    (c) 1991 Bureau Development, Inc.

    File: \DP\0134\01344.TXT         Mon Jun 26 15:39:14 1995
Database: Monarch Notes By Literary Period


$Unique_ID{MON01344}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Works of Toni Morrison
Beloved: Part 3}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Morrison, Toni}
$Affiliation{Free-Lance Writer, Formerly Associate Editor, New York Daily Challenge}
$Subject{sethe
sethe's
baby
suggs
sense
beloved
morrison
paul
chapter
community}
$Date{}
$Log{}
Title:       Works of Toni Morrison
Book:        Beloved
Author:      Morrison, Toni
Critic:      Branch, Eleanor
Affiliation: Free-Lance Writer, Formerly Associate Editor, New York Daily Challenge

Beloved: Part 3

In the Back of Baby Suggs' Mind ...

Structure.

     Morrison's use of exposition to fill in the pieces leading up to Sethe's
infanticide heightens the suspense. The exposition separates a moment of calm
in the story from a major plot development.

Characterization.

     Baby Suggs comes further into focus as we gain insight into her
impressions and reactions to slavery and freedom. She is a strong and kind
woman, and her power, like her sorrow at never knowing her children or
herself, is unquestionable. Her role is an important one. Her presence
dominates the book because, more than anyone else, she raises the issue of
identity, of self-love and self-possession. She also has the kind of wisdom
and good-heartedness that symbolizes Morrison's reverence for the
ancestor-elder. That is her power and she manifests it in her ability to
stretch so little food into so much.

     In marked contrast to Sethe, Baby Suggs is stoic and realistic, attitudes
that find their home in her perception of motherhood. She is also psychic,
relying on her senses as a means of understanding and interpreting the
environment.

     Additionally, this chapter provides another view of Stamp Paid, who is
obviously a kind, sensitive, and generous man, and of the community, which
responds as a chorus in their feelings of rage and jealousy at what they
perceive to be Baby Suggs' arrogance and excess.

     Also introduced in this chapter are Mr. Garner, the owner of Sweet Home;
the Bodwins, an abolitionist brother and sister; and Janey Wagon, the Bodwins'
young housekeeper.

Theme.

     One of the key themes in the novel is the effect slavery has on
"personhood" and motherhood. Baby Suggs is one example, Sethe is another. Yet,
it is Baby Suggs who, for Morrison, represents the embodiment of that
struggle. She writes, "And no matter, for the sadness was at her center, the
desolated center where the self that was no self made its home." This
statement reflects the psychological trauma slavery has inflicted upon a
people and how they manage to remain people, to define themselves in ways that
are meaningful. Out of Baby Suggs' own experience comes the wisdom of the
Clearing.

     Baby Suggs, who represents the ancestor-elder theme as well as the
supernatural, is ubiquitous. Her dual presence in the book is witnessed in her
interaction with other characters, albeit as a function of memory, and in her
spiritual, beyond-the-grave contribution to their lives. This treatment
underscores the sense of continuity Morrison establishes between the past and
the present. One cannot exist without some integration of the other.

     The role of community is also an issue of thematic concern. Baby Suggs'
neighbors become angry at her generosity and respond accordingly. They are
vengeful in their decision not to warn the household about the posse coming
for Sethe and her children. Yet, this is only one side of a complex
institution. In later chapters, the community will be as supportive as it once
was vengeful.

Realism.

     Realism crowds the novel as evidence of slavery's abuses are revealed.
Morisson's perspective-the slave perspective-adds a new dimension to
historical facts. In this chapter she delves into the familial relations of
slaves, their feelings about the marriages they entered, and their need to
find family members separated by slavery. A free slave's first magical moments
are also described. (Baby Suggs laughs because she can feel her heart
beating.)

     Also important is the idea and role of religion. The African Methodist
Episcopal Church, founded by Bishop Richard Allen, played a tremendous role in
the lives of black people. It was the first national organization created by
blacks and became a nationwide symbol of power and hope.

Simile and metaphor.

     Several instances of wordplay must be noted. The first is Morrison's use
of simile: "berries that tasted like church." The second is her symbolic use
of the word "rue": "Carefully with the blade at just the right angle, she
[Baby Suggs] cut through a stalk of insistent rue." Rue has two meanings; it
is an herb, but it also means sorrow or remorse. Baby Suggs' action becomes an
omen. She will not be able to cut through the sorrow she or the community
feels as a result of Sethe's act of infanticide.

Biblical allusion.

