Innocence and Experience Research Topic

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Conformity & Rebellion Research Topic

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Culture & Identity Research Topic

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Love & Hate Research Topic

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The Presence of Death Research Topic

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Week 11 Question!! Final Blog Post! (2 Responses)

Do you find the conclusion of the novel satisfying? Why or why not? What are your final thoughts on the novel as a whole?

Week 10 Question! (1 Response)

In Chapter 25, Stamp Paid finds Paul D drinking outside a church. He reveals more of his story to Paul D, explaining the meaning behind his name.  Explain how Stamp Paid's story exemplifies the adage that there is a thin line between love and hate. Discuss all the characters in his story.  How does his story relate to Paul D's relationship with Sethe?

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Week 9 Question! (2 Responses)

In chapters 20-22, Sethe, Denver, and Beloved are given monologues.  Each character comes to terms with their own histories but there is also an overlap of the experiences.  How do the characters' perspectives differ? How are their perspectives similar?  Do you believe these characters' thoughts are reasonable?

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Week 8 Question! (1 Response)

Stamp Paid is an allegorical name, a character name that has symbolic meaning.  What is the significance of this character's name and his story?  How does his name relate to Sethe's current state of mind in Chapter 19?

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Week 7 Question!! (2 Responses)

Chapters 16-18 conclude Part I of the novel.   In these chapters the ugliness of Sethe's act is revealed to Paul D and described by the narrator and Sethe herself.   How does Sethe define motherhood? What does her ignorance about raising a child (her reflections on being a mother at Sweet Home) imply about her desperate act?  Do you agree with this implication? How do other characters in the story react to her behavior?  How do you feel about her act?

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Week 6 Question! (1 Response)

In Chapter 15, we gain more insight into Baby Suggs' story.  What themes of conformity and rebellion are introduced in her life story? How does Baby Suggs' life represent the consequences of conformity, as it relates specifically to the institution of slavery?

Week 5 Question! (2 Responses)

In Chapter 10, more of Paul D's story is revealed.  What do you think Paul D's trembling is symbolic of? How does this chapter and the next chapter, where Paul D encounters Beloved, address the themes of conformity and rebellion?  

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Week 4 Question! (1 response)

The narrator notes in Chapter 9, "There was no question but that she could do it. Just like the day she arrived at 124--sure enough, she had milk enough for all" (189). This line suggests both a literal and figurative meaning.  Choose one character (Denver, Paul D, or Beloved) and explain what type of "milk" or nourishment this character requires and/or demands from Sethe. In other words, what do they need or desire from her. Explain.  

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Week 3 Question (2 responses)

Question: 
What struck you as the most obvious or perhaps the most ambiguous (if you're brave) clue that Beloved, a fully dressed woman who walked out of the water, is the physical manifestation of Sethe's dead child?  Explain the clue in detail and why it signifies the relationship between the "two" Beloveds.

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Chapters 1-3

In the first three chapters of Toni Morrison's Beloved, we are introduced to a character named Sethe who has never had an easy life. Major themes introduced into the novel are death, uncertainty, poverty, and the absence of men. In the novel, people are dying daily, Seth mentions in the book how her daughter is the only person she has left. There is uncertainty with Denver, Seth's daughter, who wanders about the past which her mom continues to shield her from. Poverty is also mentioned in the book, yet not heavily. Lastly, there is an absence of men in the book. Most of the male characters are mentioned, but are not there in the book- they have either ran away or died. So far, there has been one male character whose played a role in the novel, Paul D. Unfortunately, Sethe has long lost her innocence and is very experienced now. I believe that one point when a person looses their innocence is when they realize the world is not perfect. As a result, after seeing death as much as Sethe did, as well as seeing life born (her daughter) and having all this anger inside from her past, she is a experienced woman. However, I do applaud her for trying to keep her daughter's innocence.

