Category Archives: Project #2

Gallery, Project #2

PROJECT #2 / PART 2

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Beloved Haiku

I may have been beat.
But my duty still remains.
I must provide milk.

What I decide to do for project 2 part 2 is a haiku inserted in a picture of a milk bottle. Now what exactly is a haiku? A haiku is a poem that consists  5 syllables on the first line, 7 on the second, and 5 on the last. This all adds up to 17 syllables.

The pivotal scene I chose for Part 1 of this project was the scene where Sethe was beaten down and had her milk stolen. This scene brought about many events in the story. Without those events, the story would have played differently.

As we know, Sethe developed sort of an obsession to provide her children with her breast milk. When she developed her own milk, all she could think about was giving what she couldn’t have as a child. However at one point of the story, Sethe was attacked by schoolteacher’s nephews and had her milk sucked right out of her (I may have been beat). Although this left a stain in her mind, she still wanted to give. It was her duty (But my duty still remains) and obsession to nurse her children (I must provide milk) Throughout the story we see this obsession and we see that she wanted to be the best mother she could.

For the haiku, I had to think pretty hard on how I wanted to write it. You’re limited to what you can write and there’s a set format you have to follow. I wanted to portray Sethe’s image as a dedicated mother while bringing up the milk robbing incident. As a result, I came up with what you see. To add a bit more creativity, I decided to use a simple image of a milk bottle (It was hard to pick one) and simply edit the haiku text inside it. The milk bottle (which can be seen as a bottle of cow milk) represents in which I believe is the way she was treated. Like most slaves, Sethe was treated poorly and it seemed like she was treated more as a cow than a human. Like a cow who has no control of who takes her milk, Sethe had no control in this situation.

 

 

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Project #2

TRANSFORMING MILK (PROJECT #2 / PART 1)

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Beloved by Toni Morrison is a novel about Sethe’s life and how her past comes back to haunt her in many ways. Sethe as a person has endured many forms of suffering during her slave years. Throughout the story, we see many scenes that contribute highly to the storyline itself. These scenes may even bring up a symbol that will be brought up to the end of the story. Going back to Sethe’s suffering, we see one form of suffering that really carried on throughout the story. That suffering is the moment her milk was stolen from her. Milk played a huge symbol in this story and without the scene that brought up this major symbol, this story would probably be completely different.

The scene I’d like to bring up is a scene that happened in the beginning of the book. On Chapter 1 Page 19 (Red Book), we see a scene that shows the suffering that Sethe withstood. Although a flashback, we hear what happened to Sethe after running away.

“After I left you, those boys came in there and took my milk. That’s what they came here for. Held me down and took it. I told Mrs. Garner on em. She had that lump and couldn’t speak but her eyes rolled out tears.”

To simplify this, Sethe was beaten down by schoolteacher’s nephews and her breast milk was forced from her. This flashback is very important because it starts off the whole milk topic in the story. After reading this, we also see that Sethe was treated poorly and inhumane. In other words, she was treated as a cow and not as a human being. This scene is very important and without it, the story would be different. Sethe’s mindset would be different compared to what we read. Events that flashback to this milk scene would not have happened as well. This scene also brings up the topic of her suffering and how that suffering scarred her. Lastly, as I mentioned before, this scene was a starter that brought about a chain reaction throughout the rest of the story.

Moving on, we go further into the story. The time milk was taken from Sethe by the nephew of school teacher still lingered in the mind of Sethe. It was very traumatizing for her, and with that, I now bring up a scene in Chapter 7 Page 83 (Red Book) of the story.

“There is also my husband squatting by the chum smearing the butter as well as its clabber all over his face because the milk they took is on his mind. And as far as he is concerned, the world may as well know it. and if he was broken then, then he is also and certainly dead now.”

In other words, the incident where milk was taken from Sethe was very traumatizing to not only her but to her husband Halle as well. It was something that both of them couldn’t even take off their minds. It wouldn’t be surprising if many people knew about this incident. This incident put unwanted thoughts in Halle’s mind and he became a Halle we didn’t even know. The single thought of this incident drove him insane. Unfortunately, Halle was never seen again after the butter incident which of course would hit Sethe, his wife at the time, pretty hard. After reading this, we can already assume that Halle is dead. The thought of being a widow is something that she couldn’t really take. This stuck to her even after leaving Sweet Home. This scene is one of those pivotal scenes that resulted from the milk incident because without Halle’s disappearance, Sethe wouldn’t have had a broken heart. She wouldn’t have also recalled this scene many times after thinking about Halle. This scene also enabled Sethe to grow. If it wasn’t for Halle’s disappearance, Sethe wouldn’t have moved on to start rebuilding her family from scratch with Paul D. Going back to the original milk robbing scene, if that scene hadn’t happened, the scene discussed on this paragraph would have not happened which essentially is a novel changing scene.

