Criticism of Toni Morrison's "Beloved"

The portion in the novel I take exception to is where Morrison has Sethe stating over and over that the nephews "took" the breast milk she was "saving" for her baby girl who had gone ahead.

Further, it is possible that with Morrison having her own sons in the early 1960s, that she never personally breastfed. Breastfeeding in the 1950s and 1960s was out of favor as old-fashioned and unsanitary. In any case, whether Morrison had personal knowledge of breastfeeding or not, she should have researched this topic, as it is one of the main points of contention she makes in her book.

Breastfeeding is a 'supply and demand' process. The more you nurse, the more milk you produce. The behavior of the two nephews and the schoolmaster aside, they did not drain Sethe dry once and for all of milk she intended for her baby. There would be more milk produced almost immediately.

It is not possible to 'save' breast milk in the breast. If you are breastfeeding and suddenly stop, your milk production will continue. You will in short time become engorged, and may even develop mastitis - an extremely painful breast infection of the milk ducts that are no longer being emptied on schedule.

I have breastfed four babies, and my reaction when reading Morrison's statements about the 'taking' and the 'saving' her milk struck me as ludicrous. I usually rolled my eyes because these statements make no sense. Morrison lost credibility with me as an writer over her poorly researched topic. Use the topic, but in such a way it actually sounds realistic, or as if it could have happened. Make it mesh with the rest of her fine book.