Iron-Eyed Woman

"And if she thought anything, it was No. No. Nono. Nonono. Simple. She just flew. Collected every bit of life she had made, all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried, pushed, dragged them through the veil, out, away, over there where no one could hurt them. Over there. Outside this place, where they would be safe."

Paul D goes to 124 in search of an explanation after he learns about Sethe's crime. This quote records Sethe's thoughts and how she saw her decision as a simple motherly act. Sethe wanted to secure her children's safety by sending them "over there" into the underworld rather than allow schoolteacher to take them to Sweet Home. This quote shows Sethe's passion for her children and also shows her identification of her children as "the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful." Allowing schoolteacher to take her children away would be allowing him to destroy everything good in herself and the only things she has truly loved.