Janisse Bowles Week 2

In the first three chapters of Beloved, we are introduced to Sethe where she is full of loneliness, regret, and sadness. With everything that happened in her life, Sethe has lost her innocents and is far more experienced now. She has to deal with the lost of her Grandma and Baby Suggs. Also with the lost of her two sons that ran away. Before she ran away from Sweet Home she had to deal with being raped and beaten. Sethe was brave enough to leave knowing she deserved a better life and that she could give her baby Denver a better one as well. Denver is a little more mature for her age, because she lives in a haunted house and because she is a only child, Denver has a little more experience than most childern her age.

Osaro Omofomwan, Week 2

In the first three chapters of Beloved some of the reoccuring themes are grief, pain, and loneliness. Grievance comes into play mainly in the first chapter. Sethe griefs over the loss of Grandma Suggs, the murdering of her baby girl, and the loss of her two sons due to the ghost of the baby girl within the house. Pain comes into play when Sethe talks about all the horrors that occured at Sweet Home. The pain she endured at Sweet Home was unimaginable. She was raped and abused by men at Sweet Home, which led to the sculpting of the chokecherry tree on her back. It became a reminder of where she had come from and all the hardships she went through during the time she was there. It was kind of like her own personal symbol. Finally, there was a sense of loneliness throughout the first three chapters of the book. Sethe and her daughter Denver had been lonely for a very long time, even from the time Sethe escaped from Sweet Home, while impregnated with Denver. On her journey to freedom she was all on her own. The only person who really helped her was the little white girl who gave her the location of the house where she and her daughter now resides. In her conversation with Paul D she emphasized that she had made it all by herself, meaning that she had found freedom and made a living for herself on her own, and she had a certain pride for herself in knowing what she had done. Innocence would obviously represent Sethe's past. As a slave she was young and naive, and she couldn't really make any decisions for herself. Now, in the present she is more experienced and on her own. She has been through all the pain and sorrow Sweet Home had to offer and now she is trying to make a living for herself and her daughter.

Week 2

In the first three chapters, the themes of the story are anger, loss, memory, and supernatural. The ghost use anger as a weapon to bend Sethe and Denver away from the house. Denver is angry after Paul D scared away the ghost because it was the only companion she had after losing her brothers and Baby Suggs. Loss of companionship is a large part of Denver's life, because life at 124 had became so lonely. Another theme is memory because that's all she have. Sethe explains to Denver that the power of memories and how they are immoral. Memories have an effect on the present because they change the way we look at the world. The power of some experiences can be strong. Some of the supernatural things in the story are the description of the baby ghost knocking a pot of chickpeas to the floor, shattering a mirror, putting handprints in a cake, and leaving a line of crumbled crackers near the door. The family do not keep the ghost a secret so the crazy things that happen in the story are not surprising because they know.

Week 2 Question

On several occasion throughout the first three chapters of the novel we see examples of how the past intrudes on the present and this introduces the theme that "Nothing ever dies", as Denver soon comes to realize in Chapter 3 (43). People,feelings but especially memory are among the things that come back to haunt the characters in their present lives. No matter how long ago something may have occurred (such as the tree that the boys planted on Sethe's back) or how many times a person makes attempts at forgetting ( Sethe trying to forget the slaying of her daughter) memories can never escape the mind, be forgotten or subdued. Or at least the memories that you don't want to keep. Certain memories, the characters cannot remember; Baby Sugg only remembered that her oldest child liked the bottom of burnt bread and Sethe could not even remember what state she was born in but in chapter three she says "I mean, even if I don't think it, even if I die, the picture of what I did, or knew, or saw is still out there" (43). These three chapters constantly refer back to the past almost as if the most important and essential parts of the novel occur during an earlier time period. Although the story takes place in the present the real story; the story behind the ghost happened long ago.
Innocence and Experience play a large part in Sethe's past and although experience definitely represents the state of most of her past we can see little bits of innocence here and there. In Sethe's past, experience washes away her innocence and this occurs after the death of Mr. Garner. When Sethe had first arrived at Sweet Home all of the men there respected her and life was not hard but the name of the plantation certainly fit better at the time. When School teacher arrived at Sweet Home after the death of Mr. Garner that is when Sethe's innocence was swept away, he is to blame for her experience. During that time Sethe's milk was taken, she was whipped severely and soon after that she ran way from "Sweet Home" and the man that was responsible for turning that "home" into a not so sweet one. Sethe experienced more when School Teacher went looking for her a little later and instead of leaving with him, she went to jail (that is all she lets readers know for the moment). However in contrast to her past, Sethe presently lives in a state of innocence although her memory constantly reminds her of what she has experienced. I think Sethe lives this way because all of her experience has worn her out for example she refuses to move from the house after Paul D suggests because she will do "No more running- from nothing" (18). She lives a quiet and lonely life with her only living daughter and even though the house has tantrums she endures them and justifies the ghost's actions; endures the punishment for killing her child.

