As seen by Sethe and the way she experiences the external world around her, the past is consistently enveloping her to the point where it may be debilitating. When she goes to the Clearing to try and make sense of her life and revisit what used to be, she finds herself getting choked by the "ghost of Baby Suggs". Many may consider this as an actual ghost, but it could also represent the nature of her hostile past coming back again and again, and finally striking.
Of course, this was not the first time Sethe's past has revisited her at all hours of the day. However, this is a scene to note because it further exemplifies the idea that the past is always following us. It does not stay in the period of time in which it was born, and is not a passive agent in life. Rather, it is an active agent that helps people develop into who they become.
The remaining question is, who will Sethe ultimately become, and how is her past a more aggressive, active agent than Paul D or Beloved? When the past is constantly up her sleeves, we can only assume this isn't the only time Sethe's past will take a physical toll.
No comments:
Post a Comment