Sethe's reference to time... Why doesn't she believe in it? "I was talking about time... Right in the place where it happened" (Morrison 35-36).
Why does Amy compare Sethe's swollen feet to a drowned black man? "I used to be a good size... Your feet remind me of him. All swole like" Morrison 34).
Denver feels as if she owns nothing, not even the absence of her father. Why else does she resent Sweet Home? "Denver sat down on the bottom step. There was nowhere else gracefully to go... Wear her out" (Morrison 13).
What is the relationship between Paul D and Sethe?
Beginning in my book on page 18, the house becomes haunted by the dead baby... "It took him a while to realize..." (Morrison 18). What is going on? Do we know why the house is haunted?
Why does Morrison allow the lines between the past and present to blur, it she trying to illustrate the effect of our pasts on our current actions, identities and outlooks on life or is it something else?
Morrison introduces the idea of audience, intended or not with "And taking her in the corn rather than her quarters, a yard away from the cabins of the others who had lost out, was a gesture of tenderness. Halle wanted privacy for her and got public display" (Morrison 36-37). How will Morrison use the issue of privacy to develop characters and complicate character interactions?
What is meant by Paul D's thought "the jump, thought Paul D, from calf to girl wasn't all that mighty. Not the leap Halle believed it would be" (Morrison 36). Is this meant to show society's perception of women at the time or of African Americans?
In the very beginning of this novel when Sethe describes Sweet Home, she refers to it while saying "it never looked as terrible as it was and it made her wonder if hell was a pretty place too." This statement first makes question how this could directly connect to Dante's Inferno and also the reasoning as to why Sethe seems comfortable and accepting of their situation in slavery.
When the schoolteacher "punched the glittering iron out of Sethe's eyes," what does this iron signify. She is also later referred to as the "iron-eyed" girl. Iron is either durable in structures like buildings, or it is liquefied in heat. Does this mean having an "iron-eye" shows strength, venerability, or something else in ones character?
"'Boston. Get me some velvet. It's a store there called Wilson. I seen the pictures of it and they have the prettiest velvet. They don't believe I'm a get met it, but I am'" pg 40
1. On page 6 Sethe tells the reader about Sweet Home, and how even though it was a terrible place it never looked as horrifying as it really was; she then wonders if he'll was a pretty place too. In class, we talked about how Toni Morrison drew from many different sources in an attempt to create a new idea. Could this be an example of Toni Morrison drawing from the hell that Dante created and trying to make the reader consider something else?
2. What is chamomile and what is its significance? This is probably a simple question but there it is.
3. Why does Toni Morrison choose to focus on the relationship between a mother and daughter? It seems that we've always focused on the relationship between a father and his son. What could this shift represent?
What is the significance of the sycamore trees in the beginning of the section? I thought it was strange how the memory of the sycamore trees could possibly replace the memory of a human being.
What could Toni Morrison be trying to imply about the construct of human memory?
Here's the quote from page 6:
"Boys hanging from the most beautiful sycamores in the world. It shamed her--remembering the wonderful soughing trees rather than the boys. Try as she might to make it otherwise, the sycamores beat out the children every time and she could not forgive her memory for that" (Morrison, 6).
What kind of fantasy setting are we in where ghosts are real and can affect the physical world? Is it just a mass delusion?
What's the deal with the impromptu sex? That came out of left field, even considering context.
What's up with the "white dress knelt down next to [Sethe, with] its sleeve around [her] waist"? More magic? More mass delusion? Why does that image make Denver recall the story of her birth?
Totally general question but I'm curious: why do you think the book is written the way it is with the times switching so randomly? Is their any significance to this?
1. Who is the "he" that Sethe refers to on page 17? "And when he saw me he'd see the drops of it on the front of my dress." 2. The section about "I wouldn't have no nigger men round my wife" on page 11, explain? 3. Why do they reference the white staircase so much? What does it symbolize?
Sethe's reference to time... Why doesn't she believe in it? "I was talking about time... Right in the place where it happened" (Morrison 35-36).
ReplyDeleteWhy does Amy compare Sethe's swollen feet to a drowned black man? "I used to be a good size... Your feet remind me of him. All swole like" Morrison 34).
Denver feels as if she owns nothing, not even the absence of her father. Why else does she resent Sweet Home? "Denver sat down on the bottom step. There was nowhere else gracefully to go... Wear her out" (Morrison 13).
Do we know how the unnamed baby died?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the relationship between Paul D and Sethe?
Beginning in my book on page 18, the house becomes haunted by the dead baby... "It took him a while to realize..." (Morrison 18). What is going on? Do we know why the house is haunted?
