Beloved @geocorona2015 - Tumblr Blog

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...

geocorona2015

Ivanna, I think that the messages you were able te receive from this novel were carefully analized and well thought! I agree with the point that you make that this novel is not like any other ordinary novels, Beloved is not a love story, rather than a work of fictional literature addressing a realistic issue: slavery. I also appreciated how Toni Morrison did not inlcude the typical "happy ending" and I also enjoy how she left everything kind of up in the air. I believe she did this to help us focus on the real issue, which is all of the ugly things in this book that made us feel chills on our skin and a knot in our throats. When you talk about Sethe killing her own daughter, I also could not believe it at first. I thought it was completely idiotic! How could a mother kill her own flesh?! Now I understand, as well as you. Sethe killed her daughter as a very drastic way of protection. She wanted to protect her own flesh from slavery and prejudice in society. Finally, another point that you made me aware, that I had not thought about, was when you mentioned the rubbing of the feet. I think that analysis is great! I liked how you relate the rubbing of Sethe's feet and her continuing to live (very symbolic!). Although Toni does not make this a love story with a typical happy ending, she does acknowledge the fact that we all need support in order to get through the tough obstacles in life. She gives us an example through the incredible bond Sethe and Paul D share, and how they both support each other in keeping each other well and alive. You had a great approach to this novel and its message!

Download song on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/let-it-go-africanized-cover/id825753331 Download on Bandcamp here: http://alexboye.bandcamp.c...

Although this is a song from a Disney movie, it does talk about letting go and not being afraid of what is out there. It talks about letting your old self and breaking out, which really ties to Sethe and all of the characters in Beloved with their fear of their own past and memories.

I came across this beautiful and different version, and debated on posting the original version or this one. However, i chose this one because it reminded me of how Beloved is a unique novel in the way it delivers its message, just like this unique cover!

Paul McCartney's appearance at the Nobel Peace Prize celebration in 2001

"You are your best thing."

This is also a quote i found to be beautiful, and it reminded me of Jim in a way. I reminds me of when Jim says how much he is worth, and then how he mentions that he is rich because he owns himself. This quote embraces that, and how your own freedom is the best thing anybody could own. There is nothing more valuable than yourself!

"Me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow."

This quote really stood out to me because it is the answer they have been looking for in the entire novel, they are accepting their issue on their past, letting go and moving forward.

Final Thoughts

Through the novel that I had the opportunity to read, I learned about the African-American experience through a completely different style! Beloved is a unique novel which contains a different style of writing and a more fictional yet thought provoking story line. In this novel, many issues of the African-American experience are addressed, the main one being slavery. Throughout this entire novel, slavery is present, in every corner. Slavery is displayed in all forms, physical, mental, and emotional. Slavery is displayed in the physical form, with all the examples of when they lived in Sweet Home and were dehumanized by schoolteacher. How they were chained up, locked in holes, whipped, forced to put bits in their mouths, wear collars, and do hours of inhumane labor. Slavery is also displayed in the mental form, and this is a big one in this novel. This mental entrapment follows them even as they escape from Sweet Home, it haunts them, literally! This is a big part why they keep having flashbacks throughout the novel, and can’t seem to let go of the past. They are simply slaves of their memories. Finally it also displays emotional slavery. This is seen and felt throughout the entire novel. Emotional slavery is the fact that they are all so nostalgic when it comes to their past and so paranoid with their present. They are so numb to their future, that they do not even think about it.

What surprised me was how well this novel delivered this message, and emphasized the issue of the horrors of slavery in all forms. As I was reading it, I couldn’t help but to cringe and get goose bumps on my skin. I was surprised how men and women could be so cruel to their own kind. It is amazing to think how the color of our skin defined our value in society and either benefited us or punished us with a life of torture and pain. In the end we are all human, and we should not be responsible for another’s happiness. We should only attempt to maximize it, but not create it and certainly not take it away from them! We are not allowed to play God, we should not feel “ok” with harming humans and sometimes even taking their lives. I believe that due to our past history in slavery, the state of race relations in the United Stated is more tolerant today. Now a days there are still slaves in the world, but in the United States, it has become illegal and socially unacceptable (when it used to be as something normal). Although there are still some people who are racist and ignorant to these things, and continue to cause trouble, the cases regarding these issues are less severe. This connects to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn perfectly. In this novel, slavery is also a big issue, and society does nothing about it. In fact, society is a great supporter in slavery. It also connects in the sense that in both novels, there are a group of main characters who wish to escape their past and start fresh, like Sethe and Paul D and Huck and Jim.

