Overview: Toni Morrison employs stream of consciousness in her novel to show how our memories trigger emotions that impact our present and, consequentially, our future.
- “Denver’s secrets were sweet” (pg. 34)
- Boxwood bushes and emerald light (pg. 34)
- The white dress (pg. 35)
- Antelope (pg. 36)
- Sethe’s “Ma’am.” (pg. 37)
- Antelope (pg. 37)
- “I believe this baby’s ma’am is going to die…” (pg. 37)
- “I was hungry.” (pg. 38)
- Amy Denver, velvet and the root cellar (pgs. 38-42)
- “Anything dead coming back to life hurts.” (pg. 42)
- The white dress. Pain. Plans. (pgs. 42-43)
- Time. Rememory. (pgs. 43-44)
- “If it’s still there, waiting, that must mean that nothing ever dies.” (pg. 44)
- “You never told me what happened.” (pg. 44)
- Questions. She stopped. Plans. (pgs. 44-45)
- Paul D messed them up for good. Ghost company. (pg. 45)
- Sethe. Paul D. The white dress. Plans. (pg. 45)
- Plans. (pg. 46)
- Baby Suggs. Color. (pg. 46)
- Sethe. Color. (pgs. 46-47)
- 124 was so full of strong feeling…” (pg. 47)
- “...then Paul D arrived.” The white dress. Orange squares. 124. (pg. 47-48)
- Paul D. Emotions. Singing. (pgs. 48-49)
- It was tempting to change the words… Delaware. Alfred,Georgia. Sixo laughing. Box in the ground. (pg. 49)
- Looking for work. Denver. Schoolteacher. (pgs. 50-51)
- Paul D and Sethe. The better life. Ain’t the other one. Sethe’s future is Denver and keeping her from... (pg. 51)
Denver is a very important character in the novel. She somewhat lives under her mother’s past, never knowing what life is like without the haunting nature of Sweet Home. Even though Denver never personally lived in Sweet Home, the past of her mother almost becomes Denver’s past, as she is frequently affected by it. Denver takes shelter in an emerald covering of bushes. Her need for shelter shows how the unstableness of her life causes her to want a sense of security and safety. This place becomes Denver’s refuge as it was “closed off from the hurt of the world” (35). Although the pain of her mother’s past does haunt Denver, she feels as he she needs a solidifying history in order to provide her with a sense of self. Denver does not know who she is and struggles with finding out. This chapter also discusses another connection to trees and tree symbols, like the scars on Sethe’s back. The bushes in which Denver takes shelter is another reference to this recurring theme in the novel. Towards the end of the chapter, Morrison focuses on Paul D thinking about his journey from Sweet Home to Alfred, Georgia. Paul talks about how “they sang under the trees of Sweet Home” (48). Paul mentions that he cannot go back to singing the songs that they sang during Sweet Home. These trees were a peaceful, inviting place for Paul but also he saw them in a more revolting light when looking at Sethe’s back in the last chapter. His contrasting emotions towards the frequent symbol of trees show that it continue throughout the duration of the novel will include similar themes.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you proved your point about trees with specific examples from the book! It;s really interesting how many ways that one symbol is used, and how many different feelings are elicited based on the context from that one symbol. For instance, the trees from Denver's shelter are protective, positive trees, while the tree from Sethe's back is a scar from a very negative experience. I am unsure about the trees from Sweet Home, because although Paul D found them peaceful and inviting, they still are part of a place where horrible things occured. Perhaps they are the only good things there, and represent the silver lining of any situation? I'm not sure that is what Morrison intended however. Does anyone have any opinions on what the trees at Sweet Home represent, and what kinds of feelings they are meant to evoke?
