Group 1

Group 1: Giulia Russell, Meaghan Pickles, Negusu Hizkias, and Gage Battles

In Beloved by Toni Morrison, Morrison shapes the story through each character’s personal internal struggle. Beloved is incredible in its ability to shape each character solely by how Sethe, Denver, Paul D, and Beloved feel of one another through their painful pasts and their present lives together.

Denver’s character is incredibly interesting because of the connection she has to Sethe. Sethe’s past is hidden from her, yet she yearns to hear all of it. The brutality of slavery and the things Sethe went through constantly haunt her, literally. Sethe describes Denver by saying, “Years of haunting had dulled her in ways you wouldn’t believe and sharpened her in ways you wouldn’t believe either” (Morrison 117). The haunting of Denver’s baby sister in 124 caused people to isolate the house. These years of solitude “dulled” Denver however they also “sharpened” Denver’s character. After Howard and Buglar ran away, Denver thinks, “she did not wonder why Howard and Buglar had run away. She did not agree with Sethe that they left because of the ghost” (Morrison 121). Denver found that the ghost present in 124 was haunting them because of something horrendous that happened in Sethe’s past.  Denver was “sharpened” because her mother’s past lingers in every aspect of her life. The darkness of the past scares Denver yet with every page she slowly uncovers her mother’s painful past.

Sethe is a character both emotionally guarded and wrought with vulnerability. Although earlier in the novel it is clear that she has voluntarily and painfully removed herself from the obligations of loving her children, Beloved seems to create a solid dent in the wall she has built up over time. When Paul D is suspicious of Sethe keeping Beloved in their home, saying, “‘It’s clear why she holds on to you, but I just can’t see why you holding on to her’”, Sethe replies sharply, “‘What do you care who’s holding on to who?’” (80), insinuating that there is a wealth of history and a well of emotion just below her hardened surface. The birthing scene, as described by Denver to Beloved, acutely displays Sethe’s resilience in what initially appears to be guaranteed death. Not even Sethe seems to understand why her survival is important, and yet she claws her way through the terror of a cold, unforgiving night to give birth to Denver: “Sethe couldn’t think of anywhere to go but in. She waited for the sweet beat that followed the blast of pain” (98). Sethe has endured unimaginable pain in her life, and with each page it becomes more clear what this pain has made her capable of.

Paul D is another captivating character from Beloved. He was enslaved with Sethe before they escaped and while she was committed to his friend Halle, he shared a bond with her simply because of the atrocities they endured together. Paul D’s presence is significant because while providing comfort, he simultaneously serves as a reminder of a past that Sethe is constantly trying to escape. Paul represses most of his memories and feelings so that he “still has some love to give to the next person”. While an upsetting practice, one would think that this type of detachment was common in that time period because it was hard to know if the people you care about would be gone the next day. Paul D is a character with a deep background and one that I look forward to learning about as we read on.

Beloved is one of the most complex characters in this story. It was clear she was to be a complex character after introducing herself as Beloved, the same name that was given to Sethe’s first child that was murdered. Beloved has a weird infatuation for Sethe and whenever she talks to Denver, she only wants to talk about Sethe’s past. I believe that Beloved is the return of Sethe’s first child as well as an embodiment of Sethe and Paul D’s past. For example, in the scene where Beloved forces herself on Paul D and tells him to “you have to call me my name”, she forces Paul D to acknowledge her which causes a can of worms to be opened for Paul D. She told him to call her by name so that he would be forced to acknowledge her because Sethe has been ignoring the possibility that Beloved is her daughter. Another interesting scene is when Sethe is strangled by Beloved by the river. After being accused of strangling Sethe, Beloved claimed that it wasn’t she who strangled Sethe, but the “iron circle” referring to the collars that bound slaves.