responding and reflecting #2

While reading Beloved, my view on this era of American history has changed, specifically, my view on life for African Americans after slavery was abolished. An example would be the fact that "He [Paul D] was sent there [prison] after trying to kill Brandywine"(125). Before I read Beloved, the idea of freed slaves being imprisoned never crossed my mind. Another part of Beloved that challenged my historical view of the time period was relationship between native Americans and African Americans. In another part of the book, Paul D and other prisoners manage to escape, and come across a sick Cherokee camp who help free them of there chains. This was interesting, as from my research, the Cherokee tribe had the most slaves of all native American tribes. This made me wonder if some native Americans viewed African slaves differently than other groups of natives. Another scene in the book that changed my view historically was when Baby Suggs preached the black community in a place called the "clearing". There, she "told them that the only grace they could have was the grace they could imagine" (103). I never knew the details about the transition for former slaves after slavery was abolished. Former slaves had to get used to a totally new life after being freed. Even though they were freed, there was still severe amount of racism towards them regardless of there freedom. this part of the book sheds light on how freed slaves felt emotionally at this time in history. When I learned about slavery in history class, I was shown merely the numbers and statistics. Beloved showed the emotional side of the people affected by slavery both before and after it was abolished. Beloved showed me the day to day life of former slaves and the constant problems they faced.

critical lens #2

In Revisions, Rememories and Exorcisms: Toni Morrison and the Slave Narrative by Cynthia S. Hamilton talks about the style of storytelling Beloved uses in order to explain the life as a slave in the 1800's. Hamilton also compares Toni Morrison's writing style compared to traditional slave stories of the past. She describes how the story is told from the point of view of multiple characters, and how they define themselves through there individual experiences throughout the course of the book. Hamilton describes how this form of storytelling also hinders the individual characters chance to grow. She then compares this to Beloved, how having multiple characters explain there pasts helps the reader understand the story in the present. She also describes how Toni Morrison writes her slave story without following "generic formulation of the classic slave narrative". She goes into detail about how the traditional way of writing slave stories focused on the "dominant middle class sensitivities and sensibilities of the period". This means that past slave stories could were restricted by what was considered politically correct and appropriate for the time, which is not the case for Morrison's Beloved. I agree and understand Hamilton's claims and views towards Beloved and how it was written. The fact that Beloved is told from multiple perspectives is both a positive and a negative. It shows the life of a slave from different viewpoints, instead of simply having one perspective. In most previous slave stories, the main character is that of an escaped slave. However, having multiple viewpoints does make the story itself complicated and difficult to follow. I also agree that Toni Morrison's writing was not limited by what is or was politically correct. This allowed her to tell the story of slavery more freely without being restricted by what society considers appropriate.  

close reading #2

"The Cherokee saw the chains and went away. When they returned each carried a handful of small axes."(132) This quote describes how a tribe of Cherokee natives helped Paul D and other escaped slaves out of their chains after escaping a prison in Alfred, Georgia. Historically, the Cherokee tribe owned slaves. In fact, they owned more slaves than any other native american community. By 1860, the Cherokee tribe owned 4,600 slaves. This quote seems to contradict the historical facts towards the relationship between native american tribes and African slaves. These facts may show that this particular scene in beloved could be considered historically inaccurate. This kind of situation may have happened during that time in history, since both Africans and native Americans have been historically oppressed by Europeans. This means that the two groups could be sympathetic towards each other and help like in the book Beloved. However, from a historical viewpoint, this situation seems unlikely. Like I said before, The Cherokee tribe owned the most slaves out of all native american communities. This event in the book would have to take place after the end of the civil war, when slavery was abolished. "what they found was a camp of sick Cherokee for whom a rose was named" (131) When Europeans began to settle in America, they carried many non-native illnesses that native Americans were not immune to and became sick very easily. This happened very often when the original colonies were being formed. This quote shows that diseases were still spreading through native american tribes during and after the civil war in the 1800's when this scene in beloved takes place. These two quotes are relative to my historical lens as it shows the impact the civil war, slavery, and non-native people in general have on native american tribes, like the Cherokee. 

The effect of Violation(Critical lens #2)

In the article "Rape", it says that Sethe was psychologically damaged from the assault at Sweet Home. Of course, I agree. She experienced PTSD and this influenced her future decisions. Even in the present tense of the book, we can feel the aura of Sethe's mental pain. She makes her decisions not only for herself but also for Denver. She has an extremely sensitive motherly instinct and this causes her to overprotect Denver. Though some may argue this is simply for Denver's good, then why are they living in a haunted house? If she wants the best for Denver, why don't they have a better house? Secondly, I'd argue that Sethe has PTSD, like Paul D. When Paul D enters the house, he brings his issues with him, which he "shares". On a psychoanalytical lens, Sethe is feeling jumpy and sensitive. The article also states that Paul D's PTSD stems from what he saw at Sweet Home. To avoid his own injury, he stood witness to Sethe's pain, her breastmilk theft. Now, he regrets not doing anything for her- which causes his trauma. Unlike Sethe, he doesn't allow this trauma to influence his decisions. He acts out of what is good for his new family, Sethe and Denver. On a psychoanalytical lens, Paul is inflicted with PTSD, but still mentally stable. In general, the rape has made an extremely negative impact, of course, on Sethe. But it also negatively afflicted Denver. Her mom overprotects her and this will hurt her. Denver will rarely be able to make independent decisions, atleast without her mother. On a historical level, this also shows us the context. Sethe, a black woman, was held down both physically and socially, by the Sweet Home boys, who were primarily white. On a psychoanalytical level, this shows us how Sethe feels pressured and always feels like she is held down; with Paul D coming into the picture, she can no longer hold the mother-daughter, single strong bond that she used to have. In this way, Paul D might actually be hurting Sethe.

