The main idea of the novel involves Sethe's survival of a traumatic escape from slavery. In order to attain her freedom, Sethe was forced by circumstance to kill her older daughter in order to keep from being caught. The murder of her daughter and the guilt she lives with encompass the novel's moral dilemma. The mysterious arrival of the stranger calling herself by Sethe's daughter's name gives rise to the effects of the dilemma. Morrison's message is one of tolerance and understanding. She wants us to treat this breach to morality with a clear vision and understanding while barring what would be our preconceived notions. Might I say, she succeeds!