     The three pies that "grew to ten maybe twelve" and the two hens that
"became five turkeys" are reminiscent of the Bible story about Jesus taking
two fish and five loaves of bread and feeding 5,000 people. This is miracle
work, and the image points up the resentment of the community and provides
them with reason enough to warn Baby Suggs and Sethe about the approach of
Schoolteacher and the slave catcher.

Sense stimuli.

     The sense of smell for Baby Suggs telegraphs the condemnation of the
community and beyond that something "dark and coming." Until now the senses
have been used to reflect personal, internal conflict. Their power is extended
now to the external. Baby Suggs feels something is wrong because one of her
senses tells her so. Interesting is the juxtaposition of the others against
olfaction-what she sees and feels purports no danger initially. At the end,
however, she is "smelling disapproval, sensing a dark and coming thing and
seeing high-topped shoes that she didn't like the look of at all."

When the Four Horsemen Came ...

Structure.

     The exposition begun in the previous chapter continues. Morrison finally
reveals what happened the day Sethe murdered her daughter. Treated as if it
were a secret for more than half the novel, now its pieces fall into place.
Morrison, who has provided the factual detail that informed Sethe's decision
to commit infanticide, presents the circumstances of the murder. The story can
now continue its march forward without digression.

Characterization.

     Schoolteacher is a classic example of the use of a tag name. We expect
him to be analytical, precise, and matter of fact, and he is. The most
revealing aspect of his character, however, is that he sees life as a series
of lessons (to be taught). One nephew stays at home to learn his-that you
cannot "mishandle creatures and expect success."

     We also feel a certain hardheartedness about him. His reaction to Sethe's
act of murder is in marked contrast to his nephew's who, stunned and shaken,
can only ask, "What she want to go and do that for?" It is no time before
Schoolteacher, having made his assessment, is out the door, his superiority
intact.

     Another point of characterization comes in the reaction of the community
to the happenings at 124. They are less than supportive in their reaction to
Sethe's deed; they are quite small, in fact. In a situation this tragic, they
search for arrogance in Sethe and refuse to embrace her in song as she leaves
the house with her baby in her arms.

     Sethe is traumatized by her act, but her instinct to nurture transcends
all. This is key to understanding her character, for motherhood means
everything to Sethe.

     Baby Suggs' reaction is also telling. Far from judgmental, she acts out
of concern for the children who remain, all the while asking God's
forgiveness. Her faith is so severely shaken that ultimately the only recourse
left is to retire to bed and ponder color.

Point of view.

     The use of another voice to introduce the chapter captures the sense of
urgency and desperation that a slave on the run must have felt. The voice,
however, is the slave catcher's. The text then shifts into an exposition that
reflects the view not of our principal characters, but of Schoolteacher, the
one nephew and the sheriff. Note the use of the word "nigger," as well as the
tone of the text. Morrison captures the sense of superiority, but also the
indifference to human life that slavery bred into some men.

Metaphor.

     The comparison of the slave to an animal, present here in the description
of Stamp and the sounds he makes-"grunting" and "mewing"-and in
Schoolteacher's analogy of the hounds, continues and is echoed in his
reflection that blacks need care and guidance to civilize them and "keep them
from the cannibal life they preferred." This was an important justification
for many for the existence and perpetuation of slavery.

Symbolism.

     The high-topped shoes Baby Suggs saw in the previous chapter become a
symbol, a reminder, even in the midst of tragedy, of her place in society.

Irony.

     A major irony feeds the novel in its exploration of slavery and its
impact on people. In this chapter it becomes real. Sethe tries to murder the
one thing she professes to love more than anything in the world-her
children-and succeeds in killing one.

That Ain't Her Mouth.

Structure.

     The opening sentence is the modulating force in the progression of the
chapter. It is a denial set against the affirmation of a newspaper clipping
and Stamp's own recollection of his role in the events that led up to the
death of the infant. Morrison is able to heighten the suspense, because Paul D
cannot read, and Stamp must muster the courage and the words to tell the
story. Bit by bit, the pieces fall into place. But Paul D is busy in his
denial, and cannot accept even the words in a newspaper article.

Characterization.

     Paul D's denial is a function of how much he has grown to care for Sethe.
We already know, however, that they have different attitudes about loving-hers
is all-consuming, his is moderated by circumstance-and we can surmise what his
ultimate reaction will be.

     Stamp Paid, as the purveyor of bad news, feels he is doing what he has to
do. Once again, we see his principles in action.

     The community, as seen through Stamp's eyes, also functions as a
character. He attributes a meanness to them, suggests an envy that gives the
community a life of its own.

Realism.

