Beloved Rememory/Disremember
by
Toni Morrison
Instead of using the words "remember" and "forget," Sethe uses the words "rememory" (both a noun and a verb here) and "disremember." To Sethe, the past is alive in the present, and thus the word "remember" is substituted with the more organic "rememory," reminding us that everything is held in memory. Similarly, the word "forget" lacks the conscious effort that the characters must employ to commit such an act. Thus, they "disremember" things, with the implication that they force them to the back of their minds.