Idea Transcript
More Next Blog»
Create Blog Sign In
AP Lit Mods 7-8 Class Blog About Me
Monday, February 22, 2016
Ms. Podvesker
Beloved Blog #2
View my complete profile
Beloved (Part II-III) Blog Archive
*Answer any 2 of the following guided questions:
t 2016 (8) April (4)
1. Memory is fluid in the text. Locate other powerful moments of memory or “disremembering.” What does memory mean for Sethe? For the other characters? Why have the past and present as ONE entity? What is Morrison trying to do with the juxtaposition of remembering vs. forgetting? 2. How did you interpret the symbolism of the ice-skating adventure? And discuss how this scene leads into Sethe’s realization that Beloved is her daughter and what she says to Beloved in her thoughts.
March (2) t February (2) Beloved Blog #2 Beloved Part I 2015 (13)
3. Analyze the four chapters that reflect monologues in the stream-ofconsciousness structure and how the voices of the 3 women intermingle. Unpack these chapters and the way in which they explore the motif of “mine” and possessing another person. 4. In part III, we start to see how the relationship between the 3 women begins to deteriorate—analyze how this happens. What’s the resolution? Discuss the role of the community in this section.
Posted by Ms. Podvesker at 5:30 AM
24 comments: Bevinw February 28, 2016 at 2:24 PM 2. The ice skating adventure with sethe, Denver, and beloved is interesting. The whole situation is packed with symbolism. First off, Sethe could not find her ice skates and that leads to Beloved finding one pair. Sethe then takes the girls both skating with a pair and a half. A pair and a half means 3 ice skates... The three of them split three ice skates. This could symbolize a lot of things. One the three skates symbolize the three of them, and how Sethe always says that she has everything shell ever need blah blah blah. The three skates also make Sethe, Denver, and Beloved fall a lot which then leads to them showing sympathy and love for one another. Following the ice skating scene, they go home and Sethe finally has something fall into place. She hears Beloved hum. It all comes to her that Beloved is in fact her daughter. The song Beloved is humming is the song that Sethe made up for her children when they were little. Sethe thinks about how no one else knows it but her children. After realizing that Beloved is her daughter, she couldn't be happier. She smiles at the shed that she killed Beloved in which is odd. She then thinks that the day Denver, Paul D, and herself casted a shadow that really Beloved was Paul D's shadow. She feels like Beloved isn't mad at her which makes her happy too. Further along in the chapter something that stood out to me as being significant is when she realizes she didn't have to completely engrave "dearly beloved" on the gravestone because she feels Beloveds heart never stopped beating in her hands. Sethe is also happy that beloved is back to reveal everything that Sethe cant remember. Overall this chapter was filled with realizations and a ton of symbolism to connect Sethe and Beloved and their family unit that Sethe is oh so ecstatic about. 4. In part 3, the relationships between the 3 women begin to deteriorate fast, and ruin the "unit" Sethe was so happy about in the early stages of part 2. It was obvious from the start that Beloved was back for one reason , and that was to see Sethe and only Sethe. She made that clear to Denver numerous times in part 1. The two women, (Beloved and Sethe) begin to switch roles. Sethe now basically lives to meet everyone of Beloved's needy demands. Beloved has become extremely greedy for Sethe's attention which is taking time away from her relationship with Denver. Denver in the beginning was nervous about Sethe, because she knows what she has been capable of in the past. But as she looks further into it, she realizes that beloved is the problem. Everything Sethe does is never good enough for Beloved, and she only continues to demand more and more. For Sethe on the other hand, she is doing everything she can to provide love to Beloved and make up for her death. Beloved is clearly back in her mothers life to make it hell and give her "payback." When Sethe is told that Mr. Bodwin is going to take one of her children, and he sees him coming up the yard she attempts to attack him rather than killing her children. The attempted attack of the man shows Beloved that her murder was an act out of love. Beloved is now able to understand why Sethe did what she did. Reply
Zoe K February 28, 2016 at 4:45 PM 2. The moment when Sethe, Denver, and Beloved go out ice-skating cements their bond as a family. Before the arrival of beloved, the unit was fractured — the two boys left, Baby Suggs had died, and the baby’s murder as well as the ghost that came with it destroyed much of the relationship between Sethe and her remaining daughter. Paul D’s recent arrival and subsequent departure also threatened to further damage the kinship between the two women. With Beloved, however, the missing link within the family and Sethe’s greatest regret is mended. The iceskating symbolizes the rekindling of that familial bond. Instead of just one or the other, in the passage the women are often to referred to as “they” or “them”(205). They also work together to skate, each “helping the other two stay upright”. More importantly, though they fall many times, they take comfort and even amusement in their mistakes as “[n]obody saw them falling”. At this point the three have truly formed a whole unit together, one that they can fail without fear of reproach, as they do in the outside world (e.g., Denver’s harassment by the other kids, Sethe’s isolation from the community). In a way, the outside world itself has ceased to exist, that is for Sethe. Once Beloved confirms her suspicion that she is the murdered baby by singing Sethe’s song, the woman becomes increasingly draw inward, having no need of anyone else but her children. 4. Paul D’s concerns about Sethe’s “too thick” love come to fruition in the final chapters of the book. Her recognition of Beloved as her long lost daughter reveals itself as a double-edged sword. While Sethe is overjoyed at the return of her baby, her immense guilt and loss drives her to consume herself with Beloved, which the vengeful lost soul readily encourages. Denver soon realizes that the unit she found herself in on the frozen lake was merely an illusion as Sethe’s love quickly becomes obsessive devotion. Sethe begins to give in more and more to Beloved’s demands, and the more she gives in the more Beloved demands. Their roles reverse, with the daughter taking on the authoritarian role and the more the subservient one. Denver is left out of this unhealthy, self-reinforcing relationship, being forced to act as caregiver to her incompetent sister and unable mother. Once Denver reaches out to the rest of the community, it quickly bands together to expel the virus plaguing 124. Though they exiled Sethe and her household after the murder of the child, even they can not allow a member of their community to suffer so. Reply