Later on in the story, we see a Sethe that is more caring towards everyone especially Beloved and Denver. She loved her children which is her duty as a mother. She wanted to give whatever she had to her baby however, we saw earlier in the book that her milk was taken from her which scarred her. This however didn’t stop her from wanting to provide love for her loved ones. This brings up our next quote which can be found on Chapter 8 Page 118 (Red Book).

“There was no question but that she could do it. Just like the day she arrived at 124-sure enough, she had milk enough for all.”

To restate this, there was without a doubt that she could provide for her children. Sethe wanted to provide for her children. Regardless of what happened and what could happen, she wanted to give no matter what. Based on this, we can probably see a development in an obsession towards this one goal. Now what exactly does this have to do with the scene we read on Page 19 (Red Book)? The answer to that is we can see that she shows signs of growth and development since the day her milk was taken from her. She prepared herself to give up everything just to provide her children with her nutrients.

Now I would like to mention other events that happened as a result of the milk incident. As we know, Paul A, Sixo are nowhere to be found. This is because they are dead. The milk scene contributed to their deaths because they died right after Mrs. Garner was notified about the attack. As a result, schoolteacher found out about the grand escape and proceeded to execute them. Another event in the story that resulted in the milk incident was the birth of Denver with the help of Amy Denver. During the escape, an injured Sethe was ready to give birth to Denver. However, Amy Denver found her and proceeded to help out with the delivery thus starting out their trustworthy friendship. The last event I’d like to bring out is the murder of Beloved. The thought of slavery stained Sethe’s mind. She had children and she absolutely did not want to go back and have them deal with it too. Sethe didn’t want her children to be treated like animals and she did not want them to be beaten. As a result, she attempts to kill them but only killing one in the process which we can assume is Beloved.

In conclusion, that one scene from Page 19 (Red Book) played a very important role in the story. The reason why I titled this “Transforming Milk” is because this event transformed Sethe and how the story played out. It enabled Sethe character to grow as a woman and not as the cow she was depicted as during her years as a slave. This scene resulted in many crucial events leading to the end of the story. If the milk scene hadn’t happened, Halle wouldn’t have died, Sethe wouldn’t have grown, Paul A and Sixo wouldn’t have died, Denver wouldn’t have been born properly, and lastly, Sethe wouldn’t have had to kill Beloved. All these events were results from Sethe’s beatdown/robbery. If Sethe wasn’t robbed and beat, these scenes wouldn’t have happened and we would see a completely different, probably more happier story.

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draft, Project #2

Project #2, Part 2 – week 12

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concrete poetry hat

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.

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draft, Project #2, Week 12

The Woods

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woods for english class

The woods and water where Sethe met Denver with the help from Amy Denver. Without that moment 124 would be haunted by someting much more powerful a loving mother that lost time with her family because of the era she was born in

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draft, Project #2, Week 12

With Amy Denver

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We can go into the end of time searching for that one moment that could’ve changed a life’s path. In “Beloved” by Toni Morrison one moment that could’ve changed the story was when Sethe met Amy Denver in the woods. If that moment didn’t happen, if those two women didn’t cross paths than 124 would’ve been haunted by different ghosts. Amy’s arrival was pivotal to Sethe and her unborn child’s survival. Without her who knows what could’ve happened to Sethe in the dark woods, they could’ve been captured by hunters and eaten by snakes. It’s not safe to be without protection in the woods. Amy brought Sethe back to life, she helped her in the most crucial time and helped her get stronger when Sethe needed to the most.