     The details surrounding the role of Cincinnati in the slaughterhouse
industry, the growth of the city, and the flow of progress provide a realistic
setting for the events that take place in this chapter. Morrison, in her use
of the newspaper clipping, also points to the sensationalistic treatment of
blacks by the media.

Theme.

     The supernatural is present in Morrison's brief description of the
cemetery and its disturbed residents. Even Paul D is not immune to the voices
that he hears; it is a kind of haunting. Stamp's recollection of Baby Suggs'
heightened sensibilities, as evidenced in the previous chapter, reinforces
that. Both are taken as a matter of course.

     Also at issue is Stamp's role as ancestor-elder. He assumes the
responsibility of telling Paul D of Sethe's past. Although we may question his
wisdom or motivation for doing so, he is acting out of a desire to inform and
protect, both important functions of the ancestor-elder.

Simile.

     The extended simile used to describe Sethe's sense of urgency and flight
at Schoolteacher's arrival is revealing. Stamp recalls she acted like a "hawk
on the wing," "her face beaked," and her "hands working like claws." Sethe
will pick up this image in the next chapter when she admits "she heard wings."

"She Was Crawling Already ..."

Structure.

     Finally, Sethe has an opportunity to tell her side of the story. It is a
turning point in the novel because how and what she articulates will determine
whether she returns to the isolating life she had before Paul D or go on with
him to a new life. Morrison balances Sethe's slow and meandering confession
with Paul D's gradual reaction. It becomes an epiphany for him as he realizes
the depths of Sethe's love. He is also called on to make a judgment, just as
we must. Was Sethe right or wrong in killing her child?

Characterization.

     Our understanding of Sethe's nurturing instinct (maternal love), her
feelings and dedication to it, is deepened as she tries to explain what that
instinct drove her to do. In her confession, she digresses in order to make us
understand that she gave all she had and wanted to give more; that her escape
from slavery, while instilling in her a sense of confidence and knowledge of
her own power, also freed her to love more fully; and that that love was so
profound and so protective it could only manifest in the way that it did.

     Paul D's response, as well as his decision to leave, is an echo of the
community's in part because of his guilt-shame over Beloved, but also in fear
that Sethe's "love is too thick" and out of righteousness that "what she did
was wrong." Thus, our sense of Paul D is enlarged beyond the portrait of a man
wrestling with his own sense of powerlessness to that of a man wrestling with
the sense of power one woman claims to possess.

Conflict.

     What Sethe articulates as mother love is, according to the dictates of
society, unacceptable and represents a distortion. Yet, Sethe's act, however
unforgivable, is not an act in isolation of experience. Sethe was a slave. She
knows firsthand the horrors of that. She also knows freedom and the sense of
self-possession that comes with it. This is one of the principal conflicts in
the novel and raises several questions about who we are and how we love.

Theme.

     The exploration of mother love, especially under the effects of slavery,
is a key theme in this chapter. Sethe's desire to protect her children, while
understandable, has dire consequences.

     There is also the male-female aspect. Paul D and Sethe each define
themselves according to their own experiences. Slavery as a particular aspect
of that experience has created within them two different ways of looking at
the world: Sethe's quest for identity stopped at motherhood; Paul D's search
took him outside himself. His statement, "This here new Sethe didn't know
where the world stopped and she began," is important. It marks a basic
distinction between the two.

Simile.

     Sethe's act of moving around the room is compared to a spinning wheel and
becomes a physical manifestation of what she is doing mentally in trying to
recount the story. There is no way to tell it straight, so she moves around
it, circling it, never honing in on the act itself.

Symbolism.

     There are a number of symbols to communicate the varying tension created
in Sethe and Paul D as a result of her past. The milk, which has been used
over and over again as a symbol of motherhood, takes on even greater
proportions as Sethe explains, "the milk was all I ever had."

     The hummingbirds, certainly a symbol of flight for Sethe, also signify an
urgency. The hummingbird, noted for its long beak and ability to fly backward
or forward, has one of the fastest wing beasts of any bird in existence.

     The two remaining symbols-the forest and the number of Sethe's feet are
related to each other in that they become images of separation. Paul D's
reminder to Sethe that she has two feet, not four, i.e., that she is not an
animal, crafts a forest between them. More than just distance, however, the
forest implies a blindness. As a man, Paul D has neither the same experience
nor vision that Sethe has as slave, mother, and free woman.

Two

124 Was Loud.

Structure.

