Directions: Same format as the last blog. Read pages 76-124. Next, analyze the following moments. Notice the juxtaposition. How does each “symbol” build on the next? In your blog response, discuss how the text works to create meaning. What is meaningful about the shift itself, for example? Choose a 1-3 below to explore, and use direct evidence from the text in your response. As a class, try to mix it up, so we can cover the list as a class. Respond to each other. Be bold. Brilliant.
- "He saw?" (81)
- Mister (85)
- "In the dark, my name is Beloved" (88)
- "Tell me how Setrhe made you in the boat" (90-100)
- “It was time to lay it all down” (101)
- Mothers, fathers, children: laugh, dance, cry – love yourself (103-104)
- Baby Suggs holy proved herself a liar, whitefolks, and 28 days…. (104-105)
- Life on 124 before (105-112)
- “Just the fingers,” Paul D, strangled…Grandma Baby? (112-113)
- Beloved’s fingers, “You are too old for that,” and then Sethe “remembered” something. Could she trust Paul D? (114-118)
- “I saw what you did” (119) “I fixed it, didn’t I?” (119) “The circle of iron choked it” (119)
- Lady Jones, Nelson Lord, two years of silence…. why? What woke her up? (120-124)
- Beloved and…the turtles? (124)
When Paul D reveals to Sethe that Halle saw the boys torture her and take her milk, it forces Sethe to revisit her past. As soon as Paul D tells Sethe that Halle had witnessed the horrid moment, she becomes furious, repeating the words, “he saw?” (81). Sethe had believed she made her peace with Halle never arriving to 124, but after discovering that this was the reason he did not leave, she begins to reflect on her past. This moment sparks old memories that she had buried deep in her mind, forcing them to resurface. We gain a better insight into Amy and Sethe’s escape from Sweet Home, as Denver’s birth is revisited with more detail. Furthermore, Sethe begins to reflect on Baby Suggs and her arrival to 124. Baby Suggs had hoped to help former slaves around her feel love and happiness again, as she preaches, “hear me now, love your heart. For this is the prize” (104). Later Sethe, Denver, and Beloved go to visit Baby Suggs old preaching rock. Sethe begins to get frustrated with all these recollections of the past, questioning, “the worst was over, wasn’t it?” (114). These doubts and questions have risen in light of her remembrance of the past. Because of this, she realizes that “she wanted Paul D. No matter what he told her and knew, she wanted him in her life” (116). This symbolizes her finally moving on, allowing herself to heal and start focusing on the future. It was important for Sethe to confront her past if she wanted to have hope for the future. As evident by the events in these chapters, confronting her past has lead her to some inner peace. Previously, she felt scared and unsure about the future and Paul D, but as she begins to accept and alleviate some of the pain from the past, she is able to think of the future in a more clearer light.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the way you looked at how dealing with the past is affecting Sethe's thoughts about the future. I feel like this is an important message not only in Sethe's world, but also in our current world. Many times, our present self is hindered by past experiences we haven't completely dealt with, and this effect can travel past our present self into any future decisions we make too. This is also related to the book in which Sethe's relationship with Paul D., who, as Susan shared in the last blog, represents the future, is hindered by Beloved, who as Susan talked about, represents the past. The same can be said of Denver's relationship to Paul D being hindered by Beloved as well.
DeleteIt has been apparent throughout the story so far that Sethe often, if not always, puts the needs of those she cares about before herself. When she was raped in the barn, she was more concerned about her milk, something she could give to her children, being taken away than anything else. She repeatedly says, “[a]nd they took my milk” (21), emphasizing the part of the act that is most prominent in her memory. When she finds out that her husband, Halle, had saw her milk being taken away, she is furious saying, “[h]e saw them boys do that to me and let them keep on breathing air? He saw? He saw? He saw?” (81). Here Sethe repeats a different line, “he saw,” showing her processing of the information. I imagine the first repetition was shock, and the following repetitions were confusion and anger. Sethe has always thought that she was alone in that barn, without anyone else seeing what happened. Knowing that her husband, the person who was supposed to protect her, saw and didn’t try and stop it hurt her deeply. What else did he see? It’s because of situations like the barn that made Sethe decide to, “never run from another thing on this earth” (18) but instead actively fight. She cannot understand why Halle “ran away” from the barn rape. Sethe says that if Halle is alive and saw the barn situation, “he won’t step foot in [her] door. Not Halle” (82). In Sethe’s door is a place that despite the presence of Beloved, she refuses to run from. It represents her growth since Sweet Barn. Paul D tries to explain to Sethe that the situation hurt Halle so deeply that he turned blank saying, “[t]hings get to him. Things he can’t chop down because they’re inside” (81). But Sethe still is angry at Halle, her husband who seemingly didn’t put her or their children’s health first when they needed it most.