Sethe was tired and weak, she was knocking on deaths door. At the verge of having her child, she screamed and fortunately someone heard her. The scream stopped Amy Denver in her tracks, she heard the painful cry coming from a human. Being a white servant she knew the dangers and risks of helping a Negro. But that didn’t stop her, she was loving and compassionate, we knew this from the way she spoke with her desired velvet and didn’t once intend to report Sethe to the hunters for a reward. Sethe trusted her. (P 91. “Said this girl talked a storm, but there wasn’t no meanness around her mouth”.) Even though she told her that she goes by the name Lu. Sethe had no idea what Amy spoke of, yet she liked hearing about the velvet it texture and different colors. It allowed Sethe to briefly forget the pain and imagine something else.

Amy Kept Sethe breathing and speaking as they continued to walk as far away from danger as they could. Sethe couldn’t go much further (P93. “the fire in her feet and fire on her back made her sweat”) Amy wasn’t going to let her die on her watch so she rubbed Sethe’s swollen feet and aided her wounded back. Amy described the scar as a tree (P 93 “a chokecherry tree”), Amy did the best she could to help soothe Sethe’s pain.

Sethe knew it was time she couldn’t go any further, she knew she was lucky that she had even made it as far as she already did. Sethe pushed out her baby, Amy grabbed the child wrapped her up in her skirt and the three had to move on to a somewhat safe place. Amy eventually departed she had to continue on her originally journey to Boston for her velvet. But before she left she told Sethe to remember her and tell her child the story of Amy Denver. Sethe was so grateful for Miss Amy Denver (P 100 “that’s pretty. Denver. Real pretty.”) The name was so beautiful to Sethe that she named her daughter Denver after her. Sethe will never forget Amy’s sacrifice. She owes Amy her life.

Sethe finally made it safely to her destination with baby Denver. She was so filthy almost unrecognizable. Some time has passed since she last saw her family her 2 boys were growing and her baby girl was already crawling. She was happy and appreciative she was finally complete and a free slave. That young velvet loving white girl risked her own life to keep Sethe and her child alive even if it would’ve been for one more day.

In conclusion without Amy Denver Sethe’s survival wasn’t guaranteed. Amy put her own life in danger helping a runaway slave. They could’ve been hunted and killed, Amy’s compassion kept them going. If Amy would’ve ignored Sethe’s cries or reported her for a reward, the ghost of 124 would’ve been another. Some characters would’ve died and others would’ve survived with Miss Amy Denver. That’s just one moment we could continue looking for other moments that would’ve or could’ve changed the story of “Beloved” by Toni Morrison. The moment of Amy Denver created a balance and kept a mother and child alive.

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draft, Project #2

Beloved Part 2

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WordItOut-word-cloud-817348

For Part 2 of the project i made a word cloud that represented the entire story. I did the entire story because the words that most come up would be a good representation of what the story would be about and who would it go around. The word cloud shows that Sethe is what the story is focused on and it will mostly go around what is happening in her life and all the choices that she makes. The word cloud also tells us which characters are also important and can find what kind of relationship they have with Sethe and the story they have with her. As readers get to read the book and know what meanings such as “baby” and “Beloved” mean they can see the importance they have in the book.

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draft, Project #2

Claimed.

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The need for possession is a reoccurring theme in Beloved that gives readers an insight of the turmoil and pain experienced during the time of slavery. This theme is ironic because as a slave, the characters in the story possessed nothing, being the possession of someone else. There is a need to own something of their own even though they do not even hold possession of themselves. This can be seen in the pivotal passage in Beloved that occurred on pages 192-193 when Paul D finds out what exactly happened in 124 and what Sethe has done in the house. The story of Sethe actually begins with the killing of her own daughter in order to protect her from going back to the Sweet Home under the watch of the schoolteacher. Without this killing, there would not be a haunted house that confined both Sethe and Denver. The ultimate need for possession can be seen with Sethe’s infanticide in order to keep her children for herself.

Sethe justifies her murder by saying, “I stopped him, I took and put my babies where they’d be safe” (Morrison 2004: 193). In this pivotal quote, readers can see that Sethe went to ultimate measures to claim what is hers. She wasn’t willing to give away that claim to the schoolteacher. And now, Beloved will always be hers only, and no one else’s. Only in Sethe’s possession would her children be safe from the schoolteacher and his nephews. This was a pivotal part of the story because it’s what drives all the events that happens afterwards while also explaining the turmoil of slavery to be in possession of someone else and how this turmoil makes you want to hold on even more to that little bit that you do own.

