The Love Triangle of 124

In this instance I do not mean love triangle as a romantic kind of love, but rather as many mysterious kinds all mixed together. As we become deeper intrenched in the world of Beloved, the relationships between Sethe, Denver, and Beloved become increasingly complicated. When we throw Paul D into the mix it complicates things further, because he effects all of the women in different ways.

It is obvious from Beloved's confession that she came back to see Sethe's face to Denver  that Beloved's number one priority is Sethe's attention. But Denver so deeply craves Beloved's love and attention that she is willing to overlook some of Beloved's questionable actions. Even after she is suspicious that Beloved may have been the one to strangle Sethe with her ghostly powers, she still says "Beloved was hers" (123).  It becomes evident that Denver resents Sethe for bringing Paul D to 124 and running out the baby ghost, who was her only company, her only person. Denver does not even take the time to worry that Beloved may be out to hurt Sethe, because "so unrestricted was her need to love another" (123). The conflict comes in when Denver would do anything to keep Beloved's love in her possession, even if it meant hurting Sethe, while Beloved would choose Sethe over Denver in a heartbeat.

Paul D complicates things because, Sethe, unaware of the effect Paul D has on both Denver and Beloved, loves how Paul D has the ability to make her feel like she could still make a life for herself. Sethe is beginning to move on but it seems as though Denver and Beloved want her to remember the past. They want the baby's ghostly presence to continue, so while Sethe is finally ready to put that in the past and make a life with Paul D, Denver is using Beloved to counteract Paul D's ability to drive the ghost out of the house. Now Denver has someone to hold on to, even if that someone was never hers in the first place.

So it seems as though Denver wants Beloved, Beloved wants Sethe, Sethe wants Paul D but thinks she already has Beloved and Denver, as she is always saying she loves them both like they're her own. I look forward to seeing how the dynamic at 124 progresses for the rest of Beloved.