     Immediately, we know that something is amiss. Where before 124 was
spiteful-an internal conflict existing between its residents living and dead
it is now "loud." Morrison expands on the notion of haunting, while enlarging
our sense of the cultural milieu in which Sethe lives. Similarly, she
continues to use memory and personal reflection as a means of furthering
exposition and characterization. Additionally, Morrison dates the movement of
the novel. It is now winter, 1874.

Characterization.

     We are learning more and more about Stamp Paid, Sethe, Baby Suggs, and
Ella, who functions in many respects as the voice of the community. The
complexity of their interaction with each other, or lack thereof, gives us
insight into their characters. With regard to Stamp Paid, we finally learn how
he got his name, and as a consequence that he is a very principled man. His
ties to Baby Suggs extend beyond the grave and as leader-elder, he has a
moderating influence on the conscience of the community.

     He is a deeply caring and committed man, a believer in "truth and
forewarning," and in an interesting turnabout on the word sneak, he is a
sneak, albeit for a good cause. These virtues prompt him to face Sethe and the
guilt he carries because of his decision to tell Paul D her secret.

     The character of Sethe as victim-stoic takes on a greater sense of
urgency. With Paul D gone, she finally realizes Beloved is her daughter
returned from the grave. It is the beginning of what will be a slow and steady
decline. Troubled for many years over recriminations, she is alternately
guilt-ridden, resigned, angry, and proud.

     Her need to make things right fuels endless monologues that attempt to
justify her decision to commit infanticide. Just as important, she further
isolates herself from the community in exchange for a life inside 124; there
is no world beyond her door.

     Ella's role, like Stamp's, is a function of the community. She, too, is
highly principled, but in her we see an unforgivingness, a tendency toward
harsh judgments. Later, she will soften.

     Baby Suggs comes to light through the eyes of Stamp. "The mountain to his
sky," she is a strong woman defeated finally by the losses in her life, but
most especially by Sethe's murder of her grandchild, which is triggered by
"whitefolks" coming into her yard. Her response is telling, too. She opts for
a self-imposed isolation in retiring to her bed to ponder color.

     We are also given further insight into the character of Schoolteacher,
understanding more and more why he is so named. Convinced of his own
superiority, he treats the slaves as if they were experiments: poking
prodding, and analyzing them for their animal and human characteristics.

Theme.

     Themes and motifs in this chapter include the presence of the
supernatural; a ringing indictment of slavery, racism, and the system or
community of people who practiced and justified such violence against others;
memory as catharsis; isolation, defeat, possession, redemption, stoicism, and
ancestry.

     We are already familiar with Morrison's position on the supernatural; it
is an accepted part of life. The voices that Stamp says ring the house at 124
are, he believes, voices from the past, the ancestors. Morrison also writes
they are the voices of Sethe, Denver, and Beloved. Thus, the natural and the
supernatural co-exist, feeding and supporting one another.

     The indictment of slavery and racism come through as never before as the
characters themselves examine their experiences with "whitefolks." Stamp Paid
wants to know "What are these people?" Baby Suggs literally gives up because
"they came in my yard." Halle believes they are all alike, and Sethe refuses
"any more news about whitefolks ... about the world done up the way whitefolks
loved it."

     Within this framework comes the use of memory as catharsis. Every
recollection takes on an added importance because it is a working through of
the past. Sethe's willingness to remember is a function of her need to be
forgiven, to be purged of the years of guilt and remorse over Baby Suggs and
Beloved.

     The issues of isolation, defeat, possession, redemption, and stoicism
give depth to the portrayal of Sethe as a woman in trouble. It is her stoicism
and defeat that bring about the reaction of isolation and the need for
redemption. And it is the sense of possession-as evidenced by the word "mine,"
the only word decipherable among the voices ringing the house-that feeds the
cycle. Possession in this case, however, is not about the self, as Baby Suggs
taught, but about others. Denver and Sethe both claim Beloved while Beloved
only has eyes for Sethe. This idea comes up again and again and forms the
basis of the novel's conclusion.

     Certain incidents pick up on these threads, but it's particularly evident
in the kind of self-imposed isolation Sethe and the girls adopt. They ice
skate and no one sees them falling; Stamp Paid knocks and no one answers;
Sethe does not notice the tracks in the snow. The three exist in a world all
their own, seemingly harmless at first, but fraught with danger. Even
Morrison's description of Baby Suggs' funeral years earlier carries the same
seeds; Denver and Sethe are on one side, the community is on the other.

Realism.

     There are several interjections of historical detail that add to our
understanding of and provide the context for what life was like for a slave
once free. This is 1874-11 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and 9
years after the end of the Civil War. Through Sethe's memories, Morrison
points to the important issues and events of the abolitionist era: manumission
and the Dred Scott decision; black abolitionist Frederick Douglass' North Star
newspaper; and the atmosphere of hostility that existed toward blacks as well
as the personal, internal conflicts it spawned in both races.

