Sethe fought hard to escape sweet home years ago and she is continually in a struggle with herself to escape the past and escape those memories. Does Sethe feel less of a sense of freedom because while she is physically free from slavery, she is a slave to her mind which flashes back to her past?
1. What is the relationship between the past and the present in Beloved? Is love only attainable by characters who embrace, or at least acknowledge, their past? 2. Why are the people so sickened by Baby Suggs' celebration/party? Is it that the sickened characters have yet to realize their freedom and therefore cannot tolerate a behavior reminescent of slavery (serving others)? 3. What is the significance of Sethe's mouth in the clipping that Paul D sees? (Language/identity?) 4. Paul D realizes that 124 and its inhabitants lack safety. What is safety and was it even possible for a black person to be "safe"?
What is the significance of the blackberries? Why did Morrison have blackberries as the "spark" which started the party that turned popular opinion against the family, and why did she go to such great lengths to describe the difficulty to attain the blackberries?
We've had some discussion in class regarding how the actions of any character in this book are influenced by his/her past as well as his/her perception of love. How does Toni Morrison use these two constructs to develop the character of Paul D, and how do they taint his perception of reality?
1. What physical or metaphysical connection does Beloved have with the backyard shed of the house on 124 Bluestone Road? What is the importance of the phrase "Red heart" during Beloved's encounter with Paul D and what (if anything) could it foreshadow?
2. In regards to the influence of past experiences on present perception, how do the characters of Denver and Beloved differ from Sethe and Paul D?
What is the nature/significance of Denver and Beloved's relationship? Is it love, obsession or something else? Is it even reciprocated by Beloved? Is there such a thing as love being too thick? Why is being a mother such an enormous part of Sethe's identity? How is Denver's life different from Sethe and other former slaves? Is she really free? Why did Sethe think that she only had to protect her children from the known trouble? What is the unknown?
What is significant about Beloved's obsession with Sethe? Is this love "too deep," and does it foreshadow some sort of disappointment in the future?
Why does Beloved push Paul D. out of the house, and then try to seduce him? If she loves Sethe so much, why does she stand in the way of Sethe's happiness with Paul D.?
Does Paul D ultimately define himself as a man or a slave?
Paul D and Sethe are the only living characters who remember Sweet Home, (the past in general). Do their views on how they define themselves based on the present vs. the past differ?
Do Sethe and Paul D ever see eye to eye on their respective identities? Does Sethe regard Paul D as a man, or does she see him in the same animalistic sense that he sees her?
What is Beloved trying to say by being at 124? What is her real message? Is she a form of torture to Sethe for her crimes, or is she a blessing?
1. How does the structure ( breaking it into three sections) impact the story? How might it be different if it were told from one narrative point of view rather than from many perspectives? How do the structure and the flashbacks impact the perception of the characters' identity?
2. Who exactly is Beloved? Is she truly a ghost or a figment of the character's imaginations?
At the end of chapter 12, Beloved looks into the darkness of the cold house and claims to be seeing herself. When Denver questioned what Beloved was saying, she answered by saying "it's me". What is the significance between the cold house and Beloved?
What is the significance to the comparison of the darkness/cold house to Beloved?
Does Sethe not care/allow Paul D to sleep with Beloved just as a way to keep him around? Sethe knows she doesn't want anymore kids, so does she just let Beloved give Paul D what he wants just to keep him around?
Is love a selfish or selfless act? Did Sethe kill Beloved out of selfishness or selflessness? Denver's love for Beloved and Sethe is motivated by her craving of attention, while in contrast, Amy Denver's love and care for Sethe is altruistic. How is selfish love different from selfless love in "Beloved"? Are they intertwined or separate forces?
Sethe fought hard to escape sweet home years ago and she is continually in a struggle with herself to escape the past and escape those memories. Does Sethe feel less of a sense of freedom because while she is physically free from slavery, she is a slave to her mind which flashes back to her past?
