The theme of abandonment is prevalent in Toni Morrison’s novel “Beloved”. The author describes the life of Sethe, that has faced abandonment during the course of her entire life. To begin, Sethe has been forced to abandon any dreams of living the life she has imagined. She doesn’t dare to think about her hobbies or having a job. She has to leave her desires behind to follow the life that has already been set for her: working as a slave. Furthermore, Sethe has to abandon the idea of humanity fighting for the rights of all. She doesn’t imagine a better life for her children. So at one of her weakest moments of fear, she decides to kill her daughter to have mercy on her. In Sethe’s eyes, this is saving her daughter from the pain, rape, and abuse associated with life as a slave. Making the choice to abandon her daughter and kill her gives readers insight as to the immense amount of pain that slaves endured. A baby is your own flesh and blood, that you carry and nurse. It is emotionally connected and dependent on its mother. Making the decision to kill it takes a lot. When Sethe gives up her girl, she also abandons any source of happiness or hope she had left. She will no longer be able to focus on the present and the future, and will be haunted by dark memories of the past that will follow her forever.
Abandonment is a huge topic in the novel "Beloved" by Toni Morrison.As an adult, Sethe understands that her mother was unable to tend to her and love her like a mother does to her child because of slavery. As a result, Sethe feels only abandonment because she never coped with the loss of her mother and because of it, I think that Sethe still deals with even as an adult. Sethe responds to her own mother's abandonment by trying to be a better mother herself to her own children but unfortunately, slavery changed Sethe into a person she never thought she would be. Symbolically the only thing that Sethe could actually give her children is the milk from the breast and I think Morrison uses this metaphor to symbolize that Sethe has abandoned her children and wasn't a real mother to them.
While abandonment is a huge theme throughout this novel, loss is just as important. When Sethe and Denver were left alone to the spite and fury of 124, at least they had Baby Suggs. To be a companion and rub Sethe's shoulders and to talk to Denver if she so chose. When Baby Suggs died, and left the rest of her family,there was a definite change in the family. Denver has experienced as much loss in "Beloved" as Sethe has. There is a father than Denver was waiting for, and was like, that never came. It was not that Halle abandoned his children, but in being broken at Sweet Home he was simply lost.Denver lost Sethe as well towards the end to Beloved, whose greed was more than either woman can give, and when Denver stepped outside the house to get aid, by that time she had lost Beloved as a sister too. There were other important losses in "Beloved", but the point of loss in the novel is to show that in slavery, you cannot be close to anyone because everyone looses someone. This isn't about losing what is precious to you and building yourself back up, this novel is about being broken down until you cannot take any more and then wasting away.The loss here isn't meant to be inspiring, its supposed to break the readers heart and make them understand loss for slaves both when they serve d and when they were free.
I agree with Katherine that this novel is supposed to capture all that black people endured and how much they lost as a result of slavery. Even though they "gained" their physical freedom, so much damage was done to them physically, mentally, and emotionally while they were slaves that many of them were still enslaved by the past. When Sethe became a free person after entering Cincinnati, what she loses going forward outweighs the achievement of freedom. She loses loved ones, others trust in her and respect for her once she kills Beloved, and she loses her sanity once Beloved returns from the dead and consumes every being left in Sethe's body. All of these loses have connections to her life as a slave. After contemplating this prompt, it makes me wonder if Sethe's life was truly better as a free person compared to if she stayed at Sweet Home based on all of the things that happened in her life afterwards!
In Beloved, the characters experience a tremendous amount of both abandonment and loss. Sethe’s greatest loss is the one of her daughter, Beloved. Although she did what she thought was best for her, she still put her in a place where she was all alone. Beloved explains what she went through after being murdered which seems scary and lonely. Sethe also abandoned her daughter Denver, which I think is overlooked. Although she always loved Denver deeply, when Beloved came back, Sethe devoted her life to Beloved. During this time it was up to Denver to provide and take care of her family. With this share of abandonment Sethe placed on her daughter's, many did the same to her. Sethe's first love, Halle, was not present in her life of freedon, which left her raising four innocent babies. Then, Paul D abandoned Sethe when he needed her most. He only leaves Sethe because she did what it took to protect her baby. Eventually he came to his senses, but not before leaving her with two daughter to care for all by herself. So many people were lost throughout the novel, such as Baby Sugg, Sixo, and eventually Beloved. Abandonment and loss seems to be a focus in this novel, to give the reader a better understanding of the endless amount of struggles blacks had to face, during and after being slaves.