ReplyDeleteI like your analysis of what was going on in between the lines at this point in the book. It really made me rethink running away. Usually we think of running away as something cowardly. But for Sethe to run from the plantation was such a big risk, that her decision took great courage. We can see this courage show up after she is free in her decision to not run away from anything else again. Halle, on the other hand, hasn't physically run away from anything. Emotionally, however, he has, like you said, "r[u]n away from the barn rape." Although Sethe has run away from slavery while Halle hasn't, Sethe also has shown more courage, which I find to be an interesting twist. At the same time though, we cannot judge Halle for not showing as much courage of Sethe because they have both, like almost all the characters in the book, have gone through such imaginable horrors that we really have no place in judging any of them for their actions.
DeleteSethe has definitely showed remarkable selflessness throughout the book. It seems that every action she takes is for the people she loves, especially her children. Another sad example of this is when she gives up "ten minutes" for the engraving on Beloved's tombstone. She wants a proper burial for her child to such an extent that she was willing to make such a drastic sacrifice.
DeleteAfter reading the last chapter, I was really confused about Beloved's seemingly irrational and impulsive decision to strangle Sethe, and then massage and kiss her, so I went back to see if I could find what had triggered it. Sitting on the rock, Sethe is at first mourning Halle and trying to deal with the fact that he is now certainly not coming back. It is at this point that Beloved (Although Sethe thinks this is Grandma Suggs, I think it is Beloved from the start because of the use of the words "childlike" and "finger kiss" (an allusion to the actual kiss Beloved gives Sethe) to describe the first kneading) first starts kneading her neck. This makes sense, because Halle is Beloved's dad, and Sethe mourning him is something Beloved is okay with. Eventually however, Sethe's thoughts land on Paul D, and it is very soon after the thought "But now there was someone to share it, and he had beat the spirit away the very day he entered her house and no sign of it since. A blessing," that Beloved strangles Sethe. My guess here is that Beloved is angry that Sethe is glad that the baby ghost was driven away and equally angry that Sethe is making room for Paul D. I think it is this anger that leads to Beloved strangling Sethe. This is further developed on page 118 when Beloved mentions "the anger that ruled when Sethe did or thought anything (side note: Beloved seems to be a mind reader, which makes sense considering the scene where she started choking right when Paul D. thought he would find a nice place for Beloved to live outside 124) that excluded herself." What is scary here is that not only has Beloved shown she is not only physically and emotionally capable of harming others, but is also harboring a lot of anger inside her. I think this could be a foreshadow of Beloved doing something terrible to Paul D, who she sees as separating Sethe from her.
ReplyDeleteI like how you looked for an explanation. Why would Beloved kiss Sethe after she tried to strangle her? I don't know, however, if there is an explanation. Although Sethe's decision to make room for Paul D could have influenced Beloved, Sethe is still her mother. This makes me even more curious where Beloved came from. What makes her act so irrationally? It is almost as if she has be 'born' and has never been taught right from wrong. She is immaturely sour that she needs to share Sethe and Denver with Paul D.
