Morals vs. Pain

Beloved was a story filled with pain and suffering that one can't even begin to imagine. The physical and mental beating the characters of this story endured was nothing short of a travesty, but with great pain comes a lot important choice to make. One of those choices fell upon Sethe, which was one in which she either killed her children, or gave them up to the cruel world they would have to be introduced to. This is a tough question, and it is more of a philosophical question in that, does Sethe have the right to kill her children? While her intentions were pure, one could argue that it is not her choice to make, and that she is just as murderous as anyone. However, I understand why she felt she had to act the way she did. Life was not good for anyone back then, no one would have wished any of the pain anyone went through on their worst enemy. So why would they wish it on their children? I believe Sethe made the right decision, although she only succeeded in killing her smallest child, and the others will have to live it out, at least she was able to spare one of these children from enduring the pain of the world she lived in.