When we took the survey before reading Beloved, I answered that a mother´s love cannot lead to a decision to destroy a child, and I definitely believed that.
I think now that we have finished this novel, my view on this subject has slightly changed. I have always thought that a good parent is a person that will do anything to protect their child from harm. This is essentially what Sethe was doing when she killed Beloved, right?
Although I have come to see that Sethe was just trying to protect her child, I think Sethe is crazy. She had just gotten her family out of slavery, why decide to kill them now? She says on page 194 that killing Beloved worked because her kids aren't at Sweet Home and Schoolteacher doesn't have them. I'm a little mystified by this because they had just escaped from Sweet Home, so would they not have spent the rest of their lives at 124?
Although I do think Sethe was a good parent, I do not think she is a reasonable person.
I agree Maya. I can't decide on whether I think Sethe is a good parent or not. I think slavery played a big role in what she did to her daughter, but I am not sure if I think it was still justified or not.
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