Blog #3 - Character Analysis

The protagonist in Beloved is a strong African American women named Sethe. Sethe played many roles throughout her life including, slave, mother, wife, companion, and daughter-in-law. Her most classifying characteristic is her devotion to her children. She would do anything for them in order to make sure that their lives would not turn out like hers was. Unfortunately, her strong sense of motherly love and protection over her children led to almost murdering them to save them. Although others looked down upon her for this and disapproved, Sethe is still a very respectable woman. Her children were her life and this was extremely evident when Beloved came back as a real person. Sethe devoted all her time and cares to Beloved doing everything in her power to please her. Also, Sethe got her children off the slave plantation and then even made it up north herself, pregnant and alone. After being abused, violated, and whipped profusely, Sethe had the strength to make it to freedom on her own. There was so many aspects of her past life that could’ve made a normal person break down, but not Sethe. She put them behind her and didn’t let it get in the way of her living until the very end. That one woman endured so many obstacles and hardships in her life and found a way to overcome them. Even when times seemed like the couldn’t get any worse, Sethe was still chugging along. Although not necessarily by choice, Sethe was also a very independent woman. She escaped the plantation without knowing her husband’s whereabouts. On top of that, she lived without him the rest of her life, and still stayed strong when her support, Baby Suggs, died. She wasn’t afraid of much because she had been through what she thought was the worst. In the end, Sethe’s past gets the best of her and succumbs her life as she waits on Beloved hand and foot. She becomes stuck in an oppressive state and is unable to shake it unless she confronts the past and accepts it for what it was. All in all, Sethe had to deal with some horrific things yet she made the best of it and fought to get by.

Blog #2 - Repetition

Throughout the novel, Beloved, the author uses a lot of repetition. Morrison throws in repetition in lines, phrases, or just single words. When she uses this technique, the same words often appear within a few pages. It first became most apparent when referring to the dead baby in the past. The baby was designated the name “crawling already? girl”. The name of the crawling already? girl was never mentioned so instead, this titled was given to her. It served as something more than just a name to call her though. The use of repetition for this particular aspect of the story really emphasized the fact that this girl was a significant character and had a major impact on the other characters. All three of Sethe’s other children had normal names and were referred to by them. This child was an exception though, which made her stand out amongst the others hinting that something was unusual with her. Another section of the book where repetition is heavily used is the chapter coming from Beloved’s point of view (pg. 248-253). In this chapter, Beloved repeats many different lines over and over again to display her obsession with Sethe. One major line restated by Beloved was, “I am Beloved and she is mine.” The final use of repetition that really stood out amongst others was in the last few pages. The novel was wrapping up and at least three times sprinkled throughout, the line, “It was not a story to pass on” appeared. I think the author’s use of this line multiple times really drives the story home. It stated that the story was not very pleasant and it would be better off forgotten. The characters were trying to erase the memories of anything that happened and Morrison stressed the fact that the story should not be shared. The use of repetition made it clear as day that if they wanted to forget, they needed the story to be out of their lives. I also think it was a creative way to show that this was not a “happily ever after” story. Repetition was a technique used all throughout the novel to emphasize key points and make sure the reader couldn’t miss them. It was crucial in order to fully understand the story being told.

Blog #1 - Structure

Toni Morrison used a unique structural style when composing the novel, Beloved. This book was different because unlike most stories that are told from beginning to end, this one incorporated many different levels of the past as well as the present day. The novel takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1870s but frequently flashes back to the Sweet Home plantation in the 1850s where the characters worked as slaves and managed to escape from. The past is told through flashbacks, in stories, or just speaking from one character to another. Beloved is structured in fragments, feeding the reader bits and pieces of essential information to place together. The stories of the past were significant to understanding what was going on in the present and to realize what motivated the characters’ actions, words, and thoughts. It is almost as though two stories are being told in one book and at the end it all comes together. The tied in snippets of the past to the present are a reminder that the past is alive in the present. Morrison’s style made it critical for the readers to put the segments together to fully grasp the story she was trying to tell. The transition from present to past is purposely smooth so that it is difficult to apprehend at times. The reminiscing to the past immediately begins on the first day when Paul D shows up on Sethe’s doorstep (pg 7). The reader is introduced to their earlier lives at the Sweet Home plantation and get a little taste of their history yet so much is left unsaid. It’s not until almost the end of the book when the full story is clinched. In order to get to that point though, the story is made up of a continually changing point of view. All the characters tell parts of the story whether it be past or present to allow the reader grasp all aspects of the novel. The switching narrators was the most visible towards the end of the book where every couple pages the reader was introduced to a different point of view. At this point, the speaker would come right out and say who they were. It started with “Beloved, she my daughter”, “Beloved is my sister”, and finally “I am Beloved” (pg. 237-239). Morrison turned away from strict narrative and used a particular structure and style to get the story across.