    (c) 1991 Bureau Development, Inc.

    File: \DP\0134\01345.TXT         Mon Jun 26 15:40:04 1995
Database: Monarch Notes By Literary Period


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$Pretitle{}
$Title{Works of Toni Morrison
Beloved: Part 4}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Morrison, Toni}
$Affiliation{Free-Lance Writer, Formerly Associate Editor, New York Daily Challenge}
$Subject{sethe
beloved
beloved's
denver
sethe's
paul
chapter
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life
morrison}
$Date{}
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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 4

Beloved Is My Sister.

Structure.

     This is the second of four chapters that interrupt the command of the
omniscient narrator in order to furnish insight into a particular character.
Using once again the stream-of-consciousness technique. Morrison exposes the
trauma and subsequent vulnerability that are Denver's.

Characterization.

     Denver is the troubled daughter of a troubled mother. Traumatized by
Sethe's one act of violence, she has grown up in a self-imposed
isolation-removing herself physically from the world, even refusing to hear at
one time. In her loneliness, she cultivates a relationship with the baby ghost
and now with Beloved. Her sense of protectiveness is strong. So is her need to
love and be loved.

     Denver's voice is not that of an adult, however. We hear the fanciful
imagination of a child as she talks about her father as an "angel man"; the
terror of having her hair braided every night; and her almost mystical regard
for Baby Suggs. More important, we learn that Denver's response to her mother
and the world comes out of Sethe's one murderous act, thus fear immobilizes
her and waiting for her daddy is the only thing that gives her hope.

Theme.

     The need to possess is a theme explored in the triangular relationship of
Sethe, Denver, and Beloved in this chapter. Denver articulates it very well.
At the same time, she gives us insight into the nature of her own
mother-daughter conflict. Also echoed in this chapter are Baby Suggs' lesson
of self-love and Denver's supernatural gift (her early memories are uncanny).

Point of view.

     The use of the first person moves us inside the head of Denver. This is
important now so that we can understand the various dynamics operating in the
relationships among the three women. So far, we have heard Sethe, driven by a
need to explain and make things right, and Denver, who is just as possessive
in her need to love and be loved, but how is also the moderating force between
Beloved and Sethe.

I Am Beloved and She Is Mine. I See ...

Style.

     In what is the most surrealistic event in the novel, Beloved speaks, not
just for herself, but as a representative of the 60 million Africans taken
from their homeland who died in the middle passage. To mark its importance,
Morrison suspends formal grammatical requirements, opting instead for short
staccato-like sentences with very little punctuation of capitalization. As in
the previous two chapters, the style of the prose is stream-of-consciousness.
We are finally inside Beloved's head.

Characterization.

     Clearly, Beloved is something other than Sethe's daughter returned from
the dead. Her memory spans beyond the immediate past to Africa and the middle
passage and collects the experiences of the men and women who were stolen form
their homeland and never seen again.

     Beyond that, Beloved struggles to identify and merge with Sethe. In the
place beyond, she searches for her face and, in fact, wants to be that face.
There can be no separation, just possession. This desire is very strong in
Beloved and, as we shall see later, almost comes to pass.

     One interesting point of characterization with regard to Sethe is
Beloved's insistence that her mother whispered to her, calling her back.

Surrealism.

     Reality turns surrealistic in Beloved's hands. Her thoughts are
disjointed, measured out in short staccato bursts, and her memory has a
timeless quality. This makes the chapter very different from the rest of the
book because it calls attention to a very important quality of Beloved's-her
otherworldliness.

Theme.

     The supernatural finds its place not only in Beloved as its central
representative, but in the powerful presence of the Africans who never made it
to these shores. Morrison, while not giving them a voice per se, articulates
their experience and thus interweaves another aspect of slavery-the response
of black people toward their own captivity. Other themes have to do with
Beloved's equation of identity with possession: her desire to merge is
tangible; it is a "hot thing."

Metaphor.

     Beloved's use of the words "a hot thing" becomes a metaphor for desire.
She wants the face, the smile, and finally the merge. These are all "hot
things." Additionally, chewing and swallowing take on larger than life
proportions. More than just representing the physical act of consumption, the
two actions signify a kind of devouring. So strong is Beloved's desire to
merge with Sethe that she wants to engulf and be engulfed by the older woman.
This imagery will be used again and again.