Noelle Gizzi February 28, 2016 at 6:46 PM 2. The ice skating scene in Beloved symbolizes the growing relationship between Sethe, Denver, and Beloved. The three girls spend their time laughing and having fun together. Their ice-skating adventure serves to unite the three in an atypical family unit. They faced the ice “holding hands, bracing each other” (Morrison 205). Morrison continually repeats that nobody saw them falling while skating, which suggests that they have created a connection that is strong enough to endure outside criticism. Their continued falling shows how they are human and make mistakes but can learn from them and move on from them, paralleling Sethe’s actions when she killed her child. She committed a terrible act with good intentions and then learned to move on and establish new relationships. This scene leads into Sethe realizing that Beloved is an incarnation of her dead daughter, which further emphasizes the theme of family. It is interesting that the activity which strengthened their bond is ice skating. Ice typically symbolizes danger, so in this case the ice skating represents the fragility of their family dynamic. While this scene represents their wonderful family in the moment, it also illustrates how easily damaged their relationships are. The ice foreshadows the upcoming disintegration of their relationships. 4. In part III the relationship between Beloved, Sethe, and Denver begins to fall apart. Once Sethe has accepted Beloved as her daughter she killed years ago she begins to try to make up for lost time by mothering her excessively despite Beloved being a grown woman. Beloved willingly accepts Sethe’s sacrifices and fuels a toxic relationship in which Beloved takes all and Sethe willingly gives up everything she has. Denver observes the effects this arrangement of giving and receiving has on the family and turns to the community outside 124 for help. Denver manages to get her family food and keep the three of them alive, being ironic in that she is the youngest of the family and yet she is the rationally thinking caretaker of the family. This causes the community to band together to exorcise Beloved in order to put an end to this unhealthy relationship. It is unexpected how the community tries to help even though they are afraid of Sethe and do not associate with her, although their aid was more for Denver’s sake than Sethe’s. Reply
Lindsay B February 28, 2016 at 7:28 PM
2. The ice-skating adventure depicted in Part II symbolizes the love that Sethe has for her children, including her deceased daughter represented as Beloved. The three women go ice-skating but only have three ice skates. The three skates are given to Sethe’s two children, symbolizing that Sethe gives everything she can to her children, including but not limited to her love and protection. In the scene itself, Denver, Beloved and Sethe are having fun and laughing the entire time even as they fall over. What is striking about this passage is the repetition of the line, “Nobody saw them falling” (205). It is reminiscent of the phrase, “If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to see it, does it make a sound?” If nobody is at the lake to see the trio falling, do they actually fall? They make mistakes, but instead of dwelling on the slip up of falling all three women laugh it off, get back up, and try again. This is like Sethe with her life. She killed her daughter and attempted to kill her other children and to the naked eye it was done out of insanity. She has been marginalized and labeled as the crazy woman who murdered and attempted 3 more murders, but she has learned to move on. Sethe came to terms with how people saw her and knew in her heart she did what was right. Sethe never dwelled on that moment even though throughout the text she refers to many of her memories. Therefore, this scene is a representation of the love and devotion Sethe has for her family and moving on from failure/set backs/mistakes. After the ice-skating itself, the women go back inside and it is there that Sethe acknowledges the tune that Beloved is humming, recognizing it as the song she sang to her children that only she and her children would know. At this moment Sethe knows that Beloved is the reincarnation of her baby. She slips in and out of memories, focusing on how there are features of Beloved’s she can’t fully distinguish in the lighting like “…the birthmark, nor the color of the gums, the shape of her ears, nor…” (207) and past events where Beloved was born and Baby Suggs is talking about the baby’s resemblance to Sethe. Then, Sethe thinks of how magical this is. It seems out of place and impossible and it shouldn’t be taken for granted. 4. In Part III the relationship that had been developing and had appeared to be doing well between Beloved, Denver and Sethe had begun deteriorating. At this point Sethe is now fully aware of Beloved being the reincarnation of her lost daughter, but as a fully-grown woman and no longer a child. Sethe was never able to spend time with her because of her death, and now feels guilty. So, Sethe gives in to all of Beloved’s whims as a way of making it up to her. Beloved is very accepting of all of her mother’s actions as this is what she’s always wanted and what she missed out on because of her murder. Beloved grows increasingly more needy as well and sucks Sethe into a “vortex” and unhealthy relationship, pushing Denver farther and farther away, and in a way, replacing her. Sethe devotes all of her time to Beloved as a way of making up for the years they have lost with each other. Ultimately, Denver goes outside of the trio’s “home” to the community for help. It was very unlikely that the community would help, but they were able to send Beloved back where she came from. Even though the community was afraid of Sethe, they helped. People must stick together through thick and thin despite fear and opinions. Reply
Leah F February 28, 2016 at 8:09 PM 2. The ice-skating adventure that Sethe brings Beloved and Denver on is a symbolic scene in many ways. For instance, they have three skates and Beloved has two of them while Beloved and Denver each have one. Since Beloved has a full pair of skates she will not fall as easily as Denver and Sethe, conveying the dominance Beloved has in the second part of the book. On the other hand it is a bonding experience for them as a family. Since Paul D left, Sethe wants to show Denver and Beloved that she wasn’t devastated by it and that they can still have fun without him. Also, when Sethe fell onto the ground she cried and laughed and through the help of both Beloved and Denver, they kept helping her up, displaying the bond that is growing and the comfort they feel around each other. After ice-skating they go home and wrap themselves in a quilt while sitting in front of the cooking stove, which is rather peaceful and further conveys this comfort and trust that all three women have for eachother. Then Beloved starts humming a tune only Sethe would know because she made that song up for her children, thus only her and her children would know it. Faced with this evidence, Sethe realizes Beloved is her daughter, resurrected from the dead. Sethe is netiher surprised nor shocked and decides to forget about the past and the future and focus on the present with her daughters. 4. The deterioration of the three women in part 3 is shown as Sethe is getting weaker and skinnier because Beloved consumes all of her time and energy and eats all the food while Sethe gets the scraps. Also at first Denver is thinking everything is great and they are finally a happy family but then she starts to realize that Sethe and Beloved exclude her from partaking in their games. Denver discovers that nothing Sethe does is enough for Beloved and she starts getting angry when she doesn’t get her way. Beloved drains all the love and positivity from the house so much that the three of them become physically and mentally exhausted. Denver has to leave 124 and go into the community to get a job in order to feed Sethe and Beloved, which is petrifying for her, considering she has only left the house a few times. She then goes to Lady Jones for a job but Lady Jones tells her not to worry about it because the community and church will provide food for their family, but Denver refuses her charity and leaves. Days later she sees food on her doorstep and as more food shows up from women in the community, she feels more connected to the women in the community. Reply