DeleteHalle disappeared. While Sethe was never aware, Paul D had an explanation for the potential reasons Halle would leave his wife and family. In an argument, Paul D reveals to Sethe that Halle was in the barn when schoolteacher’s two boys took her milk and raped her. After hearing this new information, Sethe responds with outrage. She states that “they took my milk and he saw it and didn’t come down? Sunday came and he didn’t. Monday came and no Halle. I thought he was dead…” (82). Sethe assumed the best of a man, believing he was dead and didn’t willingly leave. Also, although Paul D is accurate in testifying that “a man ain’t a goddamn ax. Chopping, hacking, busting every goddamn minute of the day,” Sethe has a justifiable right to be angry (81). It would be unfair to expect Halle to save her, but to watch his wife get tortured and fail to react is horrible. He could have done something.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how Toni Morrison reveals the truth of the past in pieces. As readers, we already knew that Sethe has been abused, but we now are told that Halle could have stopped it. As Morrison continues to add to the story, my perspective and opinion of the characters changes drastically.
Beloved acts as she was never raised: taught right from wrong. When Sethe goes to the Clearing, she suddenly feels fingers choking her. Not knowing from where, Denver and Beloved appear. Denver figure outs that Beloved was the one who strangled Sethe. She approaches Beloved, who responds by saying “look out, girl” and by “snatching her arm away, [running] ahead as fast as she could along the stream that sang on the other side of the woods” (119). After Sethe made the decision to keep Paul D around, Beloved’s demeanor drastically changed, for she then dashed out of 124. If Beloved is truly Sethe’s child, then why did she strangle her?
I think that because Beloved is a metaphorical representation of the past, the strangling is meant for Sethe to face her history and be engulfed by it. The strangling is also a result of Beloved's ongoing power struggle between herself and Paul D (the future) who are both vying for Sethe's attention.
DeleteAs we turn the pages in Beloved, more information is revealed to us about Sethe and Paul D’s experience with slavery. They both speak about their rough pasts filled with hardships and violence, painting a horrific image of the reality they had to live. However, while reading through these chapters, I thought that the Clearing was an extremely notable topic— a different moment in slavery was put into perspective. In Chapter 9, Sethe is lost in her thoughts and decides to go to the Clearing to find a peace of mind. The Clearing was a spot where Baby Suggs would hold open gatherings with the community, “It started that way: laughing children, dancing men, crying women and then it got mixed up.” Reading through this passage was astounding; the way Baby Suggs provided a moment for others to find love and peace within themselves in a time of oppression was so beautiful. Baby Suggs was adamant on teaching others to find self validation and answers from themselves, and strongly supported others to embrace who they were in their own skin, “She did not tell them to clean up their lives or to go and sin no more. She did not tell them they were the blessed of the earth, inheriting meek or its glory bound pure… She told them that the only grace they could have was the grace they could imagine. That if they could not see it, they would not have it.” I wholeheartedly believe that these moments of positivity and optimism that Baby Suggs provided demonstrated significant duality with the world of oppression and racism they were in. “You got to love it, you!” It was this moment that Morrison illuminated to the audience the rather ‘unexplored’ parts of slavery, where community is fully evident through the relationships made between the oppressed. It was very interesting to me that Morrison included this moment in the novel, as it opened up to me a perspective I had never thought about and leaves me curious to see what other ideas the story will bring.
ReplyDeleteI like how you focused in on one aspect of this section, the clearing. I like how you used it as a way to symbolize the duality of the reality of the oppression and racism faced around them. Discovering that Baby Suggs had used her voice as way to try to instill hope in others was something that I found surprising. I think its a nice perspective change, as she was able to take the pain of slavery and use it as a way to help others find love and peace within themselves.
DeleteThe way you were able to describe Baby Suggs so vividly made this post really enjoyable to read. Just as Paul D acts like a symbol of hope, Baby Suggs seems to be doing the same in spirit. Both characters want to empower the girls and help them regain some of the happiness and strength they have not felt in a long time, or at all. Baby Suggs is both encouraging love and emotion in a realistic way, just as Paul D does. I wonder as the story goes on, how Denver and Beloved will react to Baby Sugg's presence as opposed to Paul D's.