     Another interesting use of symbolism is Beloved's connection to water.
Introduced first as a symbol of life in an earlier chapter, it takes on the
added meaning of death, e.g., the dead and dying are thrown into the sea and
those who wish to die refuse water; and later it is a symbol of rebirth when
Beloved steps out of the water alive.

I Am Beloved and She Is Mine. Sethe Is ...

Style.

     This chapter, as an extension of the previous three, begins in the
stream-of-consciousness thought of Beloved. In direct contrast to the
preceding chapter, however, there are no more staccato sentences and the rules
of punctuation and capitalization are followed precisely. This chapter also
picks up the middle-passage imagery.

     Following the page break, the chapter moves into a kind of free-verse
dialogue. Sethe and Beloved talk. Denver and Beloved talk. All three talk.
Yet, the tone is still surrealistic. There are moments of connection and
digression created to focus attention once again on the changing dynamics of
Denver, Sethe, and Beloved's relationship.

Surrealism.

     To emphasize the different perspectives of Sethe, Beloved, and Denver,
Morrison uses a surrealistic approach. The voices often seem to be operating
exclusive of the conversation that was meant. For example, Denver remembers
that she and Beloved played together. Beloved knows only that she needs Sethe.
Later, Morrison returns to her use of short, staccato sentences and a lack of
punctuation to focus on those divergences.

Theme.

     For Beloved, identity and possession come through as consuming passions.
For Denver and Sethe possession is enough. Note the repetition of possessives:
"I want her face," "You are mine," "I have your milk." In their desire to
possess one or the other, each has become more and more obsessed.

It Was a Tiny Church No Bigger than a Rich Man's Parlor.

Structure.

     Paul D becomes the vehicle for further exposition. This suspension in
story line, a technique Morrison uses repeatedly, creates tension around
what's happening at 124. The exposition, however, provides more background on
the atmosphere at Sweet Home prior to the escape, as well as the sense of
family that existed among the slaves there.

Characterization.

     Paul D struggles with his doubts, his feeling of powerlessness, and his
sense of manhood. He is still trying to come to terms with the experience of
slavery and how it has affected his life. He has no family to speak of (his
one attempt with Sethe having failed) and he is beginning to question why it
all went wrong. He is not alone in his query, though. We know Sethe has
wondered the same thing, too.

     Within the context of Paul D's experience and his interpretation of
life's events, Sixo becomes a character of contrast. In this chapter, he comes
alive for us. Sixo is a real man in Paul D's eyes because he fights back, he
values his own sense of manhood and does not back down. His death is a
testament to that.

     Schoolteacher and Garner also become characters of comparison: the former
noted for his tyrannical and inhuman treatment of the slaves, the latter for
his relative humanity.

Theme.

     Defeat has hit all of the major characters in their attempts to build a
life outside of slavery. Baby Suggs is defeated by Sethe's actions and the men
who came into her yard. Sethe faces defeat when Schoolteacher seeks her out,
and she is later defeated by her memories. Paul D is defeated by Beloved in
their competition for Sethe's affections and by the revelation of Sethe's
infanticide. Defeat becomes a motif that Morrison uses to round out her
characterizations and to support the theme of slavery's impact on the slaves.

Realism.

     As an institution, slavery tended to destroy the concept of family, as
Morrison points out, but there were instances where slave families did survive
and come together. The institution of family and extended family within the
slave community was an important one. Marriages, although not legally
recognized, were celebrated with ceremony, and many slaves lived in marriages
of 30 years or more. Men and women were also expected to stay faithful within
the marriage and fathers were strong and respected members of the community.

     This chapter also provides further background on the atrocities of
slavery and the arrogance and assumed superiority of many slave owners.

Metaphor.

     Sixo's hatred is described as "so loose, it was juba." Juba is a southern
dance of black origin that is accompanied by rhythmic hand clapping and
slapping of the thighs.

Irony.

     We have already pointed out the irony in Morrison's naming of the
plantation Sweet Home. Such irony is extended as a result of the treatment the
slaves received. Called a "craddle" and "a wonderful lie," life at Sweet Home
was not at all representative of the average slave experience-that is, until
Schoolteacher arrived.

"Howdy."

Characterization.