Jack mastrangelo February 28, 2016 at 8:13 PM 2. To me, the ice skating scene is a representation of the life that could have been if Sethe had never been forced to go back to sweet home. In the past Sethe had 28 days of what she considered great happiness in her life and to her this happiness would have continued indefinitely if it wasn't for the actions of the schoolteachers and his nephews. When she finally realises who beloved is, she immediately sets about trying to recreate all the memories they never got to make together. In her thoughts, she simultaneously wants to try and explain why she did what she did to beloved but she also seems to want the explanation to be unnecessary. The symbolism of the ice is also important because Beloved rose up out of the water to go and meet with Selethe. The ice seems to represent a solidification of Beloved’s existence in the family and her permanence in part II of the book. 4. The situation between Sethe and Beloved takes an interesting twist later in the book, as loving care from Sethe turns into childish abuse by Beloved. Sethe desires to give Beloved all she ever could, but fails to also impose the discipline that comes with parenting. She is so extreme in her devotion to her “daughter” that she is willing to destroy herself and in order to give Beloved what she wants. Unfortunately, this means self-destruction and taking Denver with her. At the same time, Denver is reaching increasing levels of maturity and can see the destruction that Beloved, whom she once idolized, is bringing to her family. Denver really comes into her own and rejoins the outside world, finally ended the isolation that had affected the family ever since Sethe killed her daughter in the woodshed. Beloved’s disappearance at the end of the novel sames them from the immediate effects, but the dynamic seems permanently changed. Reply
Emily M February 28, 2016 at 8:23 PM 2. In the ice-skating adventure, Sethe is unable to find her ice skates, so her, Denver, and Beloved are forced to use three skates, which is alone and a half pairs. However, they all enjoy this close-knit family moment, even as they fall. No one is around to witness them fall, so it is as if they are free from all judgements and critiques the outside world has for them. It is also ironic the activity the three women are doing is ice skating, because ice skating can be a risky activity, for in any moment, you could fall, or be forced to hold onto your partner for dear life. Also, when skating, the ice below you deteriorates after you skate over it, making it harder to continue to skate on a rigid, imperfect surface. In many ways, ice skating is symbolic to their family dynamic, in the way that, they all hold onto each other for love and protection, even while “skating” on an imperfect past (Beloved’s death). 4. In part III, Beloved is growing more as a manipulative character, forcing demands onto Sethe and basically taking everything from her, until she becomes physically weak and starving. This causes Denver to realize Sethe isn’t the problem, it is Beloved. There also is a role reversal between Sethe and Beloved; Beloved is the more dominant figure who can take and take from the weak figure, Sethe and not feel any remorse for it. Beloved and Sethe have also stopped including Denver in their games and activities. Despite this, Denver still decides to do the moral thing, by trying to get help for her mother and sister, as even she senses they are all “dying” in 124, and also starving. Denver goes outside of her comfort zone when she steps outside, which is a foreign place for her, and visits Lady Jones asking for a job, and then denying her charity from the community in the form of food. However, food is repeatedly left on her front lawn, which shows the communities’ forgiveness and understanding of the Denver’s families’ situation. Despite Sethe killing her child, and the bad looks that has left for the family, the community is still willing to help them, as they are all one. Reply
Alyssa D-L February 28, 2016 at 8:46 PM 2. Morrison’s choice of the ice is interesting because just as their relationship is developing it is on slippery ice and could fall at any moment. The three are clearly a family unit during the ice skating adventure. Since they can only find three ice skates, they must support each other in order for it to work. It foreshadows Denver having to later reach out to the community for support in order to help Sethe and herself. Even on the way home they walk arm in arm just as the shadow in the beginning of the novel that Sethe really liked. When they arrive home, everything literally clicks into place for Sethe. Beloved hums a song that Sethe made up for her children, proving she is a reincarnation of Sethe’s dead daughter. Sethe is really not surprised by this discovery. Morrison explains the lack is surprise for the miracle is, “because the magic lies in the fact that you knew it was there for you all along” (208). Sethe uses the love of her daughters to move past the sadness of Paul D leaving. 3. Each of the women’s monologues gives insight into their deep emotions and love for the person they claim possession of. Sethe’s monologue focuses on her role as a mother and her connection to Beloved. Motherhood is a prevalent theme in this section whether it be her experience as a mother or a daughter. Her issues begin as a child when she had a stronger relationship with Nan than her own mother because she was sent to the fields to work. Sethe was able to stay with her children by escaping slavery and views them, especially Beloved as “hers”. Harming her children was a way to claim her children as her own and not the white men’s. Because of Beloved’s death, Sethe is willing to make even greater sacrifices for her daughter to prove her love and the righteousness to murder. Just like Sethe, Denver proclaims “She’s mine, Beloved. She’s mine” (247). Denver claims her connection comes from infancy when she drank Beloved’s blood. She fears that Sethe will try and kill Beloved again so wants to protect her sister. Beloved’s writing is extremely disjointed and confusing. She takes possession of herself and Sethe. Beloved explores her emotion through memories of her mother and being on a slave ship. She views herself and Sethe as one entity. Her sections are very creepy and there is a complete loss of identity between the characters. It is important to recognize she does not forgive Sethe for the murder. Reply
Kristin F February 28, 2016 at 9:07 PM 2. This scene is very symbolic of Sethe’s family coming together. There are three skates just like the three women, and they are able to find a way make it work and enjoy the moment. The idea of having to “take turns. Two skates on one; one skate on one; and one shoe slide for the other” (Morrison 205), brought the sisters together even more, because anyone with a sister knows you will be sharing all kinds of clothes and shoes. I also felt that the act of ice skating itself brought forward feelings of “walking on thin ice” because although the three were having fun in the moment, it wasn’t hard to tell that this bliss wouldn’t last forever. After this family fun Sethe has the realization that Beloved is her daughter when she hears her humming. Although it seems to be the humming that reveals the truth to Sethe, she claims that “the magic lies in the fact that you knew it was there for you all along” (208). The ice skating scene, a true family moment where everyone is at peace, however, was an important step in Sethe’s coming to realize that not only were the three a family in spirit, but in blood as well. 4. When Beloved first enters the story back in part I, Denver immediately takes a motherly role and nurses her until her strength returns. Then Sethe treats Beloved as own her daughter to the point that Denver begins to get left out of their relationship. In part III when it becomes certain that Beloved is in fact Sethe’s daughter, their relationship backtracks. It returns to when Beloved was the baby ghost and her tantrums disrupted life at 124 and keeps Sethe and Denver from ever feeling truly settled. Now Beloved does essentially the same thing by guilting Sethe into giving her everything she has, as if she wasn’t already willing to do so. Denver again adopts the role of mother; “she kept them alive and they ignored her” (296). As Beloved and Sethe are driving each other to the edge Denver and the community team up to protect them, even if they do not understand the complications of their relationship. The community finally decides to give 124 a second chance thanks to Denver. Still the only permanent solution, the only way to truly save Sethe and Denver is for Beloved to leave 124 and her family behind. Reply
