Text: Beloved by Toni Morrison
Critical Lens: Post-Colonial Lens
Sethe, the protagonist in the novel Beloved, reinforces many of the psychological and physical scars that her disturbing past has caused her. Sethe was a victim of the institution of slavery, an important and atrocious aspect of America’s history. She lived on a plantation called “Sweet Home” as a young woman where she met her husband and had three children. Sethe does not have pleasant memories from living on Sweet Home. Throughout the first few chapters, Morrison alludes at some of these experiences through flashbacks and reminiscences.
Already in the novel, I have noticed several cultural patterns within Sethe’s community. Sethe describes that when she lived at Sweet Home, the men who lived there all wanted to be romantically involved with her. When she arrived at Sweet Home, she said that for a whole year the men allowed her to choose one of them, even though they were desperate to have companionship. She describes them as having intercourse with calves (yes, cows) as an alternative to taking advantage of her or raping her. In chapter 2, Sethe recounts when she would cook for the men working at Sweet Home. While they were working in the fields, she would bring them “bacon and bread” but they would never take it from her hands. She describes them as “not wanting to take anything from her” (figuratively and literally), which is why they would wait to take the food until after she was out of sight.
I believe that the situation that these characters were in influenced them to act so respectfully towards Sethe. They had experienced cruelty, fear, and vicious acts of evil. They understood how it felt to be inferior and exploited. When Sethe entered the plantation, the men only knew that she would begin working in a vulnerable and abused working environment with them as well. The men could have easily exploited her just as the masters of the plantation were. But, they showed her utmost respect by giving her space to make her own decision about who she would like to marry. Their own experiences within the practice of slavery affected the way that they see each other. They become their own “family”, so to speak, after all they had gone through together.
It’s heartwarming to know that when in times of cruelty and wickedness, humanity still continues to show affection and compassion for one another. Faith, strength, and hope are necessary qualities that an individual needs to have to be able to endure what slaves had to endure. I hope that these qualities continue to remain prevalent as I continue reading Beloved and I get a deeper insight into the impacts that slavery has on a broader culture and on the individual.
Aliza, your post makes me think about what it takes to endure extreme hardship. I agree with you that by NOT taking advantage of Sethe, the Sweet Home men were breaking the cycle of violence and exploitation inherent to slavery. These men showed extreme strength of character.
ReplyDeleteA question to consider might be whether the men would have acted otherwise if their slaveowners, the Garners, had treated them with greater cruelty. As you read, keep an eye on how the Garners both uphold and challenge the role of the "oppressor".
I look forward to reading your future posts!