When reading Beloved I would constantly asked myself why Beloved was obsessed with Sethe. Like many other readers I am lead to believe that Beloved is the dead baby of Sethe. Beloved came already knowing things about Sethe that even Denver was unaware of. It is understandable for Beloved to be really interested in her family, but why be interested in only Sethe? Why not ask about her brothers or father? Why not get close to or care about Denver? Why is she only really interested in Sethe?
I believe that Beloved is obsessed with Sethe because Beloved does not want to Sethe to forget what she did to Beloved before she was Beloved. Before Paul D came, everybody's lives in 124 were revolved around the dead baby haunting the house. The dead baby was constantly causing a ruckus and was haunting Sethe both physically and mentally. Denver enjoyed the dead baby around the house and Sethe's two sons left 124 because they were unable to withstand the haunting. The dead baby was definitely not forgotten and was thought about most likely everyday.
It was not until Paul D came that things began to change. Paul scared the spirit of the baby and stopped the haunting. When Paul D came Sethe changed as well, she was not frozen in time as much as she used to be. She began to move forward. Denver, Paul D, and Sethe went to a carnival and actually enjoyed themselves for once.
"They were not holding hands, but their shadows were. Sethe looked to her left and all three of them were gliding over the dust holding hands.... Nobody noticed but Sethe and she stopped looking after she decided that it was a good sign. A life.... Sethe returned the smiles she got. Denver was swaying with delight. And on the way home, Although leading them now, the shadows of three people still held hands.(56-57)"
Right when Sethe began to forget and live life Beloved popped up at the doorstep of 124. Don't you believe it's a little suspicious that right when Sethe began to forget the dead baby, Beloved comes? I do not think that this is coincidental. In Beloveds first few days at 124 she also said, "She is the one. She is the one I need. You can go but she is the one I have to have.(89)"
Beloved is not allowing Sethe to forget. When Sethe found out who Beloved truly is, the dead baby, Beloved places guilt in Sethe. "Sethe was trying to make up for the handsaw; Beloved was making her pay for it.(295)" Beloved began to get bigger and bigger to the point where " her belly [was] protruding like a winning watermelon.(295)" Sethe began to get skinnier and taller. It seems as though Beloved is sucking the life out Sethe, and Sethe is allowing Beloved to with the guilt. It is not until Mr. Bodwin comes that things change.
One day when Mr. Bodwin comes, a white man, Sethe see's him and thinks that Mr. Bodwin is trying to take her children away again. Instead of killing beloved again, she decides to try and kill a white man. If Sethe had succeeded in killing Mr. Bodwin she would have been killed. The fact that she is willing to sacrifice herself in order to save Beloved made Beloved forgive Sethe and leave the house.
I also think that Beloved was trying to torture Sethe for forgetting about Beloved and for killing her. I don't think that Sethe could ever forget about killing her daughter. I enjoyed reading your blog post.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maxine it is impossible for someone to forget about that incident i mean how could you? It was her daughter. Although in her mind it was a good reason, but you cant just erase that. It a memory that will stay there forever. I LOVED reading this blog. you also have really good evidence
ReplyDeleteAnother way of interpreting this is by seeing Beloved as the Id of Sethe. There is an id which is the bad of a person, an ego which is the person himself and the superego being the good in the person. Its kind of like the little angel and the little devil you see on people's shoudlers in cartoons. I believe Beloved is the Id or the bad that keeps haunting Sethe in the present and that Denver is the Superego or the good that came from Sethe's past. Aside from that, I completely agree with Beloved haunting Sethe, good analysis!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the most thorough and well thought out posts I've read, it really shows how deeply you are looking at the book. I also like the perspective that your lens puts on these events. My lens, the marxist lens, gives me a completely different perspective and it is interesting to hear what you think about it.
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