The End

I began by reading this novel with an open mind, which later became extremely confused and conflicted by all of the plot twists and horrible events which occur during this novel. Reading Beloved was like being on a roller coaster! It had its ups and downs, sometimes I read some things that made me feel happy inside and other times I read things that made my skin rise. I thought that by the time that I finished reading the book, I would finally completely understand it, but I have clearly been mistaken! I am so confused, so confused that I actually understand now. The novel Beloved simply contains so many complex plots that are there for a reason; to help you have your own opinion on its issues.

This novel should have said, “to be continued” at the end! I refuse to believe that it simply ends like that. I sometimes hope that Beloved would have more of an explanation of the characters like any other normal novel. For example: what happens to Sethe and Paul D? What later becomes of Denver? What about her two brothers? Do they ever become reunited again? WHAT HAPPENS TO BELOVED?! These are all questions that I was not clear on because the novel simply does not provide that information. But then again, this is not any novel. This novel contains a lot of analysis, symbols and reflection.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel, it allowed me to have my own reactions to things, and didn’t simply just give me a story to read, but a story to reflect.

I made this video on Father's Day, and I think every parent should listen to it. *I do not own this song. I posted it for entertainment purposes only* Rate, ...

This is a very sweet song about daughters, which I feel is appropriate to what I have read so far in these chapters. Sethe loves her daughters unconditionally. They put the color inside of her world.

Forgetting what is not meant to be forgotten This picture has been making the rounds on Facebook (again, it seems) with over 4500 shares from one original source. The caption tells the story of a Japanese mother sacrificing for her child. The full text is as follows: > This is a true story of...

CAPTION: The Sacrifice Of A Mother

#japan #earthquake #mother #child

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

What moves me most of Sethe’s situation is that she has had it very rough throughout the entire novel, and she never displays any sign of weakness. Her past continues to haunt her, like Beloved haunts 124. Another protagonist is Beloved, and her situation also moves me because at first I was crept out by her but now I am beginning to feel sorry for her. In the chapters that I have read so far, I have been given the opportunity of getting into plenty of character’s heads, allowing the reader to get a chance of connecting to that character. Beloved is a mysterious character who has finally displayed a sign of feeling vulnerable. Besides just being a creepy character that shows out nowhere and is capable of doing supernatural things, she is actually a victim in this novel. She represents the past and its horrors and most importantly the most difficult decision Sethe had to make.

When Sethe was a save in Sweet Home, school teacher and his nephew would make her life a living hell. Sethe had the unfortunate opportunity to have her children with her. However, Sethe knew of the horrors that school teacher and his nephew were capable of doing. So after enduring so much abuse, Sethe being a mother and caring for her children to a new level, decided to kill her children just so they wouldn’t have to live through what she did. What moves me more of Sethe’s struggle here is that she had to kill her own baby girl, Beloved. Another horrible fact is that she didn’t just kill her quickly and painfully, she had to kill her with a saw. After reading this I nearly cried. I can’t imagine how horrible it must be for a mother to kill her own child. The worst thing is that Sethe did this out of love. She just wanted her children to be safe and not have to endure the abuse in Sweet Home. Even after killing her daughter, Sethe continues to move on and even tries to start a new life with her other daughter, Denver. I am amazed by her strength! How can she be so willing to keep living?

If I was in these circumstances and had to kill my own children as an attempt to keep them safe, I honestly would not know what to do. Fortunately, I have not had the experience Sethe has had and I don’t know how it feels to have children and love them unconditionally. I don’t think I would respond by murdering my children, especially with a hand saw. I’d probably try to escape or at least help my children escape. I guess I can’t really say how I would have responded in these circumstances. What I can say is that I am well aware what love can do and how desperate times call for desperate measures.

discovering-beloved

Singing is very important in African American culture. It is a way to momentarily escape the harsh reality of their situation and turn to a happy, alternate circumstance. After driving out the evil baby spirit, Paul D repairs the table which he broke back together while singing a song, “He was up...