I agree with all of the posts so far but what I would most like to highlight is the fact Steph brought up about Sethe abandoning her daughter, Denver. We see abandonment and loss drive this novel. It is evident in Beloved as she is lost, but comes back to the family as a rememory. Sethe can be seen as the source of this loss, killing her own child, but the cause of lots of abandonment in the novel. For example, her two sons abandon the family in fear of their mother for the murder she committed. Most importantly, she abandons her own daughter Denver as she is so focused and captivated on Beloved in her second life. Although I can attest that abandonment and loss is present between characters, I think it is mostly included to display the ideas of slavery. Sethe and the other slaves unwillingly gave up a life of freedom and normality. They loss their sanity and true selves. They abandoned their dreams and true happiness being forced into a life of torture. Even back at 124, Sethe lost any chance she had at normality and true freedom from her past the second she killed Beloved.
In Morrison's "Beloved," there are many instances in which she emphasizes abandonment and loss. Sethe has faced a lot of abandonment, especially through the killing her own child. But in the same sense, her baby has faced abandonment as she has been killed before she has had the proper chance blossom and group up. Sethe has also faced abandonment by her two sons running away as they feared her mother more than they loved her. Overall, the abandonment and loss portrayed in tis novel is heavily emphasized by Morrison.
Abandonment is a centralized theme throughout the entire novel, surrounding Sethe and her entire family. Very early on in the novel we learn that Sethe many members in her family. She initially had four children, a loving husband, and her Baby Suggs, however this did not last very long. Baby Suggs passed on very early in the novel and we learned how Sethe killed her third child, Beloved, and her ghost drove her two sons to leave her. Along with this her husband never turned back up after they were separated from each other in their escape from Sweet Home. As Madi wrote, people aren’t the only things that have abandoned Sethe in her life. She has had to give up her hopes and dreams because she was born a slave, and lived with a fear of slavery for her family for the rest of her life.
The mother-daughter relationships in Beloved between Baby Suggs and Sethe, and Sethe and Denver are full of betrayal, abandonment and disappointment. Baby Suggs and Sethe’s relationship is described through flashbacks and memories that Sethe has of her mom. Their relationship was very distant and rocky all throughout Sethe’s life. Like they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Sethe’s relationship with her children reflects the one she had with her mother. Her and Denver butt heads due to the fact that Sethe's actions ruined her life forever. Denver is judged everywhere she goes because of an event that she couldn't even stop from happening. However, Sethe definitely means well. She is very protective and sometimes that comes off as overbearing. This characteristic causes her daughter to be scared of her, feeling forced to love her.
Abandonment is a common theme of the novel. All throughout, Sethe is abandoned countless times. Sethe leaves Sweet Home and arrives to Baby Suggs’ home, but she is never reunited with Halle. She eventually kills Beloved, creating problems for herself in the future. Buglar and Howard soon after leave Sethe because of the Beloved murder. Soon enough, it’s just Sethe and Denver alone, until Paul D and Beloved arrive. However, Beloved drives Paul D away, which leaves Sethe feeling a mix of emotions and betrayal. This results in the ending, in which Sethe abandons Denver for Beloved. She focuses all of her attention on Beloved, and pays very little attention to Denver, which really weakens their relationship. Overall, there are many examples that are shown which help to develop the idea of abandonment and loss.
Throughout the novel, betrayal is a very common theme in most of the relationships. First, between Beloved and Sethe. Beloved is betrayed because she feels as though Sethe didn't love her at all, even before she was killed, and she doesn't believe Sethe when she says that she killed her because she loved her. This gave Beloved what seemed like abandonment issues, because she couldn't stand being away from Sethe. Then, between Denver and Beloved. Denver felt betrayed because at first, she thought beloved was there for her, as a sister, to make her happy and less lonely, but she felt betrayed when she found out that Beloved was only there for Sethe. When Denver tried to put this aside for Beloved's sake, she soon found that it was weakening her mother, and that instead of protecting Beloved from Sethe, she would have to protect Sethe from Beloved. This feeling of betrayal caused Denver to feel abandoned from her mother because of how Beloved was taking her away. These examples are parts of what make loss and abandonment common themes throughout the novel.