DeleteDuring the meeting between Sethe and the white girl, they both describe themselves as hungry. Sethe tells Denver "I was hungry...just as hungry as I could be for his eyes. I couldn't wait." The white girl tells Sethe "I like to die I'm so hungry." While both are physically hungry, they are metaphorically hungry as well. Both of them have escaped subjugation (Sethe by running from slavery, and Amy by working off her mother's debt), and now want something else to fill their lives. Physical hunger is satisfied by filling the stomach, and both Sethe and Amy, whose lives were now empty of the bondage that had previously defined them, are looking for some purpose to fill their lives. It is interesting that although Amy's hunger is just explained in the book as physical hunger, Sethe's is more strangely described as a hunger for the white boy's eyes. This could be related to her previous assertation "I believe this baby's ma'am is gonna die in wild onions on the bloody side of the Ohio River." This makes sense physically, as by this point her feet "were so swollen she could not see her arch or feel her ankles...the clanging in her head, begun as a churchbell heard from a distance, was by then a tight cap of pealing bells around her ears". Obviously, Sethe is very close to physical death, but reading it a second time, I felt that she might also be talking about a metaphoric death, in which Sethe dies as a mother. The wording at this point is not I believe I am gonna die, but I believe this baby's ma'am is gonna die, and in addition to referring to a physical death, it might also be referring to her inability to be the best mother she could be to her daughter. Going through the experiences of slavery and then her escape may have made her feel like she just doesn't have the emotional strength left to take care of a child, and this may have (rightly) made her feel wronged, instilling in her the hunger for justice that gave Sethe the urge to eat the eyes of the white boy.
ReplyDeleteI think you analyzed the idea of hunger in a really cool aspect. The idea of metaphorical hunger and how they want something to fill their lives is really an interesting idea. They are both running from certain aspects of their lives and they meet up by chance and the idea of hunger is something that is very repetitive in their conversation.
DeleteI agree with your point about the repetition of hunger. It was actually this repetition that alerted me to the idea that there was something more than just physical hunger going on in this scene.
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ReplyDeleteI thought the white dress built on an important thread throughout this section. Denver first sees the white dress next to her mother while she's praying. She believes this moment meant something, connecting it to the baby’s ghost and stating, “I think the baby got plans” (45). Denver believes Paul D’s arrival interrupts these plans. This then leads to Sethe thinking about the future and Paul D. She recalls her last set of plans, escaping Sweet Home, “went awry so completely she never dared life by making more” (46). While Denver is resentful about Paul D’s arrival, Sethe is more optimistic, as it gives her hope for the future. This seems like the first time in a long while that Sethe has had any hope. She has struggled tremendously in the past, leaving no room to have any hope for the future. But the arrival of Paul D sparks the “temptation to trust and remember” (46). Likewise, Paul D feels this same hope that Sethe has begun to feel. He reflects back on his own past struggles, recalling how he “didn't believe he could live with a women- any women- for over two out of three months” (49). Furthermore, before arriving at Sethe’s home, he had “shut down a generous portion of his head, operating on the part that helped him walk, eat, sleep, sing” (49). But after seeing Sethe, “the closed portion of his head opened like a greased lock” (49). He believes there may be hope for his heart and mind after seeing Sethe and ultimately decides to stay at 124. These moments have built on one another, as the white dress led to “plans,” which in return, led to Sethe’s and Paul D’s hope for the future. The moment of the white dress has led to an important revelation for both Sethe and Paul D that will most likely be important for the rest of the novel.
ReplyDeleteThat was such an interesting analysis linking the dress to Sethe's and Paul D's plans. I didn't make that connection when I read the chapter, but reading your analysis helped me see that link.
DeleteI agree that there is now hope emerging for Sethe as Paul D comes. In a way I think this is represented by the white dress, possibly reminding her of love and happiness that came from her past marriage. At the same time, the white dress brings about a mood of eeriness, as it seems to have a lot of power and importance with the idea that the "baby got plans."
DeleteSethe is one to dwell on the past— and how could she not? As we dive deeper into Beloved, we find out that much of her time is spent in her head. Sethe is stuck, and she is left distracted by her memories. This is greatly demonstrated through pages 46-48 where Paul D moves into 124 and interrupts Sethe and Denver's routinely life. With Paul as an addition to the household, his presence changes the dynamic of 124 and gets Sethe to think of the present instead of the past; she is starting to hypothesize a future between them. Sethe begins to view reality at a new perspective and picks up smaller details relating to even just the color scheme of her own home, “...[she] thought how little color there was in the house” (46). Morrison illustrates this scene for us by describing the only “evidence” of color as two vibrant orange pillows in a bland, strictly neutral-toned house. 124 now only appears to be desolate and painfully associated with traces of sorrow. Extending on this thought leads to Sethe’s personal realization of her disconnect with the past and present, “124 was so full of strong feeling perhaps she was oblivious to the loss of anything at all,” (47) and demonstrates her missing liveliness. I believe that this opening line truly emphasizes the depths of Sethe’s long emotional distress and imbalance from her experiences. Additionally, Paul D has significantly “awakened” both Sethe and Denver, shifting the atmosphere of their safe haven; wiping away the spirit and “clearing the slate” of 124 has prepared them for envisionment of the future to come.