Alexis Lloyd: Week 2

The intrusions that introduce the novel are guilt, sorrow, regret, and uncertainty. From the beginning Sethe is very uncertain about the things that are happening to her and her family. She feels regret and sorrow because of the loss of her baby girl and the fact that the baby is still haunting them. Sethe also feels guilty because she doesn’t out right say that it is her fault her daughter is dead but I think she feels that its her fault that her two sons left her and n one come to visit her or her daughter because of the dead baby. In Sethe’s past innocence is the state that is most represented because she is so naïve when it comes to things like her marriage and her place during that time in society. But I also feel that innocence is represented in her present because she acts as though she knows nothing about life except her past and the memories that she has. But even the memories doesn’t help her because it seems as if in her past she didn’t get any experience in anything except being a mother. The only thing it seems she’s capable of is providing for her family but she doesn’t really know anything about life. She feels like she’s stuck in that house just because the soul of her baby girl but she doesn’t realize that while trying to please the ghost of her child she is hurting her other children especially Denver. Denver is becoming a young woman and is being isolated from the rest of the world because she doesn’t have any friends or other people to have mature conversations with except her mother. In the long run it is going to hurt her and like Paul D said it’s driving her crazy. In my option she should follow suit and leave just like her brothers did.

Shaneau Richardson: Week 2

In the first three chapters of Beloved, Seth's past is haunting her present. Seth's past represents experiance. Seth recalls memories of her past everyday. One example of how her past effects the present is when Paul D comes to visit. Paul D has been sexually longing for Seth for thirty years. The memories he recalls of Seth and Halle at Sweet Home, is nothing like what he experienced. When Paul D and Seth are in bed, both of their mines are constantly on the memories they had of each other. Paul D's thirty years of longing was a burden to him. His memories were so strong that he created this anticipated fantasy that was met. This is a great example of how the past keeps intruding on the future.
The future represents Seth's innocene in my opinion. It's almost as if her life cycle has done the complete opposite. She constantly day dreams, and has isolated herself and her daughter from the outside world. Seth's imagination and recollection of the past obsessively everday, can be compared to a child's imagination. Also, Seth's isolation can be compared to a child who has not developed social skills with others.
When Denver asks Seth about the phantom dress comforting her, Seth responds that even though things are destroyed, they always have a prescence, not only in people's mines, but in the real world. The past seems to have a great effect on the charactars of the novel in these three chapters, and thus far, it seems to shape the charactar's thoughts of future events.

clarice williams week 2

In the first Chapters I read the theme of the story are abandoned, sorrow, and melancholy. Abandoned comes along when Sethe two boys Howard and Buglar left the house due to the evilness they felt was in it. Sorrow as well because she loss most of all her love ones: her daugher, two sons, and baby Suggs. Melancholy because Sethe went throught several things in her life. Her life in the past and the present represent Experience due to the fact that she was rape and the loss of many people. She been taken advantage of and she fought throughtout her intired life.

In the first three chapters, the main themes that comes to mind are grief and sadness. Sethe displays a great amount of grief over the loss of her children. she lost her two sons, and murders her daughter, as well as the death of Baby Suggs. Also, Sethe's daughter Denver, has felt loneliness because she has no friends, she is a shy girl without hardly any knowledge of the outside world. I believe that her past shows her innocence because she was a slave and not very knowledgeable of how cruel the world could fully be. She had not yet experienced any true loss or hardship. Also, I believe that the present is much more experienced in the fact that Sethe knows the hardships of slavery and in an attempt to protect her children she tries to murder them and only killing her newborn daughter and her sons running away. This event marks the experience of Sethe's emotion.