Abandonment and loss are very prevalent themes in Morrison's novel "Beloved." One example of abandonment would be Sethe's neglect of Denver once Beloved appears. Sethe becomes consumed by Beloved's presence and would do anything to make her happy. During this time, she completely forgets about Denver to the point where Denver has to leave the house to get help. Sethe even abandons herself and lets her body waste away. Loss is another big theme of this novel and t can be seen through slavery. Through slavery, many things are lost. Children, hopes, dreams, and especially freedom. A lot of these things can never come back and are lost forever.
I agree with what Jill was starting to say towards the end of her post. Of course Sethe suffered and had so may losses, her child, her 2 sons, and her dignity as some points. What she lost will never come back, she is forever scarred with a chokecherry tree to remember what happened. But I think the novel goes way beyond Sethe with these themes. Baby Suggs had nine children and only ONE was still hers at the end of her life. Baby was so used to the loss of her children that Halle was an anomaly. Slaves were forced to make sacrifices and abandon the things they truly cared about all the time. I also agree that Denver was abandoned. Beloved took up all of Sethe's thoughts, even before she came back. Sethe couldn't get her out of her head so Denver never got the attention she deserved.
Finally, someone not just repeating others. Yes! Think about Sethe - and how she was the only child NOT abandoned by her mother! Think of Mrs. Garner abandoning her slaves.
This novel is a story of abandonment and loss. In Beloved’s eyes, Sethe abandoned her duty to Beloved as a mother. This is why Beloved is so spiteful and she doesn’t care about Sethe’s “excuse” that she was saving her from a life of slavery. All Beloved cares about is not letting Sethe move on without her. In Sethe’s eyes, she lost her “crawling already?” child after just twenty-eight days with her. She has to live with this loss for the rest of life: she is sent to jail to pay time for her crime; her neighbors shun her; she is judged by almost everyone in her community for killing her own daughter. There is also a loss that Denver experiences, too. Because of Sethe’s decision and because her family is shunned, she loses any chance of having a normal childhood. Denver also loses her two brothers when they’d rather go to war than be in the house that haunts them every day. When Paul D finds out about what Sethe did eighteen years prior, he abandons Sethe because he doesn’t truly understand what happened and he was scared of the spell Beloved had over him. This novel has numerous stories of abandonment and loss.
"Beloved" can easily be seen as a story about abandonment in loss. First off, Sethe abandoned Halle when she left Sweet Home without Halle. Then Sethe was abandoned by her two sons when they were old enough to leave her. Sethe, however lost Halle and her baby when she abandoned him and killed her daughter. Sethe's loss of Beloved is what led to her son's leaving her. Denver then feels loss when Paul D gets the ghost to leave, but later feels abandonment when both Sethe and Beloved stop paying any attention to her. Sethe also experiences abandonment again when Denver gains the courage to step outside of 124, and then when Beloved disappears. The whole novel is a story of people abandoning each other, with most of these abandonments revolving around the loss on Beloved as a baby.
Abandonment and loss are very significant themes throughout the novel. The first theme of abandonment is seen at the very beginning when it is mentioned that Howard and Buglar ran away because they were afraid of Sethe. The loss of Baby Suggs and Beloved are also very significant to the story. Denver faces loss when Paul D scares away Beloved’s ghost. She thought of the spirit as a companion since she lost Baby Suggs and her brothers. Once Beloved returns, we learn she has felt abandoned. Sethe also abandoned all her senses when she killed Beloved, resulting in a loss and the ability to not feel anything at all.