ReplyDeleteI liked the idea you talked about. Past vs present was a really big part of this chapter. Great blog.
DeleteThe further into the novel we get, the more we see Sethe held down by the pain of her past. As we get to see Denver's perspective and a piece of her story, the idea of family in the context of reconstruction, post-slavery, is definitely something I feel has some significance is seeing the other side of the story-- finding a meaning for family when, until then, it was impossible to know family. Primarily, I found the concept of making plans interesting, particularly the juxtaposition of the baby making plans versus Sethe making plans. The baby really symbolizes Sethe’s past and the enslavement that it has left her with, too busy running to see what's ahead. However, then there is the notion of Sethe making plans, finding a reason to really come back to life and “Go ahead and count on something.”(49?) Sethe has been too busy “keeping [Denver] from the past”(49?) and really herself away from the past that there is no real room for her to see anything in the future but the past. However, then there is the symbol of Paul D-- coming in and scaring away the baby, scaring away the past and staying behind to fix up the mess. He has the intentions of making plans with Sethe, but the choice of not having to, which makes his staying all the more important. For Sethe, “The one set of plans she had made—getting away from Sweet Home—went awry so completely she never dared life by making more,”(49?) yet Paul D seems so set on turning over that leaf and showing her that her life is not defined by the past that she’s determined not to remember, but also not to forget.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Sethe's struggle is an illustration of the struggle with reconstruction after the end of slavery. The problem Sethe faces is that she needs to learn what freedom is, which is difficult considering all that she has experienced at "Sweet Home." She must find an identity. After years of being controlled by another human being, even a simple understanding of who you are can be a challenge.
DeleteIn a way I believe that Sethe hasn't been given an opportunity to be happy. Memories of suffering are present in the house she lives in, Denver, and the lonely life she lives. Like Jason, I believe that she needs to find her identity and what makes Sethe, Sethe. I ultimately believe that Paul D can be of great assistance to that.
DeleteSethe is a product of her past. She continues to dwell on the pain and horror she experienced while at “Sweet Home.” Therefore, the physical pain of running away from the plantation is much less than that the live she faced while being a slave. When Amy is in the midst of helping Sethe run away from the plantation, Amy tells her that “anything dead coming back to life hurts” (42). The direct meaning of this statement is likely referring to the immense pain of Sethe’s swollen feet. However, the juxtaposition of life and death can illustrate Sethe’s transition from slavery to freedom. While some generations of slaves know what comprises freedom, the generation of Sethe does not know what being free feels like. Although Sethe is not a slave anymore, she must move on from her painful, past memories and begin to try and live a life as a free woman.
ReplyDeleteSethe has evidently struggled in learning to live with freedom. She must confront their experiences at “Sweet Home,” or she will continue to be mentally enslaved by the past. The slave owners no longer have physical control of Sethe, but they still maintain a mental control over her, permanently altering her perception and way of life.
Morrison is effective in building one idea off the next. Although very different, Sethe’s past and slavery is uniquely the focus of each. Sethe’s struggle coping with her past is illustrated through what Denver witnessed. One day, coming from her playhouse in the boxwood bushes, she sees Sethe kneeling by a white dress. This white dress, however, is empty. It could represent the innocent of youth, and the memory of Amy. When Denver questions Sethe, her response is that “I was talking about time...Some things go. Pass on. Some things just stay. I used to think it was my rememory” (43). I believe that Denver is lonely because she doesn’t understand the life that Sethe endured as a slave. That white dress reminds them both of the innocence of Beloved and the innocence of freedom. Sethe needs to consider the future, so “would it be all right? Would it be all right to go ahead and feel? Go ahead and count on something?” (46).
