Gated Gender

"The Bonds of Love and Boundaries of Self in Toni Morrison's Beloved" analyzes how the domination and objectification of slavery has impacted motherhood and the relationships between the main characters. People define themselves by existing and relating to others: mutual recognition. Sethe, Denver, and Beloved seek to connect with each other, but the shells they have to prevent them from society also obstruct connections. Those boundaries are threatened to be brought down along with self in the all-consuming need for connection caused by a lack of validation in childhood. Paul D is the outsider who has the power to disrupt the dangerous dynamic between the women in that household. Self-love is what frees Denver from needing her mother or sister. Morrison doesn't confine a nurturing nature to women; Paul D strengthens Sethe with his love and care.

The author, Barbara Shapiro, mentions how, because Paul D is ultimately the most successful nurturer out of all the characters, gender-typical traits are not consigned to their typical gender by Morrison. I believe this is also true for the character Baby Suggs. She did nurture people by preaching self-worth, but her character seemed to be defined by the fact that she was a leader. She spiritually directed people and was even martyred in a way that is almost an allusion to Jesus Christ. In fact, one could argue that Morrison is intentionally recreating Jesus Christ in the body of an old, female, African American woman. With this statement, Morrison is coming down as believing the gender of Christ--of God--as irrelevant, the potential for what they were and are open for any gender. That is a very progressive and controversial stance to take.