This sort of possession and love was chastised by Paul D when he say, “your love is too thick” (Morrison 2004: 193). Toni Morrison also explains that, “suddenly he saw what Stamp Paid wanted him to see: more important than what Sethe had done was what she claimed” (Morrison 2004: 193). To claim something is dangerous in the slavery world because their claims are never forever and that is why Paul D calls it too thick. Throughout the story, we see the characters trying to claim something. They could never claim anything because they were slaves, they couldn’t even put a claim on themselves. Paul D, Denver, and Beloved wanted to claim Sethe’s love for themselves. They’ve never known what it feels to hold a claim on something and they each have this thirst to finally claim something.

Another claim that can be seen was Sethe’s continuous claim to her daughter after she has died. Sethe gave “ten minutes for seven letters” (Morrison 2004: 5). This stood out to me a lot because it is the first look at how much she loved her children. It never explicitly tells the reader what exactly this line means. But it is implied that she was willing to give the engraver ten minutes of sexual pleasure in exchange for the 7 letters of beloved to be engraved on her baby daughter’s tombstone. It brings to mind the lack of independence Africans had before and after the Civil War. Names are independent for each individual. When her daughter died, she is only referred to as beloved in the story and never by her actual birth name. I feel that beloved is a word of ownership. You have to be someone or something’s beloved. In this way, her daughter will always be hers and will always stay with her.

The possession Sethe claims of her daughter can also be seen when Paul D complains about Sethe babying Denver. When Sethe apologizes for Denver, Paul D says, “It means she has to take it if she acts up. You can’t protect her every minute. What’s going to happen when you die?” (Morrison 2004: 54). In response, Sethe says “Nothing! I’ll protect her while I’m live and I’ll protect her when I ain’t” (Morrison 2004: 54). In this quote, Sethe explains her claim to Denver and how even if Sethe can’t protect Denver physically in person, she will still be able to protect her. This passage foreshadows to Sethe’s claim to beloved and what measures she will take to protect her children. This is why she exclaims that she will protect her daughters no matter what, dead or alive.

No matter how much Sethe tried to claim what is hers, such as her children, she was still claimed by her past as a slave. Paul D says, “It occurred to him that what she wanted for her children was exactly what was missing in 124: safety” (Morrison 2004: 193). In a way, I feel that the author Toni Morrison is telling the readers that no matter how hard Sethe tried to run from the Sweet Home and cruelty of slavery, she will never be able to be a true free woman. She is still claimed and possessed by her past even though she is no longer a slave. This resonates with the readers when thinking about racism and prejudice in the world today. Even though slavery has ended and people are advocating for equality, there is a chance that it may never be achieved no matter how hard we try. Africans will always be possessed by the turmoil their ancestors must’ve felt in slavery, and probably their own turmoil of racism.

The theme of possession is a struggle that can be seen throughout the story between Sethe’s hold on her children and slavery’s hold on Sethe. Of course the beginning of this turmoil is the beginning of slavery, but when Sethe tries to kill all her children in order to put a claim on them, readers are able to understand the pain and thought process of people in the time of slavery. Infanticide can be seen as an exit to slavery, a sort of blessing or safety, for a mother. Sethe believes that death is the only escape for her children to the cruelty to slavery. This allows readers to see the negativities of slavery besides what the naked eye can see such as physical abuse. Slavery is seen as something that is worse than death, something that could affect their kin several generations down. We are still experiencing the aftermath of slavery whether it is racism or prejudices. This brings to mind the question: when will slavery’s possession on civilization ever end?

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draft, Project #2, Uncategorized

The Calm Charmer Proj.2

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Paul D.

To the women is a charmer,

Even with a bit in his mouth; muzzled shut like a dog; he was still attracted by women.

Sethe…she loved some Paul D, don’t get me wrong but if you read between the lines…

Denver jealous. NOT TO MENTION BELOVE!

Beloved was RAW… right under Sethe nose. 

That poor chile was pregnant before you know it…

Paul D.

Still innocent brother of Sixo, Paul A, n Paul F; Sweet Home days have tainted his life forever.

F…the chain gang don’t need em, tramatized the man life-manhood.

Paul D.

Paul D can’t change, 124; Sethe; Denver; Belove.

Paul D.

Still lost he ran away to hide.

Stamp Paid lecture that man to senses; while buttering Sethe passed actions.

Paul D awaken, arrived at 124 Beloved was gone.