Jordan Davis: Week 2

In the first three chapters of Beloved, the themes that intrusions form the past introduce are loneliness, rage, and sorrow. Sethe is lonely from the loss of her loved ones: her two sons, her daughter, and Baby Suggs. She has suffered a great deal in the loss of those closest to her and continues to grieve through out the beginning chapters of the book. Denver is also lonely. she explains to Paul D that they have not had visitors in a long time. No one comes around the house anymore because the house is haunted. Reveries of moments with her brothers are seen throughout the first few chapters. Rage is introduced when Paul D first enters the house and there's a red light pulsating throughout. It is obvious from Paul D's interaction with the specter of Sethe's deceased baby that she's ( the ghost) is upset and Paul D's presence in the house triggers some serious paranormal activity. Sethe's sorrow is seen throughout the first few chapters. She has had a rough childhood and has been raped and taken advantage of and is dealing with her past everyday. Experience would describe her past, she has been through so much. Its hard to fathom the psychological issues she has to overcome because of her past. Experience describes her future. The only way she can retain her innocence is through her memories.

Courtney Tannehill: Week 2

In the first 3 chapters of the novel, the past is constantly intruding on the present. I feel as if Paul D is representative of the past intruding on the present life of Sethe and Denver. Introduced in the novel are themes of sadness, evilness, and loneliness. Sadness was displayed when both Baby Suggs and Sethe speak of their children that are no longer with them. Sethe two boys left the home due to the evilness that possessed the house and all of Baby Suggs children were thought of as dead. Sethe's dead baby girl is representative of evilness. The little girl's spirit haunts the home in which Sethe and Denver occupies. The evil spirit terrorizes the home, is responsible for Howard and Buglar leaving, and is a constant reminder of Sethe's past. Denver speaks of how lonely she really is while Paul D and her mother Sethe is upstairs. She reminisce about her brothers Howard and Buglar and the mere times they spent with one another. Experience would best represent Sethe's past and present. I say this because what I can gather from the first 3 chapters, Sethe never really had a childhood. She had it hard from as long as she could remember. Nothing in her life signifies innocence. From as long as she can fathom life was a fight, a steady struggle for survival, whether it be through her kids or herself. The tree on her back is also significant of experience. I feel as if the struggle of Sethe's past experiences are symbolized here.

Brianna Miles: Week 2

Some major themes brought up in the first three chapters are mainly grief, bitterness, and regret. I say grief because of Sethe's pain over the loss of almost all of her loved ones. She loss her husband, her mother-in-law Baby Suggs, her daughter, and her two sons. She hasn't truly healed from all those losses. Bitterness is a theme because of the baby's spirit that's in the house. Sethe makes it seem as if the spirit is upset with her for letting her die. The baby's spirit does weird stuff with the house that eventually runs Sethe's two sons away. The spirit is bitter over it's death. Regret is also a theme because of the struggle that Sethe is having. She regrets not being their for her daughter when she sent her way, especially in regards to the breast milk. Even at the beginning of the book she regrets not putting more words on her daughter's tombstone.
I think innocence would describe Sethe's past. Besides being a slave, she was innocent. She hadn't loss any of her loved ones yet. In the book she said she was proud that Halle fathered all of her children. This made it seem as if she didn't know that it could be any other way. Also she didn't know exactly how to go about marrying Halle after he proposed. That was very innocent of her not to know that they needed a ceremony among other things. Experience would describe Sethe's present because she had gone through a lot of life's hardships by then. She has experienced a wife's pain, a mother's pain, and physical pain.

Week 2 Question! Our first question: Make it Great!!!

In the first three chapters of the novel as well as in the chapters that follow, the past is constantly intruding on the present.  What major themes do these intrusions introduce in the novel? Keeping in mind the memories of Sethe’s past related thus far and the reality of her present circumstances, which state, innocence or experience, would best represent Sethe’s past, and which state, innocence or experience, would best represent Sethe’s present. Explain why.     

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