Was it justifiable for Sethe to kill Beloved? Sethe claims that she did it out of love. But is it possible that her love was too deep?
Again and again Sethe attempts to explain to Beloved that she could not allow her to be brought up as a slave because she knows from experience that you start to loss your humanity and become ripped away from your freedom. But Beloved will not hear her out and constantly reminds Sethe that she left her.
Even if Sethe did not want to see her children brought up as slaves, I do not believe that she was justified to make the decision to kill her own children. Mothers are supposed to protect their children at all costs. Sethe thought protecting somehow equaled killing. But, isn't this the ultimate end that the children need protecting from? Sethe could instead have protected Beloved from injustices of slavery. Her extreme actions could have been channeled into protection from others, including the masters.
I think that Sethe is not necessarily trying to explain her actions to Beloved but more to her self, because she can't live knowing that she was wrong. And, as that knowledge becomes inescapable, Sethe sinks deeper and deeper into depression.
I think that Sethe is not necessarily trying to explain her actions to Beloved but more to her self, because she can't live knowing that she was wrong. And, as that knowledge becomes inescapable, Sethe sinks deeper and deeper into depression.
I don't think Sethe could have protected Beloved from the injustices of slavery. If there was any way she could do that as a slave, I think Sethe wouldn't have killed her, but there just isn't a way if you don't even own yourself. And children need to be protected from death, but I think that diminishes what would have happened to Beloved and the other children if they had grown up in slavery.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't make what Sethe did right, but I do think it was either death or prolonged suffering.
I don't think Sethe could have protected Beloved from the injustices of slavery. If there was any way she could do that as a slave, I think Sethe wouldn't have killed her, but there just isn't a way if you don't even own yourself. And children need to be protected from death, but I think that diminishes what would have happened to Beloved and the other children if they had grown up in slavery.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't make what Sethe did right, but I do think it was either death or prolonged suffering.