Thursday, November 15, 2018
Denver and 124
On page 17 of Beloved, Denver cries to her mother that she "...can't live here. I don't know where to go or what to do, but I can't live here" (17). She then tells her mother that she can't live her because "Nobody speaks to us. Nobody comes by. Boys don't like me. Girls don't either" (17). It's implied here that Paul D has been Denver and Sethe's first visitor in years. Her brothers left years ago, and it's been nearly 9 years since Baby Suggs died. It's also implied that they live in an area where people live within walking distance from them, yet their neighbors don't talk to Denver or Sethe because they live in a haunted house. Because Denver is now 18 and Baby Suggs died almost 9 years ago and her brothers ran away just before she died, Denver has had no human contact with anyone aside from her mother since she was about 9 years old.
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If I was Denver I would definitely feel the same way. I couldn't imagine living somewhere that totally restricts your life. I'm not sure I could just run away from my loving mother, but I would have to do something, because that sounds like living hell.
ReplyDeleteThis is a cycle of exclusion. Denver's neighbors do not interact with Denver, and Denver in turn does not leave the house or have many visitors because nobody wants to have anything to do with her family. Denver is ostracized and because she does not talk to many people, she is a bit socially awkward, making it harder for her to break down the barrier between herself/her family and outsiders.
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