I also thought that line from Amy was significant. For Sethe, the two phrases "Anything dead coming back to life hurts" and "Nothing ever dies" are a recipe for disaster. She's haunted by her past every single day between the angry spirit of her lost baby, the intrusive memories of Sweet Home, and her permanent exclusion from society.
DeleteAs the past continues to impact the present, it’s clear to see that things never truly come to an end for Sethe. When Dever says realizes that, “[i]f it’s still there, waiting, that must mean nothing ever dies” (44), Sethe responds by saying “[n]othing ever does” (44). For Sethe there almost isn’t a difference between past events and current events, always reliving things from Sweet Home while living in 124. Sethe doesn’t deal well with the idea of death, of letting go and moving on. She has had so much loss in her life that her natural defense is to block out as much as she can. Although it isn’t the healthiest thinking, Sethe doesn’t remember how to live any other way, and in a sense she doesn’t want to. Holding onto memories of her past so vividly is what keeps her connected to everyone and thing she left. Earlier she talks about the idea of rememory, of realness in the memories she recalls and their existence in the real world. She explains by saying, “[i]f a house burns down, it’s gone, but the place-the picture of it-stays, and not just in my memory, but out there, in the world” (43). Sethe truly thinks all the things she has lived through have continued existing, again never putting an ending to any of her own pain or memories. Yes, there may be a physical place to commemorate a memory, but it does not cause the memory to live on forever. The event lived for a moment, time and certain people, not for everyone at anytime. The transition then from rememory into things never dying feels quite fluid. It feels like were are mapping out Sethe’s thinking as we follow along with her thoughts. Just as Sethe believes things never die, her thinking never grows stagnant. When I read, I get the feeling that although she claims she will never run from anything again, she is constanly moving away from certain memories and moving towards others, trying to kill some while keeping others alive.
ReplyDeleteI liked your connection to the idea of rememory and Sethe's struggle to put an ending to her own pain or memories. I think this is one of the things that holds Sethe back from feeling any sense of optimism for the future. I agree with your statement that although she says shes done running, in a way, she still is.
DeleteI like how you discuss Sethe's natural tendency to hide her emotions and feelings about her past. In a way, we all subconsciously do this. By being closed off from her past, she feels almost protected from this pain. She further struggles because she wants to hold on to those people that she lost. With any sort of trauma, people typically try to put it out of their mind, as humans tend to avoid pain and suffering. We see this in Sethe and it is important to think about what cases we might do this.
DeleteColor carries a great significance in Beloved. All of the main characters in the book so far are very perceptive of the color in the world around them. They find meaning in it, foreshadowing the future, and retelling the past. Color influences mood, it inspires action, it evokes emotion. Immediately at the beginning of this chapter, we are introduced to Denver’s “emerald closet,” her sanctuary among the boxwood bushes in the woods. For Denver, this green represents a safety and security, a shelter from the harsh colorless environment inside 124. “Veiled and protected by the live green walls, she felt ripe and clear, and salvation was as easy as a wish” (35) The green represents a life force. Later in the same chapter, color holds a similar value for Amy, the white girl who helped Sethe when she needed it most while escaping. Amy is passionate and determined to travel to Boston in order to purchase velvet. She gushes about how “the velvet I seen was brown, but in Boston they got all colors. Carmine. That means red but when you talk about velvet you got to say ‘carmine’” (41). Recently free from indentured servitude, Amy too is embarking on a rebirth and for her, this red in Boston is a breath of life. It represents hope and new beginnings. She is willing to walk a hundred miles or more just for some colored velvet. Finally near the end of the chapter, Sethe reflects on how she has deliberately muted the house of color because it stirs uncomfortable feelings. For Sethe, her last significant experience with color involved her dead child. “It was as though one day she saw red baby blood, another day the pink gravestone chips, and that was the last of it” (47). For her, color means a revival of the past and that can be difficult to confront. Sethe has gone through a lot and the smallest things can trigger horrible memories so she has instinctively stripped her surroundings of any jarring vibrancy. While some long for color, other hide from it.
