Finding Strength in Beloved Essay

Finding the Strength

In Toni Morrisons Beloved, some of the events that the African American characters engaged in are perceived by many as dehumanizing to their race. What is often forgotten is what these characters went through during slavery, that they had endured so much in their lives and yet they still are pushing through all lifes adversities continue to conquer their fears or phobias that their past scars have left them with. Although some readers may see some of the horrific events of this book as demeaning to the African American race, that is only how they appear on the surface; in reality African Americans were forced to deal with hard decisions and their decisions were chosen based on the lesser of the two evils, this is empowering to their race and not cruel.

Sethe is a character that caused great debate in the literary world because of her actions in this novel. It is often forgotten what she had suffered herself. Sethe told Paul D. about an event that happened at 124, Those boys came in there and took my milk. Thats what they came in there for. Held me down and took it. I told Mrs. Garner on em. She had that lump and couldnt speak but her eyes rolled out tears. Them boys found out I told on em. Schoolteacher made one open up my back, and when it closed it made a tree. It grows there still (Morrison, 19-20). Sethes breast milk was taken from her against her will. She showed great bravery in asking for help from Mrs. Garner but it backfired on her and she was whipped and beaten by schoolteacher as punishment, even though she was pregnant. The whiplashes were so brutal they left scars in the shape of a tree. Sethes reference to it still growing suggests the memories of the horrific event are still carried with her. This is just one example of the unimaginable suffrage endured during slavery. But Sethe shows unbelievable strength at this dreadful time in her life. When found in the grass by a woman named Amy who inquired what Sethe was doing she replies, Running (39). After being molested, whipped, and beaten all in one day (not to mention the hardships she had suffered on 124 on every other day,) Sethe finds the might to run from 124 even though she was pregnant and ends up giving birth to her child while on the run. This illustrates an incredible amount of bravery and strength is Sethe and should be viewed by all as empowering to the African American Race.

Sethes character was controversial because she is said to have murdered her children, but that was not the case. Sethe explains, And if she thought anything, it was No. No. Nono. Nonono. Simple. She just flew. Collected every bit of life she had made, all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried, pushed, dragged them through the veil, out, away, over there where no one could hurt them. Over there. Outside this place, where they would be safe. (163). Sethe did not view her actions as murder; she believed that she was sending them on to another life. She says, if anything thought meaning she acted on impulse, without thinking too much. All she knew was that schoolteacher had found her and she had dealt with his wrath before and did not want them to have to go through that suffrage. She did what she did out of love, she loved her children more than anything, this is illustrated by her descriptions of them as precious, fine, beautiful and everything she had made, meaning they were everything to her. She was not killing her children by any means; she was passing them on to another life, a better life, where they would be safe from the Schoolteacher. Sethe was faced with a tough decision where both of her options were not ideal. But she acted on impulse to protect her children and chose the lesser of the two evils. Those who view her deed as horrific and dehumanizing to the African American race are blinded by their own views on death and do not see that Sethe loved her children more than anything. This is love is shown many times throughout the novel, Sethe pleaded for forgiveness, counting, listed again and again her reasons: that Beloved was more important, meant more to her than her own life. That she would trade places any day. Give up her life, every minute and hour of it, to take back just one of Beloveds tears (285). Sethe is selfless when it came to her children. She could have taken her own life instead of her childrens upon Schoolteachers arrival but she wanted to save them instead. This passage shows her dedication to Beloved, it is evident that she is desperate to prove this to Beloved, because to Sethe, Beloved is more precious than even her own life and existence. Stamp Paid describes the situation best when talking to Paul D, She aint crazy. She love those children. She was trying to out-hurt the hurter (276). Stamp Paid knows how much Beloved cared for her children. He is trying to get across to Paul D. that Sethe just picked the lesser of the two evils. She did not want her children to deal with the pain that Schoolteacher had caused her. This great strength is something to be seen as selfless and should not be viewed as demeaning to the African American race.

Sethe is not the only character whose strength is something to be admired. Denver overcomes her fears of leaving the house after 18 years of solitude. Morrison explains, In that bower, closed off from the hurt of the hurt world, Denvers imagination produced its own hunger and its own food, which she badly needed because loneliness wore her out (35). Denver kept to herself and lived in solitude. She did this to protect herself from the pain of the outside world but loneliness consumed her. Her imagination fueled her to stay enclosed in the house. But Denver was unsatisfied with living in seclusion, I cant live here. I dont know where to go or what to do, but I cant live here. Nobody speaks to us. Nobody comes by. Boys dont like me. Girls dont either (17). Denver does not want to be limited to only the walls of the house. She does not have any other options but she figures that something has to be better than living in that house any longer. She craves social interaction. Even though Denver feared to venture into the outside world, she gets up the nerve when her family needs food. Denver says to schoolteacher Lady Jones, I want work, Miss Lady (292). This took great courage for Denver to not only leave the yard but also inquired work. Denver explains,

Denver decided to do the necessary. Decided to stop relying on kindness to leave something on the stump. She would hire herself out somewhere, and although she was afraid to leave Sethe and Beloved alone all day not knowing what calamity either one of them would create, she came to realize that her presence in that house had no influence on what either woman did. She kept them alive and they ignored her (296).

Denver decided to stop living based on others. She felt unappreciated by her mother and Beloved so she took matters into her own hands. She wanted to make a better life for herself. This epiphany enabled her to go get her job at the Bodwin mansion and even educate herself in attempts to go to college. Denver shows admirable bravery in doing this and making goals for herself. This is another example of how empowering this book is to the African American race.

These are just two of the many characters in Beloved that exemplified great strength. The assertions that the actions of African Americans in this book are dehumanizing and horrific are misinterpreted. In fact, each character showed unbelievable strength in their actions. Denvers decision to better her life after living in fear for 18 years illustrated enormous courage. Those who see Sethes actions as murder did not take the time to understand Sethes beliefs in the after life. She was not killing her children; she was sending them to a life where they would be safe from the Schoolteacher. The only reason she did this was because she could not bear to have them suffer what she did because she loved them so much. Her ability to give love so unconditionally to her children after she had experienced such hate from others during slavery is what should really be taken from her choice, and that is something that should be marveled at and viewed as empowering for the African American race.