geocorona2015

I found it very interesting that you chose to connect oral tradition on Morrison's writing. I like your perspective on the topic of singing and how she tells her own story through it. I think you are right, singing was a tradition they had and one that continues to live on. I agree with how singing not only relieves stress and gets work done, but also helps tell a story and allows the reader to connect even more. I believe that singing not only tells the story, but also connects the reader in many ways!

caseybarbosa

Toni Morrison includes traditional, folkloric, non-literary African-American culture in Beloved in more ways than one. However, the aspect of African American culture she includes that stands out to me the most is the almost permanent physical, emotional, and mental effect of the torture the main...

geocorona2015

I agree with your opinion on how the characters are continually haunted by not only the ghosts, but also the ghosts of their past. Their memories play a big part in their development, and unfortunately, not in a good way for Paul D and Sethe. These memories are like a rock that hold them back and force them to remain in their past rather than letting them live in their present and move forward towards their future. It is very sad how their torture continues to develop with them.

The Author's Unique Touch

Toni Morrison includes traditional, folkloric, non-literary African-American culture in Beloved. Most of it has been derived from African roots. It is very interesting Morrison decided to take this risky and unusual turn and pick out some issues and combine them in her writing. However, this unique characteristic of her writing is what allows the readers to understand the message she tries to convey, at a deeper level. The traditional, folkloric, and non-literary African-American culture of the novel has many benefits to it. These benefits include a deep understanding of the issues which revolve and develop throughout the story, such as those of slavery, religion and the supernatural, and personal struggles. Especially since they are derived from deep African roots, which is something that emphasizes more on the actual hardship rather than the story.

The issue of slavery is a big issue, which is clearly the center of this novel. It is compared to ancient forms of slavery and more recent ones, "The wrists he held out for bracelets that evening were steady as were the legs he stood on when chains were attached to the leg irons. But when they shoved him into the box and dropped the cage door down, his hands quit taking instruction" (Morrison 126). This cruel form of punishment allows the reader to fully understand that slavery for African-Americans was an extreme form of slavery. They had to endure horrible hardships under inhumane conditions. The issue of religion and the supernatural is also mentioned throughout the novel. Religion is a big part for any culture, and since ancient Africans were very spirit based and leaned more to the superstitious side, the whole supernatural concept of the novel embodies that theme. Beloved, a main character, is suspected to be a ghost who haunts Sethe and the rest due to abnormal things that happen to her or that are caused by her, "Beloved dropped the folds of her skirt. It spread around her. The hem darkened in the water" (Morrison 124). Beloved appears to be an evil spirit. Finally, the theme of personal struggles. Every character struggles with their own memories. These memories from their past continue to haunt their present and deny them any hope for a future. This acknowledgement of this last issue allows the reader to understand that slavery was not just physical, but also mental and emotional and could cause permanent damage.

Continued....

By now i have further read into the novel, and things have been getting very creepy! This novel started out by being a sad story about a slave who lost her children and her freedom, then it evolved to a love story haunted by memories, and now it has completely turned into a horror story. These chapters have me flipping every page in fear of more horrible things that could happen to Sethe. Sethe finally seems to be happy with Paul D, and vice versa. However, Beloved is not so happy about that, so she decides to find ways to ruin it for them and be the one who is happy with Sethe. So far I am not liking Beloved at all! I think she is very sketchy and should do something with her own time. Denver and Sethe, however, LOVE Beloved and do not see anything wrong with her, aside from the obvious fact that she is alone and needs help.

This story has not only turned into a horror story, but also into a very sad one. There has been a lot of time changes throughout the chapters, where I have read about Paul D's past. Paul D has had a rough time, which has impacted on how he behaves now. I feel really sorry for Paul D, and like this character. I want Paul D and Sethe to stay together because they make a cute couple, and they really need each other! I see them as a bee and a flower, both beautiful and dependent on each other. I see Sethe as the flower who continues to bloom throughout the novel and Paul D as the bee who comes and goes to and away from Sethe. They both equally need each other to survive and be happy. I feel bad for how Paul D always remembers his past, like the time he was sent to that cruel jail. I had never read anything like that! It was torture! Paul D has gone through horrible hardships and finally fins peace with Sethe. Beloved has become obsessed with ruining this peace, and I personally think she needs to stop.

Any corrections to the lyrics are welcome. Enjoy this masterpiece song off of Fleet Foxes' EP "Sun Giant"! :) Crown of leaves, high in the window on a cold m...

#sethe #paulD #beloved

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