     The interaction between Paul D and Stamp reinforces our sense of who
these characters are. Like Sethe, Paul D refuses to make plans, and he finds
temporary solace in a bottle while struggling to put the pieces of his life
together. Obviously tired, he asks what is, for many, a very important
question-"How much is a nigger supposed to take?" Stamp's response is (like
Stamp) very basic and very stoic. Stamp's is the voice of reason and also of
the elder. Steady in his wisdom and sense of caring, he represents the best
elements of community and is far less judgmental when it comes to Sethe. His
decision to remain silent about the whereabouts of Judy attests to that
commitment to community. Also important, Stamp recounts in detail how he got
his name. As a tag name, Stamp Paid is a principal means of characterization.
His early sacrifice of wife and relationship, he feels, has rendered him
debtless.

Realism.

     Morrison adds more historical detail as she examines briefly the
relationship between the races. The white man on his Eastern saddle assumes a
superior and patriarchal tone in his concern that Paul D not drink on the
church steps. Stamp's response is quick and knowing; he defers and thus
eradicates a potentially volatile situation.

Symbolism.

     Stamp's red ribbon comes to us again as a dual symbol of slavery's
horrors and black people's ability to endure. His constant manipulation of it
seems to suggest that this is where he gets some of his strength.

Irony.

     Paul D's initial response to Stamp Paid is noticeably sarcastic: "If it's
hard for you, might kill me dead."

     He is justifiably angry and skeptical. Stamp has caused a major upheaval
in his life.

Three

124 Was Quiet.

Structure.

     From spiteful to loud to quiet, the personification of 124 continues as a
way to illustrate the tenor of relationships within the house. Further
exposition informs us that the silence is a measure of the open power struggle
between Sethe and Beloved. The chapter ends ambiguously, however, with the
resolution of that struggle intimated but not defined. As she has done
throughout the novel, Morrison dates movement in the story line. In this
chapter we go from January through at least June.

Characterization.

     Certain aspects of each character's personality are tempered by present
circumstance. Denver develops compassion for her mother and moves out beyond
the world of 124 to save them both. Sethe's guilt and remorse literally
overtake her and she is diminished. Beloved's constant need for love and
attention turns destructive as she saps the lifeblood from Sethe. Ella, highly
judgmental and standing back from Sethe's predicament, becomes avenger, as do
many of the community's women. This response to crisis is a major point of
characterization.

     Denver's growth is most astonishing. In her late teens but more child
than woman, she is forced to look beyond herself and her loneliness to come to
terms with her mother and move on. As she seeks help first from Lady Jones
then the Bodwins, her world grows larger and with it her ability to cope.
Denver claims herself. It is an important lesson. Self-love and
self-possession, important themes in the novel, come to her as a result.

     Sethe, on the other hand, becomes a tragic symbol of defeat. Her one real
flaw-loving her children too much, believing that they are, indeed, her "best
thing"-damages her as much if not more than the years of repressed guilt and
remorse over Beloved's murder. Having lost her job and all contact with the
outside world, she ironically negates her responsibility as mother to Denver
and spends her time trying to right a wrong that cannot be corrected. Her
decline is regrettable and in direct contrast to Denver's personal and
Beloved's physical growth.

     Our portrait of Sethe grows even more complex because we are privy to the
psychological turmoil that has existed within her for so many years. Beloved's
presence as ghost and "human-other" has, by turns, assuaged and intensified
that turmoil. We cannot question her existence. We see her, others see her,
but we must accept that Sethe's preoccupation over the murder and her
subsequent guilt fuel an unwillingness to let go of the past. Sethe is
responsible for bringing Beloved into the physical realm once Paul D has
exorcised the baby ghost. She needs the reminder because her sense of self is
so locked into her children and memorialized in Beloved's death and
resurrection.

     Beloved feeds on Sethe's madness, too. Her need to be loved, her
indifference to explaining her actions make Sethe try that much harder to
justify those actions. There can be no justification, however. Beloved's need
is all-consuming and her food is a willing Sethe; she swallows her "mother"
whole.

     The chapter also extends the sense of otherworldliness in Beloved. The
surrealistic memories of gazing at a face in the water, picking flowers, and
massaging the "pretty white points" of the face in front of her take on real
life proportions as Beloved enacts them all.

     Ella, as rescuer, shows us another side of a woman whose harsh judgments
seemed to signal an unyielding quality about her. Practical and unsentimental,
she turns Sethe's rescue into a religious crusade. Her ability to harness the
energy of the community's women in order to save Sethe makes her a woman of
strength and compassion.

