Abstract: Traditionally the word "mother" is tightly connected with "tenderness" and "kindness". But in Beloved，Toni Morrison reveals a different kind of motherhood under slavery, which is irrational and desperate. This thesis aims to expound this motherhood of Sethe, the protagonist in Beloved, as “reconstructed motherhood”—to keep her children’s freedom and devote herself to them in the irrational way. The “reconstructed motherhood” contains two aspects: the one refers to the new meaning of love; the other is concerned about the irrational way of expressing that love. The seemingly sharp conflict between love and the way to express it reveals the evil root of the slavery.
Key words: Beloved, motherhood, irrationality, reconstruction
摘要：传统的母性形象总与温柔慈爱这些词联系在一起，而托尼·莫里森在其小说《宠儿》中探究了奴隶制度下非理性的绝望的母爱。本论文将女主人公塞斯的这种母爱命名为“重建的母性”—用非理性的方式来保证自己孩子的自由，给予他们一切的爱。“重建”意味着两方面的更新：一方面是母爱的新内容，另一方面是非理性的表达母爱的方式。浓烈的爱与非理性的方式，这两者之间的不和谐正揭露了奴隶制度的罪恶所在。
关键词：《宠儿》，母性，非理性，重建