DeleteI think Paul D’s comparison between himself and the roosters at Sweet Home, particularly the one dubbed “Mister,” was one of the most revealing passages of the book so far about the misery of the stay at Sweet Home and what it does to a person. In a conversation with Sethe, he reflects on a time where he was forced to live with an iron bit in his mouth. Despite the horrible pain and discomfort commonly associated with this device, he tells how the bit itself was not what got to him most, it was the gaze of the roosters. Paul D. describes how completely dehumanized he felt, how broken down his identity had become. He is no longer a man, just a shell of what he used to be. When looking at the chicken he thinks “even if you cooked him you’d still be cooking a rooster named Mister. But wasn’t no way I’d ever be Paul D. again, living or dead” (86). This line was very powerful to me, it Paul D. no longer even cared if he survived, all he wanted to do was stay true to who he was. The slave-owners stripped him of his personality, stripped him of his lifeforce. “Son a bitch couldn’t even get out the shell by hisself but he was still king” (86). Mister would always reign supreme over Paul because at least he would be able to remain true to the essence of what he was. It speaks to the layers and layers of misery slavery can provoke, both physical and mental. It turns people into machines, in some cases breaking them down completely. We see this in cases like Halle, sitting with the churn and shoveling butter into his face, as little a person as a corpse. Others are left like Paul D, shells of what they once were, perpetually aware but unable to do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteI think you really captured what we know about Paul D's background, how helpless he felt at Sweet Home. So far, all we've seen is Paul D run from the future. In these chapters we got a picture of what he is running from. I think you break it down perfectly.
DeleteI really like how you focus on Paul D., as what happened to him is a crucial aspect of the story. I knew when reading that the things that happened to Paul were revealing about Sweet Home but my mind was drawn to the relationships between the women. I wish I had wrote about Paul in a more thoughtful way because your post makes me realize how important he is in these chapters.
DeleteDuring this part of the book we as readers learn more about Denver. Both through Denver herself and Sethe's difficult journey to freedom. We learn that Denver was named after Amy Denver, the white woman who assisted Sethe during child birth. While relaying the story of her birth to Beloved, Denver thinks "she loved it because it was all about herself" showing that this was what added to her worth. She uses the retelling of this story to remind herself the value of what she means to Sethe. This connection between Sethe and Denver has monumental value in their relationship. In addition, there is an internal struggle in allowing herself to question Beloved's motives. When she finds out that Beloved is her sister, she asks "You won't leave us right?" instead of expressing anger after being deceived. This is when the depth of her loneliness is revealed. She eager to have something for herself; even sacrificing the love and attention of her mother for the company of Beloved.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I do think that we learn a lot more about Denver in these passages especially in terms of her emotional relationship with Beloved. Earlier in the novel, it was definitely more difficult to pinpoint her feelings with the members of her family (both dead and alive) but it's interesting to see some clarity in her perspective now.
DeleteI like how you mainly focus on Denver as a character. I think and see that Denver definitely has some type of issue. Whether she struggles with separation problems or the need to feel wanted, she reveals through her words and actions that she needs extra attention. Discussing her creation in extreme detail and asking Beloved not to leave, Denver shows that she is more lonely than previously realized.
Delete
ReplyDeleteBeloved asks Denver to discuss the full story of her birth, in extreme detail. As Beloved is listening, she is soaking in every small aspect of the story, almost as if she wants to live it herself. Beloved said to Denver “tell me how Sethe made you in the boat” (91). Beloved almost relives the story of Denver’s creation through her storytelling, revealing how her influence stems off of how she interacts with Denver, Sethe and Paul. Beloved can strongly relate to this family, as her name and the way in which she questions the past influence their present decisions and actions. Although there is no way to know if Beloved has any formal relation to Denver, Sethe, and Paul, she manages to provoke issues and feelings in every character. In the following chapter, we witness a new side of Beloved that has never been seen before. So far, Beloved has been an influential yet quiet presence. She has, in a way, attracted Sethe and Denver in a way that causes them to want things for her. For example, Sethe defends her and Denver wants to share things with her. However, in chapter 9, Denver begins to see Beloved as a somewhat dangerous presence. When Sethe is in the clearing, she is strangled by a harmful presence, prompting Denver to accuse Beloved. When Denver saw Beloved, she stated without question “you made her choke” (119). This accusation was one of the first moments in which Beloved wasn’t the innocent “little” girl that wandered into their lives. Denver is protective over her mother, as she cares about her deeply. Although she has somewhat lived in Beloved’s shadow recently, Denver still wants to care for her mother. The accusation she made reveals that she is not as trusting to Beloved as it has seemed prior to this scene.