Paul D was man again.

 

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Project #2

Beloved

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In the novel Beloved written by Toni Morrison, a character named Sethe killed her first daughter, Beloved, to keep her away from slavery. She wanted to sacrifice all her children’s lives including herself to go onto the other side where her daughter was to get away Sweet Home (slavery). She wanted to keep her children from away that particular life. When Sethe’s daughter died, it broke her and it took a toll on her as if she wasn’t living anymore; the only thing that kept her going was the remaining children that were still alive. One major scene that occurred in the story is when Beloved returned. There was a dramatic change that happen to Sethe, Denver and Paul D’s life. Without her reappearance many events would not have taken place.

In this scene, Sethe realizes the girl she found after the carnival is a reincarnation of her daughter. She is able to put all the clues and hints together she was given from Beloved that she has come back to her.

Flies beat me to you. I would have known right away who you was when the sun blotted out your face the way it did when I took you to the grape arbor. I would have known at once when my water broke. The minute I saw you sitting on the stump, it broke. And when I did see your face it had more than a hint of what you would look like after all these years. I would have known who you were right away because the cup after cup of water you drank proved and connected to the fact that you dribbled clear spit on my face the day I got to 124… Otherwise I would have seen my fingernail prints right there on your forehead for all the world to see. From when I held your head up, out in the shed. And later on, when you asked me about the earrings I used to dangle for you to play with, I would have recognized you right off, except for Paul D. (Ch. 20 P.115 PDF)

When Sethe found Beloved by the grape arbor in the hot sun all day, right away Sethe had to use the bathroom to urinate. This was a symbol that showed what took place in the past when she had given birth to Beloved. It was as though Beloved was born again. This was an emblem of new life where Sethe gets the opportunity to live the life she had missed with her daughter Beloved. She explains she should have realized who Beloved was ever since the day she had given birth to her. She should have had a thought of what she should look like as Beloved got older. When it came down to the little things Beloved had done, when she dribbled clear spit on her face that should’ve given her a hint. That was an example of what babies do. However she was distracted by Paul D convincing her that Beloved was not her daughter. If it wasn’t for him, she would have figured it out by putting the clues together. Especially when it came down to Beloved asking Sethe about the earring she had in the past, on what she used as a toy to play with (Ch. 6 P.34 PDF). She should have known because not everyone knew about these things.

When the author states “flies beat me to you’, the author uses imagery on how long it took Sethe to realize the girl they found, Beloved, was her daughter she had killed. This quote shows a symbol of death with Beloved and Sethe. When Sethe killed her daughter, due to slavery, there was a part of Sethe that had died too. With Beloved coming back into the picture, all the thoughts that Sethe push to the back of her head were coming to reality. Beloved reincarnated is driving Sethe to face reality. The author shows a memory where Sethe has given birth to Beloved and reminisces about the things she has done when she was younger as if Sethe is given another chance to live again and be the mother she would have been.

In another scene, Beloved notices how close Paul D is with Sethe. It seems she does not like this and Beloved tries to do everything in her power to break them up.

SHE MOVED HIM. Not the way he had beat off the baby’s ghost–all bang and shriek with windows smashed and icily iars rolled in a heap. But she moved him nonetheless, and Paul D didn’t know how to stop it because it looked like he was moving himself. Imperceptibly, downright reasonably, he was moving out of 124.

Paul D stop sleeping in the same bed as Sethe. Beloved shifted his sleeping area in many different place from the rocker by the stove, Baby Suggs bed, until he was out onto the shed. He kept on moving because the place he was before was uncomfortable. This resulted in him not being able to manage to stay in one particular spot. It was as though she had ghostly powers over him taking control of him, not allowing him to move himself. However, there was not any evidence to show that Beloved was causing this problem. Every move he made was made as if he was doing it on his own, making his own decisions but he knew that was not the case. He knew Beloved played a big role of whatever unfamiliar thing that was going on with him, he just didn’t have a way to prove it.

Even though the author does not reveal if Beloved is the one playing a part of these bad situations that is happening to Paul D, none of these things would most likely not have occurred if Beloved never came into town.