The novel starts out with displaying loss, as readers come to find out that Sethe lost Baby Suggs, killed her own daughter, and that her sons ran away from home. Right off the bat the theme of loss and abandonment is instilled into the piece. Prior to this loss, Sethe experienced abandonment at Sweet Home, as she abandoned her traditional lifestyle to take on that of a slave. Slavery took away her children, and time took away any detailed memories she had of each of them. Loss not only affects Sethe, but has an effect on Denver too. When Beloved seems to have left 124, Denver is beyond upset. She has lost so much as well, including her father, her sister, her brothers, her grandmother, the company at Lady Jones' school, the ghost and now Beloved; this final loss pushes her over the edge. One of the final times loss is portrayed is when Paul D leaves. Sethe was planning her future around him, and he abandoned her because he can't reconcile Sethe's killing of her own child to prevent her being sold into slavery. Although Sethe is no longer a slave, she is still subject to the loss of friends and family because of the lifelong impact it has on her.
Abandonment is one of the few unsettling components of the novel. Sethe's sons, Howard and Buglar abandon 124 Bluestone Rd, Halle abandons Sethe, Sethe kills her own daughter and abandons her motherly duties, Sethe abandons her life at Sweet home. Abandonment as well as the brutal violence and unnerving slavery circumstances all make up the story.
The story can certainly be described as one of abandonment and loss. Firstly, Sethe loses her mother-in-law as she passes away in her bed at 124. Additionally, Buglar and Howard abandon Sethe after she kills her youndg daughter. They abandon their mother because they fear her, and Paul D leaves her later in the story after hearing about her past actions from Stamp Paid. Loss is also present as Sethe only has one child living with her in Denver. Additionally, she killed one of her daughters so she would not be subjected to slavery.
Abandonment and loss is a recurring theme throughout Beloved. Firstly, Sethe has to deal with the abonment and loss of both of her two sons, her husband, her daughter, and baby suggs. Seth’s sons abandoned her in fear that she would try and kill her like she killed beloved. When she was trying to escape from Sweet Home, Sethe was separated from her husband alle and hasn't seen him since. Also, Beloved and Baby Suggs are both dead. Additionally, as many other people have mentioned, abandonment is not only present in people. Due to the fact that she is a slave and a black woman, Sethe was forced to abandon her dreams and aspirations.
Loss and abandonment are two prevalent themes throughout Beloved and are often seen hand in hand throughout the novel. The first example of this is the beginning of the novel in which Sethe's mother-in-law Baby Suggs dies. It is next seen when Sethe's sons, in an attempt to escape the same fate as Beloved, run away from 124 . Also when Paul D heats what Sethe did to Beloved he abandons her as he is disgusted with her actions. Also when she escaped from Sweet Home Sethe loses her husband Halle. By killing Beloved Sethe also abandons her former self and becomes a new changed person, one who experiences only loss.
Morrison uses many elements to express abandonment and loss throughout the novel. On the first page the reader learns that Sethe’s two sons has run away from home since they were most likely in fear of what she was capable of doing. Her husband Halle creates a loss within both Sethe and Denver. Sethe knows that her husband will never return and Denver feels discouraged to never have a father figure in her life. Sethe and Denver’s relationship is lost of a good mother daughter bond. Denver is fearful of her mother and often holds her mother's actions to her hatred towards her. Sethe often turns her attention away from Denver such as when Paul D arrived and when Beloved comes into the novel. Not only were people in their lives lost but for Sethe, her freedom life up until that point had been lost. She never had the chance to live a normal life and now if permanently scarred with mental and physical suffering from her time as a slave.
Loss can be directly associated with the death of Beloved as a child. The loss of freedom was experienced by all the slaves for the obvious reason being that they were stuck in captivity. Sethe personally experiences loss because she made the decision to choose her children's well being over their lives. She lost the ability to protect them, her decision was either to end their lives or allow the possibility that they be tortured like she was. She lost the ability to be the mother she wanted to be, to protect her children. After making this decision Sethe lost support, friends, and her reputation. No one could understand her actions so she was separated from the community of blacks she once was a part of. In regard to abandonment, it is obvious that Denver experiences abandonment all through out her life. Every one that has a potential to be a good addition to her life leaves, dies, or goes away. Denver feels that she has no one.