Joe P. February 28, 2016 at 9:08 PM 2. The language surrounding the ice skating scene purposefully evoked a sense of freedom and familial love felt mutually amongst Denver, Beloved, and Sethe. Even before the ice skating begins, Sethe finally relinquishes the strangling grip her worries and guilt has on her conscious and takes Baby Suggs’s advice to “lay it all down” (Morrison 205). Morrison symbolizes the newfound freedom through the description of their skirts “[flying] like wings” and Sethe being “that woman… sailing happily on a frozen creek” (205). For once in their lives, Sethe and her children were able to be like birds, unencumbered by life’s constant struggles and their mind’s overwhelming thoughts and memories. The repetition of the phrase “nobody saw them falling” also supports this lack of concern about other’s opinions, which they struggle with daily at the perceived haunted 124. The usage of plural pronouns such as “each,” “they,” and “them” suggest their familial bond and closeness. After the ice skating adventure, the girls head home and relax by the fire, enjoying a warm cup of sweet milk and each other’s company. Beloved begins humming a tune that only Sethe’s children could know, and it is at this moment when Sethe realizes that Beloved is indeed her daughter. Afterwards, Sethe becomes obsessed with repenting for murdering her daughter and with Beloved as a whole. Her obsession begins to consume her, and Beloved transforms from her “Dearly Beloved” daughter to a physical manifestation of her guilt that has been eating away at her for years. 4. After the reader becomes accustomed to reading about how well Denver, Beloved, and Sethe were getting along in Part II, everything comes crashing down in Part III. Sethe has become so obsessed with taking care of and satisfying Beloved’s needs in hope to repent for the terrible murder she committed, she begins to completely ignore Denver’s existence. Beloved exploits her mother’s guilt and “made demands. Anything she wanted, she got, and when Sethe ran out of things to give her, Beloved invented desire” (Morrison 283). Soon, Sethe is consumed by Beloved’s requests and becomes a shell of herself, solely existing to attempt to please Beloved. At this point in the novel, Denver is forced to take care of not only herself, but also protect her mother from Beloved. Thus, Denver overcomes her fears of the world outside of 124 and ventures out, first seeking work to feed the starving family, and eventually to seek aid to vanquish the parasitic Beloved. With the backing of the community that had shunned the inhabitants of 124 for 18 years, Beloved ‘disappears’ from 124. However, Sethe becomes consumed with her memories of the white men trying to take away her children, and attempts to murder the Mr. Bodwin – the man who saved her from the gallows when she was tried for murdering her child. In the end, rumors swirl around 124 once again about the existence of Beloved and Sethe is so traumatized that she becomes confined to her bed, only responding to the presence of Paul D, who finally comes to terms with the fact that they both “got more yesterday than anybody else. We need some kind of tomorrow” (322). Through the unity of the community and their support for Sethe, a microcosm of the grander, tight-knit black community, the past surrounding 124 is finally dispelled. Reply
Alec T. February 28, 2016 at 9:42 PM 2. The ice skating scene is a touching moment for Sethe, Denver, and Beloved that is packed with symbolism. Without Paul D, the three girls must support one another while living at the isolated 124. These concepts of support and isolation are featured heavily in the skating seen. Morrison writes that, “Holding hands, bracing each other, they swirled over the ice” (205). While there was previously tension between the girls, with Denver resenting Beloved’s preference for Sethe and Beloved resenting Sethe’s love for Paul D, the three unite in this scene to support one another. Morrison emphasizes the isolation of 124 that Stamp Paid described in his narration when she writes that, “The live oak and soughing pine on the banks enclosed them and absorbed their laughter” and repeats again and again that “Nobody saw them falling” (205). This latter phrase is used repeatedly in this passage to foreshadow future events. Morrison uses foreshadowing heavily throughout the book, and this passage is no different. The falling that Morrison harps on foreshadows the fall that the three women later experience as their relationships with one another once again deteriorate. While this fall is initially silent and unseen by the community, 124 again returns to the public eye eventually, and the community is what is able to stop Sethe’s fall. 3. Sethe’s monologue begins by explicitly addressing a preoccupation with possession that was intimated throughout Part 1 of the book. As a slave, Sethe felt that everything was taken from her. She had no ownership of her time, energy, or her children. Even her milk, a symbol of motherhood and a source of sustenance for her young children, was taken by white people. When schoolteacher came to reclaim Sethe and her children, Sethe defied this threat to her ownership by killing her daughter, claiming her as her own. While killing baby Beloved kept her from being taken by schoolteacher, Sethe also recognizes that she lost Beloved to “the other side”. At the beginning of Sethe’s monologue chapter, she reflects on the realization that her late daughter has returned to her. The stream of consciousness style gives her words a sense of childlike joy and disbelief. She says, “Beloved, she my daughter. She mine. See.” (236). While Sethe continues to fixate on ownership and motherhood in regard to her children, Denver also feels ownership over Beloved. Ironically, Denver feels an almost motherly need to protect Beloved from her own mother. Beloved is more vague in her ownership. In her strange and disjointed monologue she only says that, “I am Beloved and she is mine” (248). While it is at first unclear, it becomes evident that this phrase refers both to self ownership and ownership of Sethe because she sees them as connected. This is further evidenced by Beloved’s obsession with Sethe in the first part of the book. Reply
rrheiblim February 28, 2016 at 9:48 PM 2) I saw the scene regarding the ice skating adventure as key moment in the three women’s relationship. I was able to see how tight knit they were, but also how their unification resulted in their separation from the rest of society. You can see how isolated they were when you are reminded that, “Nobody saw them falling” (205). While it is nice to have an environment where no one judges you for your actions/choices, people can’t live in a small, perfect, secluded world. No one saw them or heard from them ever. The 124 was not only their home, but their world. There was too much control in that household, a life that was unhealthy for all of them. They kept the house frozen in time (like the lake that they skate on), with no changes or interruptions. By having no one from the outside world involved, Sethe wasn’t able to see her submissiveness towards Beloved. If someone were able to tell her that Beloved was becoming manipulative and controlling, Sethe would have seen she was becoming somewhat of a slave again, but to her own daughter. Sethe realizes Beloved is her daughter after hearing Beloved hum the song only Sethe and her children knew. She hopes that this resurrection is chance for Sethe to create a relationship with her daughter and finally forget about the past.