Beloved dropped her skirts as he spoke and looked at him with empty eyes. She took a step he could not hear and stood close behind him. “She don’t love me like I love her. I don’t love nobody but her.” “Then what you come in here for?” “I want you to touch me on the inside part.” “Go on back in that house and get to bed.” “You have to touch me. On the inside part. And you have to call me my name.” …”Call me my name.” “No.” “Please call it. I’ll go if you call it.” (CH.11 P.67-68 PDF)

Beloved asks Paul D for him to sleep with her asking him to touch her on the inside part. I feel that Beloved is requesting this from Paul D because it would allow Sethe to love her more, as much as she loves her by breaking Paul D and Sethe apart. If this happens and Sethe finds out, he would not be able to come back into 124. With all of this happening, it causes Paul D to feel like he is not a man.

“Well, ah, this is not the, a man can’t, see, but aw listen here, it ain’t that, it really ain’t, Ole Garner, what I mean is, it ain’t a weak- ness, the kind of weakness I can fight ’cause ’cause something is happening to me, that girl is doing it, I know you think I never liked her nohow, but she is doing it to me. Fixing me. Sethe, she’s fixed me and I can’t break it.”…”Sethe, you won’t like what I’m ’bout to say.”…”Well, say it, Paul D, whether I like it or not.” Since he could not say what he planned to, he said something he didn’t know was on his mind. “I want you pregnant, Sethe. Would you do that for me?” (CH.13 P.72-73 PDF)

In this quote, Paul D is reciting to himself what exactly he going to say to Sethe when she gets off of work at the restaurant. He wanted to have a clean slate with Sethe by telling the truth on what was going on. He wants her to know that Beloved is making him sleep with her and is removing his manly ways. He could not stand up for himself.  And sadly enough he was not able to man up enough to tell Sethe the truth about Beloved. Instead, he tells her he wants her pregnant.

Sethe became obsessed with Beloved wanted to give Beloved the world. She spends her last dime on her just to make up for old times. It was mandatory for her to please Beloved and if Beloved did not get her way, hell broke loose.

Anything she wanted she got, and when Sethe ran out of things to give her, Beloved invented desire. (Ch.26 P.135 PDF)

She would have never have been able to play the mother with her daughter Beloved. Although she had three other children to be a mother to, after infanticide her daughter, it was as though she had died and had nothing else to live for. By giving the chance to see and be with her daughter again. She was able to make up for the lost years. However, it ends up costing a lot on her part. She became obsessed with living by her daughter’s rule. She ends up losing her job and not being able to support her family anymore. Whatever Beloved asked or want it was given. This leads her second daughter Denver out to seek work by going back to her teacher asking for a job so she can be able to manage and provide for her family.

Somebody had to be saved, but unless Denver got work, there would be no one to save, no one to come home to, and no Denver either. It was a new thought, having a self to look out for and preserve. (Ch.26 P.142 PDF)

With Beloved’s return, it allowed Denver to grow and to mature into a young woman by taking on responsibility. She is doing everything that she could to help her mother and Beloved. Whenever food was given to them from a neighbor, she would share amongst them to eat. Denver knows something needed to be done in order for her mom to survive. Beloved was slowly killing her mother. According to this quote, if Denver never went out to help provide for her family, they would die. In that case, there would be no one to take care of.

If Beloved would have never came back into Sethe’s life, Sethe would not have had the second chance of playing a mother role to Beloved. With Beloved returning, Sethe is forced to remember her past. There’s a slight chance of her having less guilt because she is able to explain to her daughter what she had done, even though Beloved never questioned her about the situation once. When Beloved was gone, it was like she was dead, Sethe wanted to be with Beloved, however she knew she had kids that she needed to be there for too. Now with Beloved’s reappearance, this is like a new life and new beginning to Sethe to make up for everything she had missed or lost.

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draft, Project #2

Project#2 – Draft ( Beloved)

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Beloved

Project#2 –Draft

In the novel Beloved written by Toni Morrison, Sethe was the main character of the novel a former slave who escaped from the Kentucky plantation, Sweet Home, with her children to Cincinnati, Ohio where the pivotal scene of the novel occurred when her slave owner came to recapture her and her children. Sethe attempted to kill all her children, but succeed in killing one her two year old daughter, in order to prevent them taken back to Kentucky and lived as slaves.  If she did not murder her child, the whole novel would lead to a different direction.   No one would take the life of one’s own child, if there were not enough reasons to make such a tough decision and terrible act. I think the scene that Sethe’s slaying of her daughter is vital because which reflect the whole novel of before and after her action and it was also embedded with the courage and the powerful love of a mother and the cruelties of the slavery.