In my last blog I talked about how Paul D represented the future and Beloved represented the past. They were both fighting for Sethe’s affection. In these chapters, Sethe chooses the future. “She wanted Paul D” (118). She made her decision because the past hurt her. Paul D shared some of his past with her, he told her about an iron lock that they gagged him with at sweet home. He told her that Halle had seen the Schoolteacher’s cousins rape her and take her milk. Paul D didn’t want to tell her, he wanted to focus on the future, deciding to only tell her those two things and “he would leave the rest where it belonged: in that tobacco tin buried in his chest where a red heart used to be. Its lid rusted shut, he would not pry it loose now, in front of this sweet sturdy woman” (86). Just as a side note, I think this is where I started to root for Paul D and the future. This section of the book, coupled with Beloved’s thoughts: “she had been so close, then closer. And it was so much better than the anger that ruled when Sethe did or thought anything that excluded herself” (118). It showed that Paul D thought about Sethe while Beloved thought about herself. For Paul D, he did not want to break down in front of Sethe. For Beloved, it is that she wanted attention. But anyway, back to my original point about the past hurting Sethe. When Sethe goes into Baby Suggs’ old preaching rock to help her with the decision, Beloved (in ghost form again) strangles her for even considering life with Paul D. And so, Sethe chooses the best thing for her, her “knotted, private, walk-on-water life gave in a bit, softened” (113).
ReplyDeleteIn our last class discussion, a great point was made that revealed the existence of a power struggle between Beloved, a representation of the past and Paul D, a representation of the future. After this reading the next chapters, two distinct moments occurred where Beloved’s presence enticed a discussion of Sethe and Denver’s history.
ReplyDeletePaul D, who is vying for the attention of Sethe, is discouraged by Beloved’s influence over the two women in 124. He pressed Beloved with many agressive questions, which instigates an argument between himself and Sethe, where, out of thin air, Paul D wonders, “What Halle ever do to [Sethe]” (80). It is soon revealed to Sethe that Halle did not intervene, even after seeing with his own eyes, the scarring torture by the nephews in Sweet Home. She falls into rage after assuming Halle, “...was dead…” (82). In this instance, the grip of the past is not to make peace in Sethe's mind. Facing the past has possible made her more skeptical of men. Was this Beloved's intention, to slowly pry her away from the men in her life, to focus on her some what lifeless daughter?
In the beginning of chapter eight Beloved and Denver are enjoying each other's company, having a little dance party, but Beloved becomes curious, asking Denver to, “Tell [her] how Sethe made you in the boat” (90). This instance the recollection of her past is what Denver loves, makes her feel purposeful, important, and out of isolation because,“because it was all about herself” (91). What Denver has been told of her past, is seemingly the only light she has after years and years of loss and loneliness. However, I believe that Denver is deceived into believing the best out Beloved, who she may think is making efforts to get closer with her, may just be trying to know more about Sethe. The more attached Beloved becomes to Sethe, Denver will consequently feel displaced, and even replaced in 124. Especially after the strangling later in the chapter, I wonder what Denver’s breaking point will be in terms of Beloved’s over welcomed stay.
I really liked your analysis about Beloved. Even though she is not there in person, her spirit is a strong, ever-looming presence at 124. Just like Sethe, she cannot let go of the past, continuing to spend her time with those who are still living. As I was reading your post, it made me wonder, does Beloved acting in selflessness or selfishness?