4.) In part three, the reader is able to see the relationship between the three women crumble. Beloved starts to become crazy and manipulative driving Sethe to feel powerless and vulnerable. Beloved tries to make Sethe feel bad in order to get what she wants and it works because Sethe feels guilty. Beloved begins to wear the pants in the house and starts to hold too much power, which worries Denver. This leads Denver to seek help from the outside world: a place she has rarely entered. Facing her fears, she heads to her teacher’s house. She explains the situation and the community starts to help by sending food (Beloved has eaten almost everything in 124). Once word gets out that Beloved is somewhat of a ghost or a resurrection, the women of the town decide to help make it disappear. They come to the house and after several events that follow, Beloved is gone forever. Sethe will finally be able to move on from Beloved and have her life back again. Though the community didn’t jump on the idea of helping Sethe who turned her back on the community years ago, they knew it was important to fix what was going on in that household. Some brought, “What they could and what they believed would work. Stuffed in apron pockets, strung around their necks, lying in the space between their breasts. Others brought Christian faith-as a shield and sword” (303). By going to Sethe’s house to help her shows how these women can band together and be a good community. Reply
Eloise Albaret February 28, 2016 at 10:22 PM 1.) Memory for Sethe is a way of comforting herself. Although her past is obscene and violent, Sethe constantly remembers feeling the taste of certain things, the colors of people and their eyes, and the sensation of touch. The things back at Sweet Home even though they were horrible, are the only things Sethe associates with family. Slavery was her life and that's a hard thing for her to just forget. This is exactly what Morrison is trying to portray with memory and the present. The reason why she constantly mixes past and present is because your past defines your present. Also, the past should never be forgotten especially slavery; this is what Morrison is trying to assert through the fluidity of past and present and Sethe's constant "rememory". Not only Sethe, but Paul D also struggles with forgetting the past because he understands that it's his defining fact. It is his identity. When Paul D is remembering the plan of escaping, he remembers how Sixo was laughing when he got caught and Schoolteacher tried to burn him. Paul D remembers how he thought Sixo's laughter had actually put the fire out and how his resiliency made Schoolteacher even more angry and frustrated. This memory is burned into Paul D and just like Sethe, he combines the past with the present and represents them as one entity. This strategy of combining past and present, is very purposeful on Morrison's part since she is exploring how slavery is learned and spoken about today. She wanted to make sure that this past is preserved and will be forever a part of everyone's actions today. The past will never go away and Morrison is trying to portray that through Beloved. 2.) The ice skating scene is very significant to the relationship between the three women because not only is it a bonding experience but Sethe finally realizes who Beloved is. Everything in the scene is significant, even the fact that they re skating on ice. Water plays an important role in the character of Beloved and when Sethe realizes she's her daughter, it's when they go ice skating. Maybe the fact that the water is frozen is foreshadowing how Sethe and Beloved will eventually become frozen in their love. Denver once again seems to be slightly excluded so that Beloved and Sethe can become closer. This scene though is touching since when they all go skating, they all fall and are clumsy, but they don't seem to care who sees even though no one's around. This signifies how even though the town seems to isolate their family, they are still able to thrive and love each other no matter what has happened in the past. They seem to stick together even when the whole world is against them and this is symbolic because even within the black community there is division and certain people that still get isolated because of their past. Also when Sethe realizes that Beloved is her daughter, it's because of the song she sings. This realization suddenly brings Sethe so much joy since she realizes that her daughter has returned to her. This relationship from this point one becomes more of an infatuation and both Beloved, and Sethe become obsessed with owning the other person. Reply
Louis12 February 29, 2016 at 12:12 AM 2. The ice-skating scene is one shared by Sethe, Denver, and Beloved, as they seclude themselves to their own company, eventually to hide within their own home. In a short-lived era of fantastic euphoria for a reunited family, the three girls go out together to ice-skate. However, the girls, lacking an even number of skates for the three of them, compromise by taking turns, “two skates on one; one skate on one; and shoe slide for the other” (Morrison 205). This plan fails throughout their night out, due to constant tripping and falling, in spite of unhelpful preventative tactics such as hand-holding, etc. However, Morrison’s repeated phrase “Nobody saw them falling” within this scene takes on a variety of meanings with respect to their hazardous tendency to fall (Morrison 205). On one hand, it is apparent that the three are wrapped up in a dreamlike state of happiness and community, rejecting whatever judgement onlooking society may hold against them. Considering that the girls’ ideal family has finally been fulfilled, it would be expected that the three would be content amongst themselves, rather than seeking others’ approval. Yet, on the other hand, the phrase takes a different meaning entirely when one looks at the end result of their relationship. The relationship falls off the deep end not long after this moment, and ends in an abusive setup between Sethe and Beloved, which, while shut out from the rest of the world, is something they did not allow others to let on to. At that moment of ice skating, nobody, not even they, could have been prepared for what tumultuous turn was soon to come. Their collective fall was a wake-up call that brought Denver, at least, back to reality, enough to recognize that the dream of an ideal family was unrealistic with Beloved in the picture. For Sethe, still cocooned in the fantasy of having both of her daughters, especially Beloved, the fall is much worse. Sethe comprehends that Beloved is her daughter based on her own conjecture, but convinces herself that the daughter could be won over with endless apologies. Blinded by love, Sethe allows herself to be worn down both by her own gullibility and Beloved’s cunningness. Reply
Louis12 February 29, 2016 at 12:12 AM 4. 124 is a home characterized by its main three occupants Sethe, Denver, and Beloved. In Part 3 of Beloved, the place devolves from a home into a confinement for the ersatz family. The trio’s relationship wanes from its early moments of reunion and does so quickly, with Denver, Sethe, and Beloved each ultimately swapping positions within the household. Initially, Sethe is elated that her deceased daughter has returned to her in physical form; however, Sethe takes her gratitude too far by doing everything in her power to appease her new daughter and hopefully make up for having killed her in the first place, without having met her in the afterlife herself. Beloved takes advantage of her mother’s humility and recompense by transforming her previously cherubic appearance and attitude into one of ingratitude, managing to run her mother ragged by satisfying her every whim. The relationship between Beloved and Sethe remains a mother-child one, but the roles switch between the two, as Beloved becomes more abusive and Seth more apologetic for dissatisfying her more authoritative daughter. Interestingly, Denver’s transformation is set apart from her family members’, due to her exile from the mother-child parasitism that exists between Beloved and Sethe. Denver, horrified by the mistreatment that her mother suffers, finally sobers up and realizes that she must leave 124 and save her. Denver, though still a child herself, matures, “the job she started out with, protecting Beloved from Sethe, changed to protecting her mother from Beloved,” moving past her childish jealousy of her sister (Morrison 286). The resolution of this relationship is that Denver, along with the help of her acquaintances from the community, banish Beloved away, and assist in Sethe’s recovery. The community’s role is important, as Beloved, as a powerful force, could not have been cast away by any one person due to her spiritual presence and leechlike parasitic attachment to Sethe. Reply
