of sexual abuse), these reads offer unique views into how slavery still lives on in different forms today, and how the struggle that these characters face remain relevant. Written in deep, poetic prose, Morrison pens a story that jumps through time and blurs the line between what is real and what is possible. Inspired by the life of Margaret Garner, Beloved is once a history about slavery as well as the story of one family, set after the Civil War. What we readers see, however, are the consequences of such a duty, and the darkness it casts our protagonist in. The novel is a tough pill to swallow, not only because of the atrocities the characters in the book face but also because there is no resolution. It represents a cyclic, futile process that transcends generations and challenges the importance of remembering the horrors of the past introduced by slavery.