Loss and abandonment is a huge theme throughout the novel. Sethe is abandoned by her mother as she passes away. She is also abandoned by her two sons after Sethe kills Beloved, they fear her and want to leave her. Loss is seen through Beloved when Sethe kills her and Beloved’s death haunts Sethe and even their house. Abandonment and loss relates to the overall meaning of the text regarding slavery since these scenarios were common throughout the time period.
Loss is a major theme that is presented throughout Beloved as Sethe has been suffering from losses both big and small since her childhood. She lost her mother and felt that she barely knew her and was unable to properly cope with her death. Sethe lost her husband Halle when she escaped Sweet Home and he never made it to her in Ohio. She lost three out of her four children, Howard and Buglar running away and Beloved being killed. She also lost Baby Suggs, who had been almost like a mother to her. She is haunted by all the loss she has experienced throughout her life as a result of slavery, one of Morrison’s main messages in the novel. Sethe knows how terrible it is to feel abandoned and therefore strives to be a good mother. Because of what she has been through, Sethe lives her life as a person who wants to prevent anyone else from feeling the same abandonment and suffering terrible losses like she has.
Abandonment is strongly prevalent throughout this novel. Whether is be in the sense that Sethe abandoned Beloved/her future when killing her, her two sons leaving, Sethe abandoning the idea of being able to live a “normal” life, or when Paul D leaves. It all causes a feeling of despair. The feeling of complete loss and the absence of hope is something that slaves felt often which is why Morrison wanted the readers to feel like this.
Abandonment and loss are two major themes in this novel. Sethe faced the abandonment of her own children. Sethe murdered her own daughter to prevent her from becoming a slave. The baby Beloved also lost a whole life set out a head of her because of this murder. After this loss, her two sons were fearful of their mother and they ran away. Then, Sethe also abandons her other daughter, Denver, as she gives all of her attention to the “reincarnated” Beloved. Loss and abandonment is also seen in the novel’s central purpose, to highlight the devastations of slavery and its negative effects. During her time as a slave, Sethe and all slaves their freedoms, hopes and dreams as they were crushed by cruel and unjust treatments. Loss and abandonment surround Sethe throughout the novel, and will for the rest of her life.
Abandonment is a huge aspect throughout this novel. At 124, Sethe commits an act of abandonment by murdering her daughter. She did what she believed was right, but she left her daughter without even giving her chance. By doing this, Beloved always resented Sethe and caused the other acts of abandonment within her life. The haunting caused her two sons to leave and abandon Sethe. When Paul D came back, he was there to live and be with Sethe, but once he heard what she did to her daughter, he abandoned her as well. When Beloved comes back, Sethe tries to rekindle her relationship with her, which leaves Denver alone to resent he mother and Beloved. Denver was always there for Sethe, but Sethe abandoned her as well. All the abandonment within the novel revolves around Sethe murdering Beloved, the catalyst for all of the other acts of abandonment.
The pivotal example of loss is the killing of Beloved. Through Sethe's actions she lost her youngest child, Beloved lost her life, and Sethe’s children lost their their connection with her their mother. Her two young boys left as soon as they could and Denver slowly got shoved out of her mother’s point of view when Beloved returned. Sethe seemingly looses her own identity throughout the novel as she becomes overwhelmed by her need to serve Beloved. In this process, Denver loses her connection with Sethe as she becomes mentally abandoned by her own mother
Here are all the connections of abandonment in the novel beloved: Sethe's mother "abandoned" her Sethe abandoned Halle from Sweet Home Sethe abandoned all senses when killing her baby "Beloved" Sethe's 2 boys abandoned her Sethe and Beloved abandoned Denver Beloved and Denver abandoned Sethe All starting with Sethe's mother when Sethe feels as if her mother abandoned her, and never loved her as a mother should have. In trying to be a better mother than her own, Sethe ends up just driving the rest of her family away. Sethe wants to love, but with love also comes pain, so rather than waiting for her own pain to catch up and crush the love in her life, Sethe causes her own pain getting it over and done with. Love has abandoned Sethe in life, and because of this her life is just screwed up.
