To be Casper or not to be


Ok, so I have some very mixed feelings on the character Beloved. I sort of feel we have evidence for her being the baby in a human form. With Denver’s comments and when she started “falling apart.” But the question I have is “Is Beloved a good ghost?” I feel like she has good intentions but the little things she says sets me on edge.
First, her extreme intense loyalty to Sethe. Every day, she goes to meet Sethe on her way home from work. Each day she walks out even further to meet her (by further I mean a few more miles). She has also continuously made it clear (to Denver) that she is there for only Sethe. Denver is occasionally hurt by this but forgets it and moves on as if nothing happened. This is (I believe) the main reason why she dislikes Paul D. She looks at him as a competitor for Sethe’s attention. Paul D. also thinks that she is the reason he can’t be in the house (although he hasn’t recognized why). A theory for this could be that she is still a baby and needs/wants this attention. But something about her constant need for attention still makes me squirm.
Second, her “choking” Sethe. So frankly, I was confused during this scene. What I got from it was that Sethe was praying? at the same place where Baby Suggs used to preach. Beloved and Denver arrive, Beloved touches Sethe’s neck, and then Sethe feels as though she is being choked. Beloved makes it stop?, but then Denver blames her for choking Sethe. At this point, Denver feels betrayed because she trusted Beloved. So, did Beloved try to choke Sethe? Denver thinks so, and so far, she has been the “little girl” who has had the insight about all of this. After this scene, the topic of Beloved hurting Sethe is only briefly mentioned when Beloved is talking to Paul D. He says that Sethe treats Beloved very well and Beloved doesn’t reciprocate the treatment. However, after these two scenes, Beloved’s “powers” haven’t been further discussed. I hope they get addressed because it bothers me. Does she have ulterior motives or is she telling the truth?
Lastly, why did Beloved come back in a human form and for a short time period? I say short because it seems like she is starting to fall apart. Back to the question: Beloved comes right when Paul D. is being integrated into their family. They are actually starting to be happy, then she shows up. Her presence makes Denver happy and pushes Paul D. out but that wasn’t her sole purpose. She came for Sethe. I don’t really know what that means but I guess we will find out. The reason I am questioning Beloved’s intentions is because the minute Sethe is happy and wants to start a “new” life, Beloved comes to remind her of her commitment to her previous life (being the baby, asking for stories, pushing Paul D. out). Is this reminder good for Sethe or would the family have been better without Beloved?
So far, I’ve focused on Sethe. I wanted to briefly talk about Denver and if Beloved was a blessing or curse. Denver has had the problem of being lonely. However, when they went to the carnival, Denver was happy and enjoyed the people interaction. When Beloved came, Denver seems happy, but I also feel that their relationship ties Denver to the house, preventing her from branching out. I’m just worried about Denver’s attachment to Beloved when 1) she is going to leave (I think) and 2) Beloved only cares for Sethe. We see a scene where Denver can’t find Beloved. She freaks out and I was really scared for her. I realized that she wouldn’t be able to be without Beloved. What are your thoughts?          

Comments

  1. Nina GalvezNovember 14, 2018 at 6:06 PM

    Ok, so after discussion in class, some of my questions have been answered. But I guess I would now like to discuss whether Beloved has good intentions, given the traumatic story of her death. Also, why does Beloved choose to return now? Why not a couple years ago or immediately after?

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    Replies
    1. Emma H.November 17, 2018 at 3:28 PM

      Even after what we discussed in class, I am still confused. We sorta discussed possibilities and opinions but did we really get concrete answers? I can only hope that things become more clear by the end of the novel. Nice post!

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  2. Annemily HogansonNovember 16, 2018 at 9:38 AM

    Nice post! One thing I find really interesting is that as soon as Sethe realizes who Beloved is, she immediately believes that Beloved has forgiven her. Sethe sees Beloved's return as Beloved just wanting to reclaim the life she lost and most of how Beloved spends her time suggests that but I can't help wondering if Beloved has a plan where not aware of?

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  3. SJNovember 16, 2018 at 9:26 PM

    A question I pose are the intentions of Beloved's reincarnation, if at all? For starters, she says that she can't remember much of anything before emerging from the water, which seems kinda weird. That said, what other force could have placed her in the way of Sethe & Co. as they were heading back from the carnival? I hope that these questions get answered the further we get into the book.

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