Symbolism.

     Stamp's red ribbon, attached to part of a scalp he pulls from the water,
takes on a dual meaning-as a reminder of slavery's horrors and a testament to
black people's endurance.

Wordplay.

     The use of both simile and metaphor is everywhere in this chapter. The
power and magic of Morrison's language comes alive in vibrant images. Note the
following examples in similes like:

"... his belated concern, scorching his soul like a silver dollar in a fool's
pocket."

"Their skirts flew like wings and their skin turned pewter in the cold and
dying light."

     Or the following metaphor representing Sethe's joy at regaining the lost
treasure of Beloved:

"A hobnail casket of jewels found in a tree hollow should be fondled before it
is opened. Its lock may have rusted or broken away from the clasp. Still you
should touch the nail heads, and test its weight. No smashing with an ax head
before it is decently exhumed from the grave that has hidden it all this
time."

     Furthermore, Sethe's ascension of the "lily-white stairs like a bride"
comes to symbolize the beginning of a new life and the love she hopes to share
with her two girls. The image is extended several pages later with Sethe's
desire to "fondle the day and circumstances of Beloved's arrival and the
meaning of that kiss in the Clearing."

Irony.

     Sethe's belief that she doesn't have to explain and her persistent need
to is an example of dramatic irony.

Beloved, She My Daughter.

Structure.

     This is the first in a series of chapters that use the
stream-of-consciousness technique to establish the psychological state of a
particular character. Here, it is Sethe. A long series of rambling thoughts
turns into a monologue directed at Beloved in another attempt to justify her
decision to commit infanticide.

Characterization.

     Sethe explores fully the issue of motherhood from her perspective as a
child born to a slave mother and as a freed slave woman trying to keep her
children from experiencing the same horror. The first two sentences are
important clues to her state of mind because they establish the issue of
possession. Beloved belongs to her. Later she proffers the idea that she
belongs to Beloved. This is the beginning of an obsessive relationship.
Sethe's need to explain, to make Beloved understand, is gigantic and becomes
her reason for living.

     The second point is made with a symbol we have seen before-the milk.
Sethe draws a strong connection between milk and motherhood, mother's milk
being the source of a baby's nourishment and therefore its life.

     She also talks about her relationship with her own mother in a childish,
even whimsical way. Obviously this is something Sethe yearned for, missed, in
fact, and remains fanciful about. This connection, or lack of, informs Sethe's
own attitudes about motherhood. She tries to compensate for the absence of her
mother by being what she thinks is the perfect mother. Morrison writes:

"You [Beloved] came right on back like a good girl, like a daughter which is
what I wanted to be and would have been if my ma'am had been able to get out
of the rice long enough before they hanged her and let me be one."

     For Sethe, however, being perfect also means surviving, and she continues
to live because she has other children to think about.

     In what comes to be a magnificent evocation of Sethe's inner world, we
see again the many nuances that drove her to murder. The experience of slavery
has so distorted her concept of self and motherhood, she has no recourse.
Having tasted freedom, a return to slavery for her, and most especially for
her children, is a fate worse than death.

Theme.

     This chapter explores a number of interrelated themes-motherhood,
identity, possession. Sethe's perception of motherhood includes possession and
more. It is sacrifice and survival; nourishment and instruction. It also
becomes a reflection of intergenerational conflicts; a sense of continuity
exists beginning with Sethe's mother through Sethe and on to Beloved and
Denver. This is at the heart of Sethe's struggle for identity. In order for
her to go on, to fully claim possession of herself, she will have to resolve
these conflicts and accept the limitations of motherhood.

Point of view.

     In a major shift, Morrison steps back as omniscient narrator and allows
us to hear Sethe's voice alone. In doing so, Morrison affords us insight into
Sethe's temperament. Her explanations reveal a lot about her. More and more we
gain insight into the many forces that have affected her behavior.

Symbolism.

     The milk, because of its nutritional properties, represents motherhood.
It is a symbol we have seen before.

Sense stimuli.

     Two reactions are important for what they tell us about character. We are
aware of Baby Suggs' decision to ponder color, to live her life through the
sense of sight. This thread is picked up by Sethe as she points out that the
pink in Beloved's headstone was the last color she saw until the point at
which she recognized the young woman as her own. Also, Sethe's bout with
stuttering, after the death of her mother, is an indication of ongoing inner
conflicts.

