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Beloved by Toni Morrison is pregnant with infanticide. The story takes place in post-Civil War Ohio. The main character is Sethe, a runaway from her owner, who is a schoolmaster from Kentucky. Sethe escapes, giving birth to her fourth child on a boat. Having sent her other children ahead to be with their grandmother, Sethe meets up with them and lives "twenty-eight days of freedom." Once the schoolmaster comes to claim his property, Sethe goes mad and tries to kill all her children and herself. It would be better than the bonds of slavery, and she'd put her "babies where they'd be safe."
Beloved reveals to Denver who she really is and her motive. She admits she's from "down there," where it was cold, and she came back "to see her face...She the one I have to have." Beloved recounts (to Denver) her mother leaving her behind...by herself and alone. This living spirit is angry for being left behind, being snuffed out before her time. Beloved is one of the infants that were animalistically murdered by their mother, Sethe. Sethe finally discovers Beloved is her daughter when the girl hums a song that Sethe had made up (and only sang to her children). Then, she notices the slit scar on Beloved's throat, from when Sethe stole her life. Beloved wants to know everything (about her parents, her grandmother, and herself), demanding justification for such an evil act. The spirit is restless and wants to make her mother pay. Beloved, to get even, forces herself on Paul D, impregnating herself in the process. Paul, unable to deal with his own guilt, leaves. Sethe devotes herself completely to the ghost of her murdered child, likely feeling guilt. Denver has jealousy pangs and sees Beloved's manipulation of her mother. The spirit begins to feed off of Sethe's health, and she falls ill. An apparition of her grandma, who tells her to "go out yonder," encourages Denver to get out and seek help. Denver looks for work in town and baskets of food begin to appear on their fence. Women from town show up and pray out loud for them, saying that the good ones should stay dead. Sethe, Denver, and all the parishioners that were present watched Beloved, naked and almost full-term, disappearing before their eyes. Denver says it all when she comments about Beloved, "I think she was Momma." Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Toni Morrison's Beloved in Essays on American Literature is owned by Audrey McCrone. Permission to republish Toni Morrison's Beloved in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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