Tony Morrison, in Beloved, writes a scene of Sethe, Paul D, and Denver at a carnival. Here, they display the actions of a "normal" family - indulging in sweets and entertaining themselves with thrill upon thrill. During this scene, she indicates that although "they were not holding hands... their shadows were" (56). She concludes the chapter with "the shadows of three people still held hands" (59).
When Beloved enters 124 Bluestone Road, the readers learn that her arrival leads to an insatiable desire of and fascination with Sethe to a point where Beloved stalks her within the house. When waking early to watch Sethe make bread, Morrison writes, "their two shadows clashed and crossed on the ceiling like black swords" (68).
The contrast between these two moments are emblematic of Sethe's past. Though she may not show it all the time, she's grateful for Denver and Paul D and shares pleasant memories with them from her past. Their shadows - or their ghosts - cling to each other in dependence. Beloved, on the other hand, is a reminder to Sethe of her murdered baby, a deed which haunts her within the physical walls of 124 and in her heart and mind. She treats Beloved as if she were her dead daughter, as if she were making up for lost time. But she's only fooling herself.
Our shadows hold our deepest secrets and our greatest despairs.
This is a powerful comment, Sophia. There is still a lot of find out about Beloved and Sethe, but there is clearly something more than meets the eye with their relationship. In particular, I think Morrison wishes the reader to fill in the blanks of a story only half told. I wonder if more of Beloved and Sethe's shadows will develop into something more tangible as the story continues.
ReplyDeleteI also am intrigued by the relationship the characters have with ghosts in this novel. When Denver sees the white dress wrapped around Sethe while she is praying is an another example of how they interact. I'm interested to see what else happens between the ghosts and the family.
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