Why does Morrison allow the lines between the past and present to blur, it she trying to illustrate the effect of our pasts on our current actions, identities and outlooks on life or is it something else?
ReplyDeleteMorrison introduces the idea of audience, intended or not with "And taking her in the corn rather than her quarters, a yard away from the cabins of the others who had lost out, was a gesture of tenderness. Halle wanted privacy for her and got public display" (Morrison 36-37). How will Morrison use the issue of privacy to develop characters and complicate character interactions?
What is meant by Paul D's thought "the jump, thought Paul D, from calf to girl wasn't all that mighty. Not the leap Halle believed it would be" (Morrison 36). Is this meant to show society's perception of women at the time or of African Americans?
In the very beginning of this novel when Sethe describes Sweet Home, she refers to it while saying "it never looked as terrible as it was and it made her wonder if hell was a pretty place too." This statement first makes question how this could directly connect to Dante's Inferno and also the reasoning as to why Sethe seems comfortable and accepting of their situation in slavery.
ReplyDeleteWhen the schoolteacher "punched the glittering iron out of Sethe's eyes," what does this iron signify. She is also later referred to as the "iron-eyed" girl. Iron is either durable in structures like buildings, or it is liquefied in heat. Does this mean having an "iron-eye" shows strength, venerability, or something else in ones character?
Why is Amy fixated on the velvet from Boston?
ReplyDelete"'Boston. Get me some velvet. It's a store there called Wilson. I seen the pictures of it and they have the prettiest velvet. They don't believe I'm a get met it, but I am'" pg 40
Why does Paul sing that song? Pg 48
I have a few questions that I'd like answered!
ReplyDelete1. On page 6 Sethe tells the reader about Sweet Home, and how even though it was a terrible place it never looked as horrifying as it really was; she then wonders if he'll was a pretty place too. In class, we talked about how Toni Morrison drew from many different sources in an attempt to create a new idea. Could this be an example of Toni Morrison drawing from the hell that Dante created and trying to make the reader consider something else?
2. What is chamomile and what is its significance? This is probably a simple question but there it is.
3. Why does Toni Morrison choose to focus on the relationship between a mother and daughter? It seems that we've always focused on the relationship between a father and his son. What could this shift represent?
What is the significance of the sycamore trees in the beginning of the section? I thought it was strange how the memory of the sycamore trees could possibly replace the memory of a human being.
ReplyDeleteWhat could Toni Morrison be trying to imply about the construct of human memory?
Here's the quote from page 6:
"Boys hanging from the most beautiful sycamores in the world. It shamed her--remembering the wonderful soughing trees rather than the boys. Try as she might to make it otherwise, the sycamores beat out the children every time and she could not forgive her memory for that" (Morrison, 6).
Why are Paul D and Sethe so unhappy and partially disgusted after sex?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of the antelope? pg. 31
DeleteWhat kind of fantasy setting are we in where ghosts are real and can affect the physical world? Is it just a mass delusion?
ReplyDeleteWhat's the deal with the impromptu sex? That came out of left field, even considering context.
What's up with the "white dress knelt down next to [Sethe, with] its sleeve around [her] waist"? More magic? More mass delusion? Why does that image make Denver recall the story of her birth?
Totally general question but I'm curious: why do you think the book is written the way it is with the times switching so randomly? Is their any significance to this?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the role of rape in this story? What does it represent?
ReplyDeleteWhy does Denver get so unexpectedly upset? What does she understand that she doesn't like?
How was the baby killed? What does the tree-like scar on Sethe's back represent?
ReplyDeleteHow was the baby killed? What does the tree-like scar on Sethe's back represent?
ReplyDelete1. Who is the "he" that Sethe refers to on page 17? "And when he saw me he'd see the drops of it on the front of my dress."
ReplyDelete2. The section about "I wouldn't have no nigger men round my wife" on page 11, explain?
3. Why do they reference the white staircase so much? What does it symbolize?
Why is there emphasis on washing feet and being barefoot?
ReplyDeleteWhy does Denver choose to be upset when Paul D arrives? Does it have to do with Paul D or just a coincidence?
What is the "tree" growing on Sethe's back represent and why does the whitegirl refer to it as that?
1. What is the purpose of the vivid details on pg 16-17 where Sethe is forming dough? "Seth took a little spit from the tip of her tongue.."
ReplyDelete2. What is causing Denver to feel such strong melancholia?
3. What is the significance of the repeated words and images: sweet, trees/branches, honey/baby?