This image of a hat is a representation of what can be described as the trigger that set Sethe in motion and led her to gather her children and take them to the woodshed where she felt they would be safe. In the woodshed the most pivotal moment in the novel occurred. She managed to kill her first daughter on whose headstone the word, “Beloved,” the only word she could afford was inscribed.
It was by chance that Sethe was squatting in the garden and manage to see Schoolteacher’s hat hovering above the garden fence before he saw her. She knew his presence there, at the house at 124 Bluestone could mean only one thing, a return to slavery for her and her children. Sethe had experienced slavery and knew its harsh realities. She knew what it was like to be beaten, treated and classified as an animal and not able to love anything or anyone for fear they could be separated and killed or sold at any time. Noticing the hat before the wearer saw her gave her a head start that changed the course of her life and that of her family. Her mind and body worked at high speed, pushing, shoving and dragging her children into the woodshed. Then she lost all rationality, “no, no, nonono,” she repeated as she made the decision that death was safer than slavery for her and her children. That was the worse decision of her life. This is because after that unfortunate day, not only did she have to live with her conscience she also had to live in a house haunted by the baby, endured being shunned by the towns people and the loss of her two sons who ran away from her. Her worst suffering came when Beloved the reincarnation of the dead baby returned for revenge.
The hat is a great shape for the words to take since it is such a powerful trigger, both in how it jolts Sethe into action and in what it prompts her to do. The hat, though, is described as white. I wonder if you could try something like what one of your classmates did, or if you could even invert the colors so that the space is black and the words that take the shape of the hat are white. Do you think that’s important in representing the hat and the passage?
Hi Professor, I changed the hat to red and left the letters in black. However I was unable to bring it onto my post. The open lab site is not user friendly for me. I spent, (I am ashamed to say hours), trying to put the new colored image onto my post, but was unsuccessful.
I’m so sorry you had so much difficulty. Please know that I never intended for the upload to take so much time! If you want to meet me before class, I can help you upload it. Please bring the file with you and we’ll get it uploaded.