This novel was full of twists and turns, including some unexpected, downward spirals. I’m greatly pleased to have shared this experience along with Sethe, Beloved, Denver, and all the other characters in this book. One character that was never presented was Halle. Other than some descriptions and flashbacks, Halle never appears! I was very shocked in the end of the novel because I believed Halle was going to make a big return to save the day. Toni Morrison did a very good job with not creating the idealistic happy ending for this novel. The African American experience leading up to the end of slavery was definitely not a happy ending and did have its rough edges, as does this book. Something that greatly surprised me was the effect that slavery had on African American people. I was very shocked when reading the description of Sethe killing her baby. That moment was when I realized that slavery made people do unimaginable things in order to protect the ones they love. I feel that I would never be able to harm one of my own children and I cannot see how anyone is able to do so in real life. However, after reading about what Sethe was protecting her child from, I am able to understand her reasoning behind it. She never wanted her baby to live the life of a slave; she wanted her eldest daughter to be free from racism and prejudice. An event that did not catch me off guard was Paul D’s return for Sethe in the end. I think Paul D is the one of the only people, other than Denver, who understands Sethe the most. They need to depend on each other for survival. When Paul D returns to 124 to find Sethe, he tells her how he is going to help take care of her in the future. He sees that Sethe is slowly fading away, just as Baby Suggs did before she died, and he is willing to do everything in his power to prevent her from fading any further. He offers to rub her feet, this parallels how the little white girl helped rub Sethe’s feet when she was running away. Just as the little girl brought Sethe’s feet back to life, Paul D will strive to bring the old Sethe back to life.
I think race still remains an issue, especially with the use of the “N-word”. I believe this is the most controversial topic concerning race for present time. I do not agree with the fact that this word is constantly in popular rap songs and no one blinks an eye, but when a white person says this word, everyone goes insane. The reaction to this word is a bit contradictory. In the same aspect, I think Sethe is fine with her and Baby Suggs commenting on themselves, but when an unwelcomed, outside source speaks his/her opinion about them, they would become defensive and aggressive. Some African Americans consider this word a part of their common vocabulary, but will correct anyone else from a different race or ethnicity who says this. I also believe that this word is extremely powerful especially because of the history that flows through it. This is a derogatory word and should not be taken lightly. Relating this to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I think Mark Twain repeatedly used the “N-word” to help the reader remember the setting of this story, the time period and how common this word was back in the day. Without acknowledging the power and importance of the word, one gives it even more power. This is a very controversial book because of its repeated use of the “N-word”. Close to the Bible, this is one of the most banned books. I think that if Mark Twain would have replaced that word with anything else, it would not have the same lasting impact.