leoc February 29, 2016 at 3:23 AM 2. The ice-skating adventure was meant to be an event of good times and warm feelings, when in reality it served as the foreshadowing of Sethe’s independence. Sethe devotes her entire day to her two girls, and even comes late to work the next day. From this ideal day, Sethe can’t let go of the hope of such a family. When Sethe becomes aware that Beloved is her daughter, she comes to recognize the fact that she always knew this, and she needs her forgiveness. Even this concept of forgiveness and redemption becomes perverse in the long-run of the story, as Sethe is constantly working for her sins when really she is only working as a self-induced punishment. 4. The relationship of the 3 becomes a perversion of what people usually view the role of the family to be. Sethe loves Beloved so dearly that she begins to lose herself in her selfless love. It is clear that her love is legitimate and unhealthy, as Sethe resorts to desperate tactics for feeding herself like scraping a jar clean and putting it back. Meanwhile, Beloved becomes pampered and fat, another disgusting effect of such selfless love. Beloved becomes only more hungry for love, demanding more and more attention as Sethe becomes more invested in her. Denver is left by herself, similar to how Beloved was originally. She can now see Beloved is starved for love, and comes to realization that she herself is also starved for some affection. She is more mature about this realization, and doesn’t seek love or pity, but rather looks for work. The resolution is that there is an immediate and drastic disconnect between Sethe and Denver. It should also be noted that the overall community helps her get out of the situation and helps her learn. Denver actually goes outside now, and people talk about her brothers, something that wasn’t previously talked about as freely when it was just Denver and Sethe. The role of the community in this section takes a much different stance than typically assigned to mobs. Usually, mobs are given brash and violent emotions, but in this story, Toni Morrison gives the simplistic racist and harmful ideologies to only a few people, such as the school teacher. She assigns the other major characters more complex emotions and feelings to grapple with. In this way, the community’s role was to come together and support Denver and to help her mature. Its brash nature led to the liberation of Sethe from Beloved, from selfless love. The role of the community is an intermingling, complex role. Stamp Paid shuns people of the community for neglecting Paul D, so perhaps this leads to an overall change in the whole community to come together to free Sethe. Reply
Varun R February 29, 2016 at 4:23 AM 3. The four chapters written in the stream-of-consciousness style are some of the most powerful and complex chapters in the entire novel. Within these four chapters, Morrison tells the tale of each of the three primary women in the text from each of their perspectives. In the first chapter, written from Sethe's perspective, Sethe immediately takes ownership of Beloved by saying "Beloved is my daughter. She mine"(Morrison 236). In that line, Morrison reaffirms the fundamental notion of a mother-daughter relationship that she has been stressing throughout the novel: that a mother can take ownership of her children and have the freedom to take care of them and call them her products of her own being. During the remainder of the chapter, Morrison's stream-of-consciousness style allows Sethe to speak somewhat disjointedly and get her point across. She draws upon various experiences in which she raised Beloved to highlight the strength of their relationship. When she says, "nobody will ever get my milk no more except my children"(Morrison 236), Sethe is emphasizing the sacrifice and devotion she has toward Beloved. However, Denver's chapter contrasts this perspective rather sharply. She is unable to accept Sethe as a protector of Beloved since she had made the decision to kill her to protect her from a life of slavery. Whereas Sethe uses her milk as a symbol of her connection to Beloved, Denver uses the blood she swallowed immediately after Beloved's death as a sign of her darker, deeper connection to her sister. Perhaps appropriately so, Denver's stream-ofconsciousness reflects wariness toward Sethe and Paul D and a somewhat supernatural connection between Beloved and Denver. Beloved's connection to Denver actually allowed the latter to connect more with her father, by saying that he was an "angel man" who could "look at you and fix tell you where it hurt" (Morrison 246). In such a manner, Denver's chapter about the very same person is entirely different from the former due to the different nature of her relationship with Beloved. The final two chapters, written from Beloved's perspective, are the most mysterious of all. In the first of these two chapters, Beloved's words are fragmented and do not form continuous thoughts. However, it is apparent that she traversed a great journey (the Middle Passage), in order to find Sethe and see her smile. There is almost no mention of Denver in either of these two chapters, thus placing the Sethe-Beloved relationship far higher in importance than the DenverBeloved relationship. Beloved's frequent mention of "a hot thing" is suggestive of her vagueness and her identity. It is not immediately apparent whether or not she is of this world, but she does not directly insinuate her origins. At the end of this chapter, the three women speak in unison, and each takes possession of the other. Although they are able to unite in this manner, it is equally difficult to tell who is taking ownership of who and that their possessive natures will prove to be destructive. The four chapters, therefore, are examples of each of the women's perspectives but moreover highlight their possessive natures and their individual desires juxtaposed against the oppressive, racist environment they are living in. Reply
Varun R February 29, 2016 at 4:32 AM 4. In Part III, the independent desires expressed in the stream-of-consciousness chapters cause the women to become estranged from one another. Denver realizes that she is a third-wheel between the primary relationship between Sethe and Beloved. Although she deeply cares for her mother and her sister, she is "protecting her mother from Beloved"(Morrison 286) due to the destructive role the latter seems to have on the former. Denver matures significantly in this portion and eventually seems well on her way to becoming an independent and strong lady, just as Sethe had been. However, she is clearly affected by the lack of love from her mother and sister due to their complex interactions. Denver's jealousy coupled with her desire to prevent Beloved from exacting harm on Sethe is a major cause for the relationship's unraveling. Beloved and Sethe, on the other hand, seem to have almost a parasitic relationship. As Morrison explains, "the bigger Beloved got, the smaller Sethe became"(Morrison 294), reflecting the way Beloved sapped her mother of her strength. In some ways, it seems that Beloved is using this chapter as a means of taking revenge on her mother for killing her. But on a more fundamental level, Sethe clearly needs Beloved's support but also lets it nearly destroy her. Beloved's height as a pregnant woman, which is seen as a symbol of rebirth and purity, marks Sethe's lowest point. However, at this point she 'kills' Beloved once more by abandoning her and joining Denver, causing Beloved to roam once more, lonely and forgotten but not dead. Reply