ReplyDelete1. What is the relationship between the past and the present in Beloved? Is love only attainable by characters who embrace, or at least acknowledge, their past?
ReplyDelete2. Why are the people so sickened by Baby Suggs' celebration/party? Is it that the sickened characters have yet to realize their freedom and therefore cannot tolerate a behavior reminescent of slavery (serving others)?
3. What is the significance of Sethe's mouth in the clipping that Paul D sees? (Language/identity?)
4. Paul D realizes that 124 and its inhabitants lack safety. What is safety and was it even possible for a black person to be "safe"?
Seth
What is the significance of the blackberries? Why did Morrison have blackberries as the "spark" which started the party that turned popular opinion against the family, and why did she go to such great lengths to describe the difficulty to attain the blackberries?
ReplyDeleteWe've had some discussion in class regarding how the actions of any character in this book are influenced by his/her past as well as his/her perception of love. How does Toni Morrison use these two constructs to develop the character of Paul D, and how do they taint his perception of reality?
ReplyDelete1. What physical or metaphysical connection does Beloved have with the backyard shed of the house on 124 Bluestone Road? What is the importance of the phrase "Red heart" during Beloved's encounter with Paul D and what (if anything) could it foreshadow?
ReplyDelete2. In regards to the influence of past experiences on present perception, how do the characters of Denver and Beloved differ from Sethe and Paul D?
What is the nature/significance of Denver and Beloved's relationship? Is it love, obsession or something else? Is it even reciprocated by Beloved?
ReplyDeleteIs there such a thing as love being too thick? Why is being a mother such an enormous part of Sethe's identity?
How is Denver's life different from Sethe and other former slaves? Is she really free?
Why did Sethe think that she only had to protect her children from the known trouble? What is the unknown?
What is significant about Beloved's obsession with Sethe? Is this love "too deep," and does it foreshadow some sort of disappointment in the future?
ReplyDeleteWhy does Beloved push Paul D. out of the house, and then try to seduce him? If she loves Sethe so much, why does she stand in the way of Sethe's happiness with Paul D.?
Does Paul D ultimately define himself as a man or a slave?
ReplyDeletePaul D and Sethe are the only living characters who remember Sweet Home, (the past in general). Do their views on how they define themselves based on the present vs. the past differ?
Do Sethe and Paul D ever see eye to eye on their respective identities? Does Sethe regard Paul D as a man, or does she see him in the same animalistic sense that he sees her?
ReplyDeleteWhat is Beloved trying to say by being at 124? What is her real message? Is she a form of torture to Sethe for her crimes, or is she a blessing?
1. How does the structure ( breaking it into three sections) impact the story? How might it be different if it were told from one narrative point of view rather than from many perspectives? How do the structure and the flashbacks impact the perception of the characters' identity?
ReplyDelete2. Who exactly is Beloved? Is she truly a ghost or a figment of the character's imaginations?
At the end of chapter 12, Beloved looks into the darkness of the cold house and claims to be seeing herself. When Denver questioned what Beloved was saying, she answered by saying "it's me". What is the significance between the cold house and Beloved?
ReplyDeleteWhat is Sethe's definition of safe, and how does it conflict with the others' views?
ReplyDeleteWhat are Beloved's feelings about Sethe killing her to keep her from slavery? Does Beloved understand Sethe's decision?
Why was Sethe let out of prison?
What is the significance to the comparison of the darkness/cold house to Beloved?
ReplyDeleteDoes Sethe not care/allow Paul D to sleep with Beloved just as a way to keep him around? Sethe knows she doesn't want anymore kids, so does she just let Beloved give Paul D what he wants just to keep him around?
Is love a selfish or selfless act? Did Sethe kill Beloved out of selfishness or selflessness? Denver's love for Beloved and Sethe is motivated by her craving of attention, while in contrast, Amy Denver's love and care for Sethe is altruistic. How is selfish love different from selfless love in "Beloved"? Are they intertwined or separate forces?
ReplyDelete