Last week, I blogged about how young Denver seemed to be. She was incredibly dependent on her mother, Sethe. I thought she was 12 years old when in reality, she was 18 years old. After finishing the book, I saw the novel as Sethe's story, but Toni Morrison has said the Beloved is Denver's story, which I also understand. Denver's story is one of significant growth.
When Sethe and Beloved began to grow closer, I felt sorry for Denver. She lost her mother to an evil sister. But as the story progressed, I saw that Denver was actually fortunate to have been excluded by her mother and sister. It allowed her to become an adult. She left her home for the third time in her life and even go herself a job working for the Bowdin's. The final encounter we have with Denver is a conversation she has with Paul D in which he realizes how mature she has become. In this moment the reader realizes, along with Paul D, that Denver is in fact an adult with opinions of her own.
Great post! I agree completely. I also thought that it was good for Denver that Beloved came back cutting her off from her home forcing her to grow up. I wonder if Denver would have still grown up if Beloved did not come back from the dead? I personally don't think so. Nice post again.
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