Textual Analysis Of Beloved
In the book Beloved, the character Beloved has the most complex identity, but also provides the most essential meaning in the book. Beloved is first mentioned one third of the way through the novel. She appears at the doorstep of house 124 one day, looking extremely out of place in her pristine clothes and stiff shoes. Sethe and her youngest daughter live in 124, after escaping the brutal realities of slavery. A few years back, Sethe had killed her other daughter when she saw her former slave master walking towards her house. Beloved explains that she traveled over a bridge and ended up at the house. Her appearance is mysterious and the author allows the reader to make assumptions of who she represents. The most obvious interpretation of
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Slavery was at its peak when Beloved died, and even though the protagonists are technically free, they are still tormented by memories of their past. Beloved’s presence in the house is destructive at first, but forces the family to face their past, which eventually allows them to move on and to live in the moment. Sethe devotes all her energy to Beloved and has to constantly justify her reasoning for killing her. “The best chair, the biggest piece, the prettiest plate, the brightest ribbon for her hair, and the more she took, the more Sethe began to talk, explain, and describe how much she had suffered, been through, for her children, waving away flies in grape arbors, crawling on her knees to the lean-to. None of which made the impression it was supposed to. Beloved accused her of leaving her behind” (Morrison, 284). In the end, Sethe realizes that she must move on from the past. Although the relationship that Paul D and Beloved had was completely inappropriate, it allows Paul D to love again. Denver is enhanced by Beloved at first and is completely dependent on her company. When Beloved begins acting out, Denver seeks help from the community which initiates her independence from her mother. At the end of the book, Beloved’s character disappears, but the rest of the characters continue to embrace the lessons they learned from her. Although Beloved resurfaces painful memories from the past, she reminds the
Slavery was at its peak when Beloved died, and even though the protagonists are technically free, they are still tormented by memories of their past. Beloved’s presence in the house is destructive at first, but forces the family to face their past, which eventually allows them to move on and to live in the moment. Sethe devotes all her energy to Beloved and has to constantly justify her reasoning for killing her. “The best chair, the biggest piece, the prettiest plate, the brightest ribbon for her hair, and the more she took, the more Sethe began to talk, explain, and describe how much she had suffered, been through, for her children, waving away flies in grape arbors, crawling on her knees to the lean-to. None of which made the impression it was supposed to. Beloved accused her of leaving her behind” (Morrison, 284). In the end, Sethe realizes that she must move on from the past. Although the relationship that Paul D and Beloved had was completely inappropriate, it allows Paul D to love again. Denver is enhanced by Beloved at first and is completely dependent on her company. When Beloved begins acting out, Denver seeks help from the community which initiates her independence from her mother. At the end of the book, Beloved’s character disappears, but the rest of the characters continue to embrace the lessons they learned from her. Although Beloved resurfaces painful memories from the past, she reminds the