The theme of abandonment in “Beloved” is one that is not so clear cut for me. Sethe kills her daughter, and attempts to kill her other three children, to prevent them from enduring the inhumanity and barbarity she faced as a slave. While some view this as Sethe not being “a real mother,” I feel as though this was the best gift Sethe could provide her kin. She doesn’t have much to offer more than the milk from her breasts, as Sarah mentioned, but an escape from slavery through death is what Sethe thought was best for her kids, and was probably an alternative she had considered for herself. While I believe that Sethe did not abandon her children by trying to kill them, I do believe that she deserts Denver once Beloved enters her life. Sethe, trying to make up for lost time, directs all her energy towards Beloved, and turns her back on Denver. Like Katherine, I believe Denver experienced the most loss. As the youngest child, Denver relied on her mother greatly. Having no father or supportive siblings to lean on, Sethe (and Baby Suggs) was Denver’s only companion. When Beloved came, the one person in the world that Denver had was ripped out of her grasp, and when Beloved left, Denver was there to pick up the pieces. It is important to realize that loss was a normal occurance for Africans of this time. It was very hard cultivating relationships because they never knew who would stay in their lives and for how long. Also, any physical freedom the slaves had meant practically nothing because of the traumatic years of their lives they would never get back.
Abandonment and loss often have negative connotations. No one wants to be abandoned and no one wants to be forced to lose someone/something. However, in the novel, abandonment and loss aren't always bad things. Sethe abandon's her life ay Sweet Home, which was her only chance at being free. She also attempts to abandon the cycle of slavery by sacrificing Beloved. Denver abandons her home-bodied tendencies to go out and start a whole new life. The loss of Beloved's presence is the only thing that saves Sethe from withering into nothing and will finally let her move out of the past. I think that the issue that arises in the novel is Sethe's, Baby Sugg's, Beloved's, Paul D's, and Denver's FEAR of loss and abandonment. Slavery ripped children from mother's, husbands from wives, and friends from each other. Especially for Sethe and Paul D, it feels like everything is so uncertain because as slaves, they never knew when someone would just disappear out of their lives. For Paul D, the trauma makes it so he is so scared of being abandoned that he refuses to form any strong bonds or love with anyone (his heart was an empty tin can). For Sethe, the feelings of horror after Beloved died was so traumatic that the idea of going through it again makes it impossible to let her go the second time, even though she is completely sucking the life out of her. Even Beloved's actions can be rationalized by her own fear of abandonment. After being in the "dead world" by herself, she comes back and attaches herself to Sethe because she is so scared of being alone again.
The theme of abandonment is prevalent in Toni Morrison’s novel “Beloved”. The author describes the life of Sethe, that has faced abandonment during the course of her entire life. To begin, Sethe has been forced to abandon any dreams of living the life she has imagined. She doesn’t dare to think about her hobbies or having a job. She has to leave her desires behind to follow the life that has already been set for her: working as a slave.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, Sethe has to abandon the idea of humanity fighting for the rights of all. She doesn’t imagine a better life for her children. So at one of her weakest moments of fear, she decides to kill her daughter to have mercy on her. In Sethe’s eyes, this is saving her daughter from the pain, rape, and abuse associated with life as a slave.
Making the choice to abandon her daughter and kill her gives readers insight as to the immense amount of pain that slaves endured. A baby is your own flesh and blood, that you carry and nurse. It is emotionally connected and dependent on its mother. Making the decision to kill it takes a lot.
When Sethe gives up her girl, she also abandons any source of happiness or hope she had left. She will no longer be able to focus on the present and the future, and will be haunted by dark memories of the past that will follow her forever.
Abandonment is a huge topic in the novel "Beloved" by Toni Morrison.As an adult, Sethe understands that her mother was unable to tend to her and love her like a mother does to her child because of slavery. As a result, Sethe feels only abandonment because she never coped with the loss of her mother and because of it, I think that Sethe still deals with even as an adult.
ReplyDeleteSethe responds to her own mother's abandonment by trying to be a better mother herself to her own children but unfortunately, slavery changed Sethe into a person she never thought she would be. Symbolically the only thing that Sethe could actually give her children is the milk from the breast and I think Morrison uses this metaphor to symbolize that Sethe has abandoned her children and wasn't a real mother to them.