Austin Scott February 29, 2016 at 4:59 AM 1.I have never felt more that we are the results of all our past experiences more than I do when reading Beloved. Each character is so visibly shaken by his or her past and it has such impactful ramifications on their behavior going forward. The way in which Morrison presents memories for the characters is so beautiful and so accurate. It perfectly portrays how we are constantly reliving our most significant memories and how things in our present life can bring us back to those memories in an instant, as Morrison employs the stream of consciousness style throughout to create a fluid nature between the past and the present, almost to a point of it being utterly confusing as a reader to keep up with. But that too, I believe, is purposeful. It only furthers how important the past is in our lives, and especially the lives of these characters, and how important slavery was not only in their past, but in the past of this country, and should not easily be forgotten. Memory is the most important for Sethe and Paul D, particularly their memories of their time at Sweet Home. Both characters have many flashbacks in the second half of the book, and both conjure memories of Sixo. First, Sethe remembers him stealing food at Sweet Home and trying to negotiate with their slave owner about it. This made me think it was a preview for the upcoming chapters on what ownership really means. Later, Paul D recalls when SIxo was burned and shot after their attempted escape. This memory is another harrowing one for Paul D that he cannot forget. And I don’t think they are able to forget much, no matter how hard they try, because the past is always there and is an overwhelming force in their lives. 3.I found these few chapters to be a really interesting way to present each characters’ thoughts back-to back-to back. We are given insight into each of the female characters and their emotions towards Beloved and what each claims to be theirs. Sethe’s monologue is concentrated on her motherhood and possession of Beloved and of her life in general. As a slave, she felt that everything she held dear, especially her milk, was taken from her and that in her short time of happiness in freedom, she could fully love her children and consider them “hers” and so when schoolteacher came, Sethe claimed her children for her own and killed them in a moment of pure maternal instinct. Speaking of the role of the mother, that is where Sethe issues began, as she talks about how she never felt close to her mother because she had to work the fields while Sethe stayed with Nan instead, and so this most certainly has an influence on how fiercely Sethe loves her children, especially when in freedom. Denver, although not Beloved’s mother, also has a maternal instinct to protect Beloved. But she is protecting her from Sethe, whom she fears because she killed Beloved once before. Denver thus has a sense of ownership over Beloved and feels that she is there for her, not for Sethe. Finally, Beloved’s monologue, although super confusing and hard to read, discusses her own ownership of herself and her identity. I took it as her taking control of herself since she was never given that opportunity, saying “I am Beloved and she is mine,” making me believe that she is the true owner of herself, not Sethe or Denver. Reply
Becca B. February 29, 2016 at 6:41 AM 2) Symbolism is an extremely prominent feature throughout the ice-skating scene in Beloved. It highlights the fact that Sethe, Denver, and Beloved are spending more and more time together and are growing their relationship. They only have one and a half pair of skates. That's three individual skates, which could relate to the fact that their are three individuals together. To add onto that, they all manage to use the three skates, illustrating that they are growing the capability to fight challenges together, further showing us their strengthening relationship. After their happy trip, Sethe hears Beloved humming a song that only her children would know because she sang it to them whilst they were children. This is the moment where Sethe realized Beloved is a reincarnation of her deceased daughter. Instead of being horrified, as the normal reaction would be, she is thrilled. She couldn't be happier. She smiles at the shed where she murdered her daughter, which is incredibly creepy. The overall situation as well as the prominent symbolism reinforces the idea that Beloved came back to be a part of Sethe's life once again. 4) In contrast to the happy, thriving relationship built by the women during Part II, their feelings towards each other greatly deteriorates during Part III of this novel. Instead of the fulfilled family unit they created in their early stages together, their relationship begins to get weird. Sethe seems to become almost too attached to Beloved, willing to give up everything in order to make her feel better. The reasoning for her creepy infatuation with Beloved most likely stems from the guilt and remorse she feels over her past. Beloved takes extreme advantage over Sethe's willingness to do anything for her. That's where the relationship crumbles. Their roles flip, and Beloved becomes the demanding figure while Sethe becomes the submissive one. Denver feels trapped and lost as she sees how everything unfolds. She reaches out to the community, which used to shun them. However, they come together to help rid the family out of Beloved and her vengeful presence. The community finally helps the family out of their situation, regardless of their isolated past. Reply
Victor H February 29, 2016 at 6:55 AM 2. The ice skating adventure was a good chance for Sethe to let go of her past for a moment and to reconnect with Denver and Beloved. They assisted one another as they slipped and fell, and their time spent showed the unity and family bond they have. They walk hand in hand home and enjoy the evening. Then suddenly, Sethe comes to the realization that Beloved is the supernatural reincarnation of her dead daughter. This happens when Beloved hums the song that Sethe has only taught to her children. Even through their frustration and troubled past they still are able to love one another. However, this is what leads to the tension between Beloved and Sethe in part II and III. 4. In Part III the relationship between Sethe, Denver, and Beloved deteriorates with a change in Beloved’s dynamic. Because of her desire for attention and need of control, Beloved negatively affects Sethe beginning with the loss of her job. Beloved takes advantage of Sethe’s weakness, empowering herself and dominating the relationship. Meanwhile, Denver is becoming more mature and aware of the harmful environment that Beloved has created. So, to avoid any or more damage to herself she leaves the home and looks to the community for help. When they go for Beloved, Sethe's altercation with schoolteacher is relived with another innocent man who she attempts to kill instead of her children. She is stopped, however, and when Beloved realizes that her act was out of love, she disappears from 124. The role of community in this text was of care and support rather than brash and violent nature. There's a sense of community when the people hum together after the incident in the barn, and there's a sense of community at the end of the book when Beloved leaves, despite the rest of their isolated past. Reply
