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.