Sethe was the kind of mother who loves her child and wanted to give the best of her which she felt was her milk. She was very upset and angry when her owner Mrs. Gardner’s brother in law, a schoolteacher; and his two nephews took her milk just before she tried to escape from Sweet Home. She explained Paul D who also was a slave worked together with Sethe in Sweet Home came and met her in Cincinnati that, “After I left you, those boys came in there and took my milk. That’s what they came in there for. Held me down and took it” (19).  Instead of getting angry and mad for she was held down and felt the pain of the sexual assault that she received from her owner, she got angry for them for taken her milk which she thought her milk was her best and valuable things that she wanted to keep and give only to her children not others. Therefore, she repeatedly told Paul D that “And they took my milk …And they took my milk” (20).  Sethe was showing the deepest love of a mother to her child to give the best of her which  supported her action that she used her best ability to protect her children from taken back to Sweet Home and living as slaves that Sethe believe was hell.

Cruelty of the slavery did not stop for Sethe after her milk had been taken and she was beaten with the cowhide while she was pregnant with her second daughter. She told Paul D that “Schoolteacher made one open up my back and when it closed it made a tree. It grows there a still” (20). That is why she said that she had a tree on her back which actually what she meant was the scar of the wound that left after she was beaten by her owner.  She described the tree to Paul D as “A chokecherry tree. Trunk, branches, and even leaves. Tiny little chokecherry leaves. But that was eighteen years ago. Could have cherries too now for all I know” (18).  The scar on her back always reminded her of the painful experiences of being a slave and traumatized her of taken back her and her children to Sweet Home and stay as slaves again.

                One reason that Sethe killed her daughter is that she knew the painful experience of a slave and she had also enjoyed and experienced the life of freedom for twenty eight days in 124, therefore, she knew the experience of both  and  she knew which would be the best for her children.  Later she wanted to explained Beloved why she killed her (child) that

“That anybody white could take your whole self for anything that came to mind. Not just work, kill, or maim you, but dirty you. Dirty you so bad you couldn’t like yourself anymore. And though she and others lived through and got over it, she could never let it happen to her own. The best things she was, was her children. Whites might dirty her all right, but not her best thing, her beautiful, magical best thing — the part of her that was clean.” (295)

Sethe said that being a slave was not only simply about the terrible work that has to work, but can take whole self of you for whatever came up in the mind of the white. They can kill you, hurt you and dirt you. She meant” dirt “was literally rape you or invade your private part and you felt yourself as no longer clean, but she said she and other slaves lived through with it. Her children were her best things and she would not allow her children to become slaves and dirty them. That was her decision to take the clean life of her daughter to protect from dirtying which she believed was far worse than dying once.

All the painful experiences and the traumas that Sethe had in her past pushed her to make such a terrible decision and created such a cruel and vital scene of the whole novel to take the life of her own children.

Inside, two boys bled in the sawdust and dirt at the feet of a nigger woman holding a blood-soaked child to her chest with one hand and an infant by the heels in the other. She did not look at them; she simply swung the baby toward the wall planks, missed and tried to connect a second time, when out of nowhere… (175)

Sethe killed her one daughter and held her to the chest, wounded her two sons and held the baby (Denver) by the heel and swung to the wall of the woodshed.  I can imagine the hatred, courage and the love of a mother from this quote. Sethe’s  hatred of her slave owners who traumatized her in past  came to get her and her children and the courage that she showed the comer that she would kill all to prevent them from taken back to Sweet Home. She was holding one to her chest, one by heel and two lying by her feet, to protect them from taken back.

In conclusion, Sethe’s action of killing her child might not be acceptable and might be disgusting, but the love she had for her children is powerful. The later scene of the novel is occurred due to the fact of her dead daughter.  In other words, there would not be the baby ghost who haunted Sethe’s house, her two sons, Howard and Bugler would not run away. Sethe and her younger daughter Denver would not isolated in their own home and Paul D would not horrify and leave Sethe, and Sethe would not be so obsessed with Beloved who believed to be embodied spirit of Sethe’s dead daughter. That is why I think this scene is vital to the whole novel.

Work cited

Morrison, Toni.  Beloved.  New York:  Alfred  A. Knopf, 1998.  Print.

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