Critical Lens Experts

Theres no such thing as Supernatural

The article, “Figurations of Rape and the Supernatural” by Pamela E. Barnett.

Talks about how beloved is a reminder of everyone's past. When anyone speaks to her, like Paul d and sethe memories flood their mind of rape. Sethe,  and Pauly D try to block all the negative  memories, of rape, torture and lynching, but beloved's  presence brings them back to life.

For example, Beloved feeds off the , “memories” of Sethe's past who she only willingly shares with beloved and no one else.  Beloved is in some way a supernatural presence appearing out of nowhere. Barnett's s interpretation of Beloved in spot on. Every time someone interacts with Beloved she uses them as a, “catalyst” of bad memories and in a way she does feed off them. Beloved brings back the horrors that Paul D and Sethe had to experience in their old plantation, "Sweet home." For example when Paul D is approached by beloved in the barn she seduces him and has sexual interactions with him. During these occurrences he feels like a, "puppet being pulled by a string", as he is filled with bad memories regarding his past as soon as Beloved touches him. These memories make Paul D feel miserable and feels him with pain. He does go along with Beloved's intentions but only because he felt like he was being pulled into it. She is making them feel vunerable.

Although I don't entirely believe that she is a complete supernatural being, that came to feed off the family's bad luck and experience. She does use these memories for evil intentions. With people opening up with her and telling Beloved what they have come up against, they are really exposing themselves and Beloved ends up using these interactions for her own agenda. In a way, she uses these bad memories to bring down Sethe's  family and tear them apart from one another. In reality her goal is to get Sethe for her own and take Paul D out of the picture. That is the reason she acts the way she does with him, to hurt him and make him go away.

Beloved  feels like she needs to do this because she wants to fill her emptiness, that need for a mother and the care that one gives. Its almost as if she is actually needing to fill that void, that's the supernatural part about beloved. Her need for a motherly figure and attention. Thats all beloved wants, she's not a bad person, she's just acts immaturely, not on purpose but out of instinct. Beloved is not dangerous, she's just a kid, with kid motives and ideas.

close reading #1

page 31

"Halle and me want to be married, Mrs. Garner."

-write about how marriages were handled for slaves at the time.
-how was the slave marriage in the book handled.
-whether or not it was historically common

"Halle and me want to be married, Mrs. Garner." In this quote, Sethe asks Mrs. Garner if she and Halle can get married. In this time in history, it was somewhat common for slave owners to let two of there slaves get married, and for a number of reasons. A series of lists made by George Washington in the summer before his death, indicates that roughly two thirds of the mount Vernon slaves were married. Since marriages between slaves was not officially legal, how the marriage between two slaves was handled entirely by the owner. Some slave owners believed that if a slave was married, he would be less likely to escape and leave his wife behind. even if two slaves were married, there owner could still sell them or their children separately. most slave males wanted to be married to a slave from another plantation, so they would not see their wife suffer on a daily basis. Since marriages between slaves were not protected by the legal system, slave owners were able to sell slaves regardless if they were married. This gives the idea that allowing slaves to be married was a way to have more control over them. Slave owners also wanted there slaves to bear children, often times promised freedom in exchange. Slave marriages were more about practical uses for the slave owner than the love between two slaves. Slave marriages also benefited the slave owners with newborn children. This meant that the children would grow up and slave owners would had more slaves to work on the fields. Slaves were able to teach there children there own values which were different from the slave owners personal beliefs that were forced on the slaves. The slave parents helped teach there children how to survive life as a slave.  

 

Close Reading #2

The Supernatural

"Beloved went on probing her mouth with her finger , "make him go away" she said,"she might be mad at you if he leaves. Beloved inserting a thumb inside her mouth along with her forefinger pulled out a black tooth.There was hardly any blood but Denver said, "oooh didnt that hurt you?" Beloved looked at her tooth and tought. This is it, next time would be her arm, her hand, her toe. Pieces of her would drop, maybe one at a time, maybe all at once. Or one of those mornings before denver woke and after sethe left she would fly apart."

The idea of the supernatural scares people and believing in that idea can end up making you do and say unethical things. This is exactly what happened to beloved. Since sethe and her family didn't really know where beloved came from, appearing out of nowhere, and not even beloved herself knew what occurred to her in the past, they believed that she is, well at least Sethe, she is a reincarnation of Sethe's dead baby. This family is very culturally supernatural and you notice it throughout beloved. In this text we see the scary thought of the supernatural being talked about, by beloved. Her teeth falls out and she automatically believes that she will start to, “fly apart” and begin to lose her lips, and her body will give up on itself. She believes it, “had started” when her tooth came out. 

Beloved actually believes that she is cursed and she will one day fall apart. That's the reason why she reacts this way, all anxious and scared as she starts thinking of the worst. Her thoughts speak for herself. She thinks this way because she feels that she herself comes from the supernatural with her idea that she is gonna fall apart soon and she has been given limited time to live with sethe, executing her inner plan. Since beloved herself doesn't know anything about herself, the supernatural ideology suits her well. Beloved  being frightened with this occurrence shows us her human side, that even though she acts different, and sometimes not completely ethical, like in this passage, about to drop to, "pieces" she is just as scared as a person would be. She portrays the same emotions as everyone else. She doesn't really understand that teeth fall apart all the time and tooth being,"black"tells her that her time is coming to end. But in reality its black due to the bad maintenance of her teeth.