     Each of the other characters-Lady Jones, Mr. Bodwin, and Janey-adds in
his or her own way to the nature of community. Lady Jones is an educated,
"yellow" black woman who has spent her life teaching the community's children.
Mr. Bodwin is the benevolent white man abolitionist, who, fighting age and
boredom, finds peace in the simple pleasures of life. Janey Wagon, as another
voice of the community, is alternately concerned, curious, and high-minded
about Sethe's state of affairs. These characters are not drawn as fully as
Sethe or Paul D or Denver. They do not have to be, because they represent the
best and worst of what the community can be.

Theme.

     Sethe's isolation, while putting the entire family at risk, becomes even
more dangerous as she surrenders to Beloved. Within this context, subsequent
events support many of the themes and motifs of the work, i.e., self-love and
self-possession; the role of the ancestor-elder; the presence of the
supernatural; the role of the community; redemption; isolation; and the
mother-daughter conflict.

     Central to the development of these issues is Denver, whose actions are
the impetus for the chapter's climax. Finally realizing the precarious nature
of Sethe and Beloved's relationship, she is forced to take possession of
herself and to accept her mother's past. This resolution of the
mother-daughter conflict is what allows Denver to move on. Beloved, on the
other hand, keeps Sethe trapped.

     Additionally, we see the positive contributions of the ancestor-elder. At
the point of Denver's greatest doubts, Baby Suggs offers instruction and
encouragement from beyond the grave. Her voice is the voice of the
supernatural. Her spiritual presence in the work is as powerful as her
physical presence once was.

     What is even more telling is the community's response to Beloved's
intrusion. With an almost unabashed acceptance of Beloved as Sethe's daughter
returned from the dead, the women show us how deep their belief in the
supernatural lies.

     Thus, the community becomes rescuer. Once distant and judgmental, they
reach out to Sethe at her darkest hour. Their warmth and concern help to pull
her back, and that action focuses our attention on the dual nature of
community. As vital as the people who compose it, it responds as though it
were human itself: judgmental on the one hand, nurturing on the other.

     The end result for Sethe is a kind of redemption. Will she, as Baby Suggs
so often instructed, be able to "lay it all down"? This has been the question
all along, for coming to terms with the past has meant having a life.

Realism.

     Another realistic aspect of Morrison's narrative comes out of her
characterization of Lady Jones. Color-consciousness was a fact of life in the
black community. Many mulattoes lived with the stigma of being "high yellow."
Envied and often rejected by the black community, they found no solace in the
white one. In many instances, however, the lighter a black person was, the
better his or her opportunities might be. Many extremely light-skinned black
people "passed" for white.

Symbolism.

     Beloved's scar, described as "a smile in the kootchy-kootchy-coo place
under her chin," is, ironically, not something ugly, but something pleasing,
and represents Sethe's inability to be reconciled with her actions of 18 years
ago. Beyond the scar is the larger symbol of Beloved herself. Not only is she
a measure of Sethe's guilt but the vehicle for her redemption. Furthermore,
Ella extends the religious motif by making Beloved's banishment a struggle
between good and evil.

     Other symbols-the image of Beloved as Medusa (mythical Greek character),
"with vines of hair twisted all over her head," and the hummingbirds, a
recurring symbol of urgency and flight for Sethe-bring to the action a
heightened sense of conflict. Medusa's danger lay in her ability to captivate
and destroy, turning the beholder into stone with one glance. She represents
Beloved's goal, although not a goal achieved through Beloved's methods. The
hummingbirds are like alarms that go off in Sethe's head. "No, no no," is what
they tell her.

Humor.

     Morrison's description of Denver's dress, "so loud it embarrassed the
needlepoint chair seat," as well as her sense of irony (see discussion below),
provides a well-timed comic relief. The chapter's tension, steadily building
toward a climax, is eased momentarily by this display of humor.

Irony.

     There are several ironies at work here; they are both humorous and
dramatic. Morrison's use of language pinpoints two immediately: Baby Suggs'
"this ain't a battle; it's a rout" and Ella's "She didn't mind a little
communication between the two worlds, but this was an invasion" are fine
examples of ironic humor.

