ENG 3407, Gothic Lit, Fall 2019

The ending was shocking as who knew Beloved would actually leave the place. Not only that but also how Denver stood up for herself and made a choice where she had to leave her comfort zone and go look for a job to provide food for her mother and herself. If Beloved had not been in the picture none of this would’ve been possible. I feel like Tony Morrison deliberately wanted to show us that the presence of Beloved caused harm but more than that it helped Denver to make herself more independent. The society also came into one, helping Sethe, they were upset about not helping her that time when the schoolteacher had come to take her and her children as a slave. They regretted the idea that they kept quiet at that time, more of they felt in some way it would have never come to a point where Sethe had to kill her child if they had warned her or alerted her in the past.

Return of Beloved bought the community together and giving Denver a strength in becoming independent. It was also not so shocking when Beloved disappeared because it felt right, she was like a person sent by God to help Sethe and the others to come into place. It was like a mission, and once it was over she left. It was forgotten that Beloved returned from the other side but did leave an impact on Sethe. However, it is normal because she was still a mother and that is normal for a mother to feel down when a child is lost.

“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 shield and sword. Most brought a little of both. They had no idea what they would do once they got there. They just started out, walked down Bluestone Road and came together at the agreed-upon time. The heat kept a few
women who promised to go at home. Others who believed the story didn’t want any part of the confrontation and wouldn’t have come no matter what the weather. And there were those like Lady Jones who didn’t believe the story and hated the ignorance of those who did. So thirty women made up that company and walked slowly, slowly toward 124”.

From this, I would assume that a group of people are heading to 124 for either a party or prayer, since the group is 30 people. However, the quotation mentioned some of the group members bring Christian faith as a shield and sword. I realize that they aren’t going to a party or prayer now, since they brought something as a symbol of protection. The group is most likely heading towards something evil or dangerous; a ghost or spirit perhaps. The group is also composed of 3 types of people. The believers, non-believers, and everyone else. This moment is very familiar, similar to that of Shrek, when the group of men approach his home with pitchforks and torches. In this case, a group of men are approaching the house of 124 with items of Christian faith. Both seem to want to ward off what they believe to be “evil”.

“Decided to stop relying on kindness to leave something on the stump. She would hire herself out somewhere, and  she was afraid to leave Sethe and Beloved along all day not knowing what calamity either one of them would create, she came to realize that her presence in that house had no influence on what either woman did. She help them alive and they ignore her.” (296, Morrison)

After seeing Beloved “rising back from the dead”, Beloved is continuously, figuratively and literally sucking the life out of Sethe. Sethe was let go from her work because she kept coming in late from playing and entertaining Beloved everyday. Sethe’s remaining youth and beauty, money, and food and water was sucked out and devoured by Beloved. Due to Sethe’s release from work, she was put in a situation where she could no longer support Denver and Beloved. No longer wanting to rely on the charity of other’s for their support and witnessing her mother exhaustion increasing over time from providing Beloved’s needs, Denver ventures out to find some work in exchange for food for her family. Denver was extremely worried about leaving Beloved and Sethe alone together, worried that one may kill the other. After some time, Denver realized that the two women were so caught up with destroying and providing for the other, her presence did not influence the seesaw between them. The two women had eyes on each other for some time, that they completely forgot about Denver’s existence. Denver’s courage to find a job to support her family, especially her mother during an extremely difficult time, is what makes her admirable.

“Sethe no longer combed her hair or splashed her face with water. She sat in the chair licking her lips like a chastised child while Beloved ate up her life, took it, swelled up with it, grew taller on it…. Sethe was trying to make up for the handsaw; Beloved was making her pay for it. Yet she knew Sethe’s greatest fear was the same one Denver had in the beginning- that Beloved might leave”.

In these lines we see how Sethe belittled herself and as the result, her self importance diminished to absolutely nothing. In previous lines, it was said to love yourself, your hands, neck etc… As the novel proceeded and Beloved was introduced, Sethe’s obsession has shifted to the figure that of her dead daughter. As Sethe depreciated, Beloved grew and matured due to Sethe’s non-existence. This painted a portrait in my mind of Beloved tall and youthful, shining brighter than anyone. While, Sethe is old and worn out and is looking up to her daughter Beloved that is reborn into something greater. Beloved was portrayed as sucking the life out of Sethe the longer she was around. Sethe felt the need to explain the reason why she killed her daughter over and over again, not to prove to Beloved but to prove to herself. That is a guilt that she never really overcame as she escaped to her freedom. As we saw, she was angry at Baby Suggs for trying to live her life as she prepared a feast. The theory behind why she was mad was because she never really labeled herself as “freed”. In these chapters, we saw Sethe holding onto Beloved tighter than ever and she has let go of Denver because 3 is an odd number and one would always be left out. Sethe has let go of her self worth, her future; as she was fired from her job. She needed to prove that she was never letting go of Beloved ever again.

“Not at Sweet home, my niggers is men every one of em. Bought em thataway, raised em that way. Men every one”

Paul D remembers when Mr Garner would say this about his slaves. Mr Garner treated the slaves at Sweet Home with respect and trust. He even allowed them to work for extra money and use a gun. Most importantly he taught them how to read all things that a regular or free “man” were given. Other slave owners did not grant their slaves such privileges and so Mr Garner regarded himself as a God sent.  This all went away after Mr Garner dies and so the author reminds us that even though Mr Garner treated his slaves differently they were still slaves, tied to the white man’s good will. Regardless of man or woman they were lacking free will and determination.