In its depiction of the struggle of the African-American community to carve out a future in the aftermath of slavery, Beloved provides a poignant portrayal of what it means to find meaning and purpose in situations that seems entirely devoid of it.
The main character, Sethe, is the product of a series of unthinkable events. She was born into slavery, abandoned by her mother and later subjected to brutal treatment by her slave master, the School Teacher. In spite of this, she attempts to create a loving union with Haley and later has children in an attempt to create a familty. In this way, Sethe attempts to maintain her dignity. Sethe forms a strong connection with her children which eventually leads to her decision to attempt to escape from slavery in order to protect them from a slave’s brutal fate.
The main character, Sethe, is the product of a series of unthinkable events. She was born into slavery, abandoned by her mother and later subjected to brutal treatment by her slave master, the School Teacher. In spite of this, she attempts to create a loving union with Haley and later has children in an attempt to create a familty. In this way, Sethe attempts to maintain her dignity. Sethe forms a strong connection with her children which eventually leads to her decision to attempt to escape from slavery in order to protect them from a slave’s brutal fate.
The love she has for her children and the hope they represent for the future are Sethe’s chief source of meaning and purpose. In particular, she seeks to protect them from slavery at all costs which later leads to her decision to attempt to kill them in order to prevent them from being recaptured. Sethe’s deep seated love for and connection to her children is stemmed in the reality that they are the one thing in Sethe’s life that is truly her own. As a slave, she was robbed of everything else including her humanity. Thus, Sethe attempts to protect her children at all costs. However, her need to posses her youngest child, Denver, prevents her from being able to grant her the independence she needs to truly be free. It is ironic that Sethe’s response to her slavery is to attempt to posses her own child and deprive Denver of her freedom.
The meaning Sethe finds in her family is contrasted with how Paul D has responded to his enslavement and later freedom. In order to keep from losing that which he loves most, Paul D refuses to become too connected to anything. Morrison ultimately exposes this way of life as a futile one, as Paul D is never really free from slavery as a result of his refusal to become connected to anything. This is also ironic as Paul D’s main purpose seems to be to incite the opening of other’s hearts. He is successful in this regard as many women, including Sethe, confide in him yet this ultimately brings him little solace as he is unable to open up in the same way.
Ultimately, Morrison reveals that perhaps the best way to find purpose and meaning in the face of a communal atrocity is to seek solidarity with others that experienced it. In order to move past the tragedy they have experienced, the characters in Beloved must turn to each other. Paul D is able to begin to heal his past wounds only when he returns to Sethe; likewise, Denver discovers herself and grows up only when she becomes involved with Cincinatti’s larger African American community. The importance of healing through others is signified both by the community’s distressing failure to alert Sethe of the schoolteacher’s approach and by the important role the community eventually plays in collectively exorcising Beloved. In this way, Morrison shows that individuals can move on from atrocity and create a life of meaning only by coming together to attempt to secure release from the past.
