One of the strangest parts in a book of strange events is when Beloved's tooth falls out. That in itself isn't all that strange in itself, but what she thinks afterwards is. She thinks, "This is it. Next would be her arm, her hand, a toe. Pieces of her would drop maybe one at a time, maybe all at once" (157). What does she mean by this? Is she actually going to physically fall apart? In a world where ghosts are accepted as natural parts of life it certainly wouldn't be out of the question.
My best guess as to the explanation for this is she really is falling apart. She says this shortly after Paul D asks Sethe to have a baby with him. Even though she declines, it appears they have grown closer than ever before. We know Beloved can't stand to be away from Sethe, and this would certainly explain why. It would also explain why she doesn't like Paul D. It is almost as if she needs Sethe's complete attention or she can not exist in the physical world. That is my theory, at least. Perhaps it will be explained, perhaps not. But I will continue to eagerly read to see if Beloved falls apart.
I definitely agree with you Duncan! I think Beloved needs attention to survive. We saw earlier in the book about how defensive she is towards others when they question the mutual recognition between Sethe and Beloved. What I want to know, is why Morrison chose the tooth fall out instead of something else? Does it have an underlying meaning?
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