ReplyDeleteI was interested in your response because I wrote about color too, and it was nice to see your take on it. I hadn't noticed how the trend of color extended from even Denver's perspective— I was only focused on Sethe's. I enjoyed your analysis about how color can portray mood (something in the present) and not just represent the emptiness of the past. Your perspective described color's influence on both the past and the present and concluded the emotions of 124 as a whole.
DeleteI agree with your idea that color is very important for the characters in the book, and I really liked your observation that Sethe's last memory of color was the "red baby blood" and "the pink gravestone chips." It kind of reminds me of Cathy's comment which talked about after Paul D came to the house, Sethe started noticing how colorless the house was, and seemed more open to having more color in the house. Cathy also talked about how after Paul D came in, Sethe is more open to living in the present whereas before his arrival, she used to be completely dominated by the past. This relates to your observation, because while Sethe hides from color in order to mute the feelings of the past, her observation of the lack of color might be a higher willingness to deal with the feelings of the past because of Paul D.
DeleteAs Sethe was running away from Sweet Home she cut up her feet really badly. When she finally reached the Ohio River she could no longer walk or stand. As she was sitting next to the river, Amy, a white girl who was also running away but from her Mother, stopped at Sethe. She makes Sethe crawl to a hut like house that she has seen while she was walking and once they got their she started to massage Sethe's feet. It hurt really badly but this is when Amy said "anything dead coming back to life is going to hurt"(pg. 42). I think that throughout the book this has a lot of context because Sethe has experienced so much death in her life. Another point of the chapter was how now that Paul D lived with them it messed up the ghosts in the house. It talked about how he had a large presence in the house and a loud voice. “But it was gone now. Whooshed away in the blast of a hazelnut man’s shout, leaving Denver’s world flat,...”(45). These ghosts provided comfort for Denver and were the secrets that kept her life entertaining and not so bland. They had even started to impact her mother until Paul D arrived and Sethe no longer saw them.
ReplyDeleteI also talked about how things never die in my post, and I liked how you brought up the ghosts as an example. I thought this really showed how things are still existing, but they may be somewhere between the living and the dead. In a way this shows where Sethe's thinking is coming from and why she believes what she believes.
DeleteIn my blog, I also discussed the quote of "anything dead coming back to life is going to hurt" (42). In my interpretation, I discussed how her emancipation was a rebirth. She was finally allowed to live again. However, transitioning from slavery to freedom comes with many pains, including the dark past at "Sweet Home."
DeleteBorn into slavery, freedom was foreign to Sethe. When Sethe finally ran away from Sweet Home, she was persistently pushed by a symbolic creature, an antelope, which represented such desired salvation and encouraged Sethe into a new world for herself and soon to be newborn Denver. However, when Toni Morrison pushes the line between fantasy and reality, I couldn’t help but question if the antelope had a physical stature, or was an inspirational fragment of Sethe’s tortured mind on her journey that led her to 124. Sethe was Six month pregnant, with swollen limbs and feet, “But she could not, would not, stop” (36), because right behind her a, “little antelope rammed her with horns and pawed the ground of her womb with impatient hooves (36). In the hills, Sethe is in between her independence from slavery and her possible recapture. While she is not yet familiar with freedom, it taps her, nearly teases her, and drives her further away from Sweet Home. The antelope, I imagine appears to be like a personal trainer, who’s barking orders would stun someone who's never worked out at a gym before.
ReplyDeleteWhy did Sethe think of an antelope? While Sethe questions this observation herself, she realizes that it must be “An invention held on to before Sweet Home” (37) because, “She had never seen one” (37). Before Sweet Home, there was Baby Suggs, living in liberation and happiness. Before Sweet Home there was no gruesome scars tinting the back of Sethe. And this invention is so unseen, is being Sethe had never known anything besides Sweet Home, besides slavery.
Alice, a indentured servant who has finished her service, aids Seethe, and they find themselves together, released from an agonizing past, and unlocking a future of infinities. Before, Sethe had only known dance and song, and while the antelope was once a stranger, “Sometimes they danced the antelope” (37). In that moment, “They shifted shapes and became something other” (37). What Sethe and Alice had shifted into were humans of society, no longer tied down by the chains of slavery.
