In Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved, Morrison uses universal themes and characters that anyone can identify with today. Set in the 1800s, Beloved is about the destructive effects of American slavery. The most destructive thing in the novel, however, is the impact of slavery on the human soul. Morrison's Beloved highlights how slavery contributes to the destruction of one's identity by examining the importance of community solidarity, as well as the powers and limits of language during the 1860s. This novel illustrates the power and importance of community solidarity. For example, Sethe receives help from members of the Underground Railroad to exorcise Beloved's ghost. Morrison writes: “Some brought what they could and what they believed would work. Stuck in the pockets of the apron, tied around the neck, lying in the space between the breasts. Others carried the Christian faith, like shield and sword. Most brought a little of both” (303). The city unites against the ghost. Critics discuss many examples of the universality of community solidarity in Beloved. Wahneema Lubiano writes: “This novel is, ultimately, a text about community as a site of complications that empowers it, just as its social history within a larger formation debilitates its members.” This statement ties in well with the community coming together to fight the ghost. Another example of a character who illustrates community solidarity is Paul D. Paul's community at the time was the group of men when he was in prison. They all depended on each other to survive. Morrison writes to prove this: “'Those who succeeded - those who had been there years enough to mutilate her, mutilate her, maybe even bury her - watched over the others who were still in her dick... .. middle of paper .... ..er's Sons, 1991. 317-338. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 October 2013. “Community and Relationships.” 11 10 2008. Web. .Khaleghi, Mahboobeh. "The Ghost of Slavery: Individual and Community Identity in Beloved by Toni Morrison". (1931–)." African American Writers. Ed. Valerie Smith. 2nd ed. vol. 2. New York: Sons of Charles Scribner, 2001. 581-597. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. October 24, 2013. Morrison, Toni Beloved. New York: Knopf, 1987. Print. Vickroy, Laurie. “The Force Without/The Force Within: Maternal Love and Regenerative Spaces in Obsidian II 8.2 (1993): 28+. Literary Resource Center. Network. December 16. 2013.