DeleteFor as long as there is suffering there is going to be a woman bearing it all as if it were her only purpose. In this case, that woman is Sethe. Grandma Suggs says, “Lay em down, Sethe. Sword and shield. Down. Down. Both of em down.”(101) From the beginning we have seen the idea of Sethe as a woman and what that means in her world-- the culture of sex and rape haunting her journey from slavery to relative freedom. In chapter one, the imagery of Sethe being bent over a grave and paying for her child’s death with her body sets the tone for how women's sexuality is viewed and treated for the rest of the book. While there is a break where Sethe and Paul D seem to have a healthy, consensual and happy sexual relationship, there is always this lurking idea of Sethe’s body, even while free, not being her own. Particularly, when she talks about being raped, when she’s about to run away but waited for Halle, there is this distinct sense of not helplessness but restrained rage. Sethe understands her position, but when she learns of Halle seeing the events of that horrible night, she cannot be sympathetic because he allowed her to remain out of her own control, out of her own identity-- only a body and a color. When Baby Suggs fixes her up, the idea of her fingers and the sewing and the physical touch to fix the harm, there’s this kinship and sense of self. They are both women who have, no doubt, seen to much to keep living quiet and complacent. 124 is theirs, their safe haven and their refuge, but also their trap. Yet,“He saw?”(81) carries such weight because it is not an explanation nor an answer for the question she’d been asking for 9 years, it is simply a fact. Halle was never coming back and from that night on Sethe was no longer a possession, not even to one she loved. I feel even in her relationship with Paul D, it is not he who is in control but Sethe. From the night Sethe ran away she was free to own her own body, even to use it to buy seven letters. At this point in the book we see Sethe now struggling with her past and the reconciliation or resentment of it. In chapter seven, there is this sort of battle going on between the ghost of the dead baby and the ideal of Baby Suggs. There is this imagery of the finger, healing and helping Sethe back to life; yet it is the parallel that levels the bitter tone, as the baby wrapps its hands around Sethe’s neck and squeezes. We know the past will not be reconciled yet. Sethe is not free, not yet.
ReplyDelete-bea
Iron, when fired extremely hot, burns a scar that always stays. Since branding marks an individual as mere numbers, a single part in a line of property or as a missing item that is to return, Denver prompts that he, “[I] kissed her neck. I didn’t choke it. The circle of iron choked it”, what does iron branding and how the past (especially of slavery), have on a life that is bordering on [static] comfortability? And what does the circle mean about how the past always comes around and outstays its visit [when wanting to ignore painful memories and regrets actively] that is slowly rusting away the relationship?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIn the section where it was talking about Baby Suggs and her connection with the people at the house of 124. Baby Suggs was trying to show these people who were born into slavery that there was this whole life filled with both pain and joy. She said “In this place, we flesh; flesh that weeps laughs; flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it. Love it harder.”(pg. 103). During slavery parents did not love their children so that it wouldn’t hurt as much when they got taken away it wouldn’t hurt them as much. However, Baby Suggs is telling them to love and to love unconditionally and to also love themselves and enjoy all their moments in life. Sethe arrives at 124 amidst this time of Baby Suggs preaching to the people. Almost upon the arrival of Sethe things began to change, “Her faith, her love, her imagination, and her great big old heart began to collapse twenty-eight days after her daughter-in-law arrived” (pg. 105). There is a lot to discover why Sethe showing up had such an effect on Baby Suggs.
Beloved’s presence at 124 is shown to be changing the dynamic between its residents. Denver’s relationship with Beloved has been shown to evolve and she appears to worship her. When she discovers that Beloved is at 124 for Sethe, she attempts to gain back her admiration and quickly becomes disappointed when she does not succeed. Beloved even describes Sethe as “the one. She is the one I need. You can go but she is the one I have to have” (89). Even after receiving heartbreak from Beloved, Denver still wants to make sure that she has everything she wants and cares deeply for her. Battling for their mother’s affection, Denver begins to tell Beloved the story of her birth and how Amy Denver helped Sethe. She tells her version of events as she remembers it being told to her by Sethe. While Denver appears to find comfort in her memories, Sethe doesn’t like to talk about the past and shields herself from talking about it. Throughout this section, Sethe seems to start to warm up to the idea of opening the door to the past once again. Will Denver continue to vie for Beloved’s affection or will Sethe come between them?
ReplyDelete