Antelopes defend as well as protect, roam free as well as stay close to home. In Beloved (of chapter three), where, "But she could not, would not, stop, for when she did the little antelope rammed her with horns and pawed the ground of her womb with impatient hooves. While she was walking, it seemed to graze, quietly..." (36)., one observation I had was because the "little antelope" had horns, (and yes this is referring to the traditional dance named after the animal), what does the antelope having horns (horns being a prominently male trait), mean of the future baby's gender?
ReplyDeleteDenver’s Room. The one place she “...could have all to herself…” To her this room represents a saving grace. The once place in which she can feel better, less lonely. She is surrounded by her “sweet” secrets. Here she is no longer haunted by the loneliness that came, when Paul D caused her sister to leave. The loneliness of not having friends. She is surrounded by her sweet smells of her secrets. Her mother’s stolen perfume. It helps her separate from the world. It makes her remember the story of her birth. In this Denver reminds me of a teenager (which she is) that is angry with the world who runs to the sanctuary of her room. In addition the emerald light, the idea of using the emerald color it unique in its own way. In many spiritualities, the emerald stone is also called “Stone of Successful Love”. Its is a soothing energy that heals the heart, and nurtures it. Which shows direct irony to the way the story is going.
ReplyDeleteThere is an interesting conflict between past and present in this chapter. Sethe wants to focus on the present and the future, she wanted to forget the past, but ever since Paul D. showed up, she had been living and breathing the past. The ghost of Beloved represents the past. Sethe is literally haunted by her past. Sethe’s one job was “keeping [Denver] from the past that was still waiting for her” (51). Denver, however, wants to be involved in this past. She felt lonely, almost angry with her mother for keeping it from her. “Her mother had her secrets -- things she wouldn’t tell; things she only half told. Well, Dever had them too. And hers were sweet -- sweet as lily-of-the-valley cologne” (45). Denver thought the ghost of her sister had plans. Plans that most likely included opening up this future, letting Denver in on the secrets. But when Paul D showed up he “whoosed it away [...] leaving Denver’s world flat” (45). Paul D represents the future. His major characterization, at the moment, is that he doesn’t look back. He doesn’t want to look back. He banishes Beloved’s ghost. He wants to stay close to Sethe and Denver. Before Paul D 124 was crowded with memories of the past. Of the memories of her children and Baby Suggs. Sethe observed “there was no room for any other or body until Paul D arrived and broke up the place, making room” (47). The quote sounds violent. Wrong. But the looking to the future is important. I think this quote highlights the pain and hardship of moving on.
ReplyDeleteTime is a major influence on Sethe’s life. As much as she wants to erase her past, it has the ability to control almost every aspect of the way she lives her life. She understands that while time passes by, some things just never go away. When questioning her mother about the white dress, Denver asks what Sethe was praying about, who responds that she was talking about time. After Denver expresses her confusion, Sethe explains that “some things go. Pass on. Some things just stay. I used to think it was my rememory." (43) Sethe’s “rememory” is similar to her reliving an experience or having a flashback. Something that struck me was Sethe using the word “rememory” instead of memory. Does she do this because she is still living her memories? Sethe has a hard time escaping her past, even though she wants to. She is quite literally haunted by her past through the ghost of her dead daughter, Beloved. Sethe treats Beloved as though she is a living human and appears to be trapped at 124 because of her. While she wants to keep her past a secret from Denver and doesn’t want it to define her, Sethe will need to be able to move forward in a new place where her past will not be able to find her.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Sethe’s life has continued, she is unable to stop dwelling on the past. She mentally prohibits herself from being being happy; often questioning life and memories in her head. Paul D becomes an increasingly driving factor in her life. He prompts her to begin focusing on the present instead of the past. This allows her to think of a future with him, allowing herself to open up. She even starts to think about how little color is present in her life. He essentially is the one to eliminate the presence of the ghost in the house thus allowing Sethe to no longer put her focus on that. Although it is well meant, it creates tension in his relationship with Denver who is cautious of Paul D’s presence. This is shown in the quote “But it was gone now. Whooshed away in the blast of a hazelnut man’s shout, leaving Denver’s world flat” The ghost was comforting to Denver and she no longer had the comfort when it was exiled by Paul D. Although Paul D helps Sethe in focusing more on the future, he creates an undesirable relationship with Denver.
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