     The instances of dramatic irony include Denver's perception that she must
now protect her mother from Beloved when for so long it was the other way
around. Sethe's inability to see that Beloved is pregnant, that Beloved is
becoming the Sethe of 20 years ago, is another. The existence of a demeaning
slave figurine in the kitchen of an abolitionist's house is still another.

Metaphor/simile.

     Morrison's use of both simile and metaphor is very strong. To heighten
the tension, she uses images that are rife with a sense of foreboding. For
example:

"By the end of March the three of them
looked like carnival women with nothing to
do."

"She [Beloved] was not like them. She was
wild game."

"Then Sethe spit up something she had not
eaten and it rocked Denver like a gunshot."

Biblical allusion.

     Ella's biblical reference, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,"
is taken from Matthew 6. In a chapter that expounds on human behavior, the
apostle advocates steadiness, humility, and a close adherence to God's word as
important keys to survival. In essence, we must take life one day at a time.

Sense stimuli.

     Throughout the novel, the senses are not only a medium by which we
interpret the world, but a way to reflect the unresolved conflicts in
individuals. When Denver meets Nelson Lord again and he speaks, she feels
herself, and in particular her hearing, open up like a flower. Sethe, too,
responds to the "sound" the women make, trembling "like the baptized in its
wash."

Bare Feet and Chamomile Sap.

Structure.

     Paul D's little ditty opens the chapter as a kind of summary of his
relationship with Sethe. Clearly, he loves her and it is this love that will
facilitate Sethe's healing process. Additionally, Morrison dates the novel
again; it is now late summer.

Characterization.

     At last, Paul D seems far less intimidated by his past or by a sense of
powerlessness. Whatever has transpired in the months since his absence from
124 has made him a much steadier man. With Stamp Paid, he is able to laugh
again. He accepts Denver as a grownup and reconciles with Sethe.

     Out of his mouth, too, comes the important message of the novel: Sethe is
her own "best thing." Paul D has grown. In accepting his past, he is able to
face the future.

     Also experiencing a great deal of growth is Denver. We see her in the
world working, making friends, taking responsibility for her mother. This is
not the same person who, at the beginning of the novel, was overcome by
loneliness and an internal struggle over her mother's decision to commit
infanticide.

     Finally, there is Sethe, who still has no plans. Wounded, she is at a
crossroads. She can resign from life, in much the same way Baby Suggs took to
her bed to ponder color, or she can embrace it-establish a relationship with
Paul D and accept herself as her own best thing. The novel's resolution comes
out of her decision to try Paul D's way.

Theme.

     The most important statement of the novel comes at its end. For so long
Sethe has believed her children were her best things, that all-encompassing
love was justification enough for her to kill rather than see them return to
slavery. Morrison's truth, however, is that Sethe is her own best thing. And
by extension, we are all our own best things.

Realism.

     More realistic detail comes in an examination of the black man's role in
the Civil War. Black soldiers fought on both sides-185,000 in the Union Army
alone. Promised equality, they were refused the same pay as white soldiers. It
is true that Massachusetts eventually passed a law establishing such equity
and that the state's black regiments, fighting for a cause, refused to accept
the money.

     Morrison also captures the magic of a slave's first free moments. Freedom
meant many things. If you were black and in the south at the end of the war it
meant facing a backlash of violence and exploitation. It also meant working,
eating, sleeping, and loving whenever the feeling hit. Paul D learns this,
along with the joy of making and spending his own money.

Symbolism.

     Here Boy's return, like his departure, is an omen. The sense of something
"other"-the unexplainable-adds to Morrison's depiction of the supernatural.

There Is a Loneliness ...

Structure.

     In epilogue fashion, the novel draws to a close with Morrison echoing
many of the themes and images that have added depth to the story. Beloved is
forgotten by a family and a community that deemed "remembering unwise." In
characteristic fashion, repetition is used to emphasize the point: "This is
not a story to pass on," and it isn't. The anguish that fed the act, the
turmoil that it created in all the principals, has already been vanquished. It
is time to face the future.

Theme.

     Redemption comes as a result of reconciliation with the past. Morrison's
characters are able to forget because they have lived through the pain of
remembering. Thus, memory functions as catharsis.

Irony.

     Morrison's insistence that this is not a story to pass on is ironic in
the sense that she has spent the last 275 pages doing just that-passing on
this story to others.