David B February 29, 2016 at 6:57 AM 2.) The ice skating scene shows progress in Sethe's movement away from her past and toward a new future. Throughout the novel, Sethe is weighed down by her traumatizing memories of slavery and infanticide. Additionally, Beloved's presence constantly brings back these memories. In this scene, Sethe, as well as the other two women, take great strides to reconstruct and grow from these memories rather than dwell in them. While ice skating, the women lean on each other for support this signifies both the physical and emotional interdependence they have for one another. If they are going to grow, they will grow together. Multiple times, Morrison writes, "Nobody saw them falling." This shows there are no outside influences including fear, embarrassment or the judgment of others watching. This is also the point in the novel in which Sethe discovers that Beloved is the incarnation of her daughter. Recognizing and accepting one’s past is an important part of moving on. Since Beloved is, in a way, a personification of Sethe’s past I feel this may signify she has taken a major step in moving forward. 4.) The three women are broken apart in the third part of the book. It demonstrates how Beloved represents everything traumatizing about Sethe’s past. Because she now knows it is the reincarnation of her daughter, she is consumed with trying to make it up to her. Consequently, she is killing herself in the process. She gives up her portions of food and loses her job. With this, Morrison shows the dangers of dwelling on the past. Contrary to Beloved, Denver represents looking toward the future. She actively seeks help from the community to help Sethe's overcome this burden. This both shows the power of the individual and the power of the community. Even though Sethe was formerly shunned by the community for the deed of killing her daughter, it still shows that the community is willing to help. It also shows the power of people banding together to accomplish something. Sethe could not have solved this problem alone and only when she is reunited with the community is her problem solved and she can move on. Reply
Emily O. February 29, 2016 at 7:28 AM 2. The ice-skating adventure may seem trivial on the outside but it held a lot of meaning for Sethe, Denver, and Beloved. Sethe had been searching for the skates and Beloved was the one to find them. Beloved’s obsession with Sethe is strong and she will do anything to be loved by her, including finding skates that will allow them all to bond. The three of them shared the skates on that peaceful evening, laughing and skating around on the ice. The line “Nobody saw them falling” is repeated throughout the scene. This signifies how the three of them were in the own world at 124, isolated from the community. On a deeper level, because of this isolation from the community no one recognized the problems stirring up in 124 with the toxic relationship between Beloved and Sethe. Sethe also fell down on the ice and “[s]he stayed that way for a while, on all fours” (206). Immediately after this, Sethe begins to cry. This line is reminiscent to Paul D’s stinging insult of relating Sethe to a four-legged animal for killing her baby. 4. Beloved, who claims to be Sethe’s murdered baby, has been desperate for love and attention since the first moment she arrived at 124. These are logical feelings if she truly is the baby ghost because being killed by your own mother doesn’t feel a lot like love. Beloved’s problem is that she constantly demands more and more love. Sethe is willing to try and give Beloved as much as she can because she does harbor feelings of guilt as well as overwhelming love for Beloved and fear that she will leave her again. However, Beloved’s desire for love will never be satiated. There is a type of role reversal where Sethe begins to act like the child, desperately trying to please her mother and keep her love. This relates to how Sethe never felt like she got to be a daughter to her own mother who she wasn’t around much. Overall, Sethe and Beloved’s relationship becomes toxic. This situation is resolved when Denver gains the courage to go into the community on her own and ask for help. As the community shows up in front of 124, Sethe tries to kill Mr. Bodwin to protect Beloved but Beloved disappears. The community recognized that Beloved was wicked and gathered together to help the family even though Sethe had spent years isolating herself. Reply
Rachael Borrows February 29, 2016 at 7:39 AM 2. The ice-skating that Sethe suggests could be her attempt at strengthening the bond between the three women. It is no coincidence that there are three ice-skates to be shared, hinting at an inherent sense of community and sharing between the three of them. The act of skating is also a strategic choice, since it both literally and symbolically points to the fact that the three women were on slippery ice. Sethe and Denver share one skate each while Beloved, treated to a full set, receives the privileges accorded a guest. This gives insight to the balance of power within the household and the possible imbalance that has been caused since Beloved’s physical manifestation. The scene, which is not observed by outsiders, ends with Sethe crying. The two girls support her both physically and emotionally as they walk back to the house. Sethe then provides them with warm milk, which is a clear representation of her assuming the role of mother for both of them. It is also the ice-skating adventure that prompts Sethe to remember Baby Suggs words of advice: “to lay it all down, sword and shield” (203). By skating with her girls, Sethe is trying to let her past rest, although this proves impossible by the realization that Beloved is her daughter. The ice-skating thus also provides for a moment of clarity in Sethe’s highly disjointed mind. 3. The four stream-of-consciousness chapters offer insight as to the true thoughts of each of the women and how they tie in with one another. They are essentially the written version of what Stamp Paid is referring to when he mentions “the thoughts of the women of 124, unspeakable thoughts, unspoken” (199). Sethe’s monologue largely focuses in on her relationship with her own mother. As she reflects on the murder of her daughter, Sethe is transported even further back in time to the disconnect she felt with her own mother and her suspicion that her mother attempted to leave Sethe behind. She articulates that her own actions were done out of love, while the alleged abandonment her mother attempted was selfish. The comparison between these two experiences causes Sethe to be drawn once again to the concept of ownership over her own children, especially Beloved. Denver’s monologue focuses more upon the inherent desire of a child for a family unit. Her deep longing to feel as though she belongs is articulated, as is the fact that she wishes her father were around. Denver’s thoughts appear to point to the fact that even outside of the institution of slavery, the black family finds itself vulnerable and fragmented. Through this interpretation, it makes sense that Denver feels compelled to call Beloved hers, since Beloved offers Denver the prospect of family. Beloved’s monologue in this section hints at a possible journey through the Middle Passage. It also describes Beloved’s experience in having “lost” Sethe, and this accounts for her obsession over Sethe. She notes in her characteristically disjointed fashion, “I sit the sun closes my eyes when I open them I see the face I lost Sethe's is the face that left me Sethe sees me see her and I see the smile her smiling face is the place for me it is the face I lost she is my face smiling at me doing it at last a hot thing now we can join a hot thing” (210). Sethe’s identity and Beloved’s identity begin to intertwine, and the next chapter features even more of the conglomeration of selfhood. All of the women speak in what appears to be one voice, alluding to the common struggle of the black women in the post-slavery years. Their strange union could also be an allusion to the Holy Trinity, especially with the binding action of Denver drinking her mother’s milk with Beloved’s blood. Reply
Newer Post
Home
Older Post
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
Simple theme. Theme images by luoman. Powered by Blogger.