Daily Archives: April 14, 2013

Sethe’s experiences give us a hint as to why she ended up taking her daugher’s life

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No one can conclude if what Sethe did to her baby was the right thing to do or not. However, we can see how Sethe reaches her decision to kill her baby rather than have herself and her children deal with the tragic life of slavery again through her reflections.

When Paul D visited Sethe and the two talked in the kitchen, Sethe told Paul D about the time a “school teacher” and his nephews raped her. She explains to Paul D how they took her milk and beat her with cowhide while she was pregnant and made a “tree” on her back.

In the chapter starting on pg. 28 and also the chapter starting on pg. 74, The recollection of Sethe’s escape and details of her delivery was described through Denver’s mind. Sethe runs away wandering around through the woods while being six months pregnant with “her feet which were so swollen she could not see her arch or feel her ankles.” The delivery of Denver was very hard and the The pain and fear that Sethe faced must have been beyond imagination.

After overcoming these horrible experiences of slavery, she finally started her new life with Baby Suggs and her children. After her escape and overcoming all of the previous experiences she went through, Sethe was very pleased to be able to raise her children on her own.

In my opinion after reading all of Sethe’s recollections and experiences of her slave life and attempted escape, it is kind of understandable to me why she would kill her baby. After experiencing a little amount of freedom and then being caught again and forced back into slavery, she doesn:t want her children going through the same experiences she went through and to be treated like merchandise. At the same time she doesn’t particularly want to kill her own child but in the end that is the decision she chooses.

Memory: Bringing two stories together, forming the truth.

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In this story so far, Sethe did not know why Halle did not comply with her in leaving Sweet Home. Later on, we see Paul D comes into the picture and ends up staying with Sethe. In an argument about Paul D pressing Beloved for information about how and where she came from, Halle’s name comes up. Paul D ends up telling the truth about Halle, filling up the mystery that Sethe was trying to figure out. So we see that Halle, actually witnessed what happened to Sethe and how instead of intervening, his heart was shattered and like, his entire psyche was broken. Who else wouldn’t be heart-broken of seeing their wife being treated like that, the schoolteacher stealing her milk must have been the worst that had him shut out and not being able to go escape with Sethe. Afterwards, Paul D saw him sitting ‘blankly’ by a butter churn. He had smeared butter all over his face. At the time, Paul D was ignorant of the events in the barn and thus wondered what had caused this breakdown in Halle. But Paul D could not physically form the words to ask him because he had an iron bit in his mouth. At first, Sethe was mad that Halle did not intervene but that’s when Paul D explained to her.

It is always tragic to witness someone you love being raped, being treated like that. In this case, he was really broken down to the point that he could not even escape out of there with Sethe, leaving her while she goes alone, pregnant. Also, on her part, she did not know the actual truth, making her resent Halle these past eighteen years that she has been away. I believe it was good that Paul D filled in the blanks about the past and set them right.

Why does Sethe go to the Clearing? To connect with Baby Suggs

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Sethe feels that she needs to go to the clearing where Baby Suggs is going to preach. Baby Suggs does not give a preach but tells black individuals to be themselves to love, dance, smile and to love their bodies. Sethes decides to go there to show appreciation to Halle but also she feels as she has to find common interests with Baby Suggs spirits. It then comes to her mind that Baby suggs passed away in anguish, sorrow and poisoned by the whites without any hope for the future. When Amy had departed and Sethe was by herself, she walked until she discovered a black man with two young boys. The black man was Stamp paid who gave her material goods such as eel and and a coat so she can carry her young one. He had left her at a station by herself, where a woman named Ella had come to pick her up from the station. Ella bought Sethe to Baby Suggs. Baby Suggs gave Sethe a bath. Slowly Sethe began her life as a free woman. Sethe had finally seen her third child since she sent her with the railroad. Sethe was very happy that she was free now as a slave she felt as if it was still a dream. When Sethe was at the clearing with Denver and Beloved, Sethe tries to feel Baby Suggs existence. Sethe has all these imaginary thoughts and feelings about Baby Suggs. Sethe also decides she wants Paul D back in her life.