While abandonment is a huge theme throughout this novel, loss is just as important. When Sethe and Denver were left alone to the spite and fury of 124, at least they had Baby Suggs. To be a companion and rub Sethe's shoulders and to talk to Denver if she so chose. When Baby Suggs died, and left the rest of her family,there was a definite change in the family. Denver has experienced as much loss in "Beloved" as Sethe has. There is a father than Denver was waiting for, and was like, that never came. It was not that Halle abandoned his children, but in being broken at Sweet Home he was simply lost.Denver lost Sethe as well towards the end to Beloved, whose greed was more than either woman can give, and when Denver stepped outside the house to get aid, by that time she had lost Beloved as a sister too. There were other important losses in "Beloved", but the point of loss in the novel is to show that in slavery, you cannot be close to anyone because everyone looses someone. This isn't about losing what is precious to you and building yourself back up, this novel is about being broken down until you cannot take any more and then wasting away.The loss here isn't meant to be inspiring, its supposed to break the readers heart and make them understand loss for slaves both when they serve d and when they were free.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katherine that this novel is supposed to capture all that black people endured and how much they lost as a result of slavery. Even though they "gained" their physical freedom, so much damage was done to them physically, mentally, and emotionally while they were slaves that many of them were still enslaved by the past. When Sethe became a free person after entering Cincinnati, what she loses going forward outweighs the achievement of freedom. She loses loved ones, others trust in her and respect for her once she kills Beloved, and she loses her sanity once Beloved returns from the dead and consumes every being left in Sethe's body. All of these loses have connections to her life as a slave. After contemplating this prompt, it makes me wonder if Sethe's life was truly better as a free person compared to if she stayed at Sweet Home based on all of the things that happened in her life afterwards!
DeleteIn Beloved, the characters experience a tremendous amount of both abandonment and loss. Sethe’s greatest loss is the one of her daughter, Beloved. Although she did what she thought was best for her, she still put her in a place where she was all alone. Beloved explains what she went through after being murdered which seems scary and lonely. Sethe also abandoned her daughter Denver, which I think is overlooked. Although she always loved Denver deeply, when Beloved came back, Sethe devoted her life to Beloved. During this time it was up to Denver to provide and take care of her family. With this share of abandonment Sethe placed on her daughter's, many did the same to her. Sethe's first love, Halle, was not present in her life of freedon, which left her raising four innocent babies. Then, Paul D abandoned Sethe when he needed her most. He only leaves Sethe because she did what it took to protect her baby. Eventually he came to his senses, but not before leaving her with two daughter to care for all by herself. So many people were lost throughout the novel, such as Baby Sugg, Sixo, and eventually Beloved. Abandonment and loss seems to be a focus in this novel, to give the reader a better understanding of the endless amount of struggles blacks had to face, during and after being slaves.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the posts so far but what I would most like to highlight is the fact Steph brought up about Sethe abandoning her daughter, Denver. We see abandonment and loss drive this novel. It is evident in Beloved as she is lost, but comes back to the family as a rememory. Sethe can be seen as the source of this loss, killing her own child, but the cause of lots of abandonment in the novel. For example, her two sons abandon the family in fear of their mother for the murder she committed. Most importantly, she abandons her own daughter Denver as she is so focused and captivated on Beloved in her second life.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I can attest that abandonment and loss is present between characters, I think it is mostly included to display the ideas of slavery. Sethe and the other slaves unwillingly gave up a life of freedom and normality. They loss their sanity and true selves. They abandoned their dreams and true happiness being forced into a life of torture. Even back at 124, Sethe lost any chance she had at normality and true freedom from her past the second she killed Beloved.
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ReplyDeleteIn Morrison's "Beloved," there are many instances in which she emphasizes abandonment and loss. Sethe has faced a lot of abandonment, especially through the killing her own child. But in the same sense, her baby has faced abandonment as she has been killed before she has had the proper chance blossom and group up. Sethe has also faced abandonment by her two sons running away as they feared her mother more than they loved her. Overall, the abandonment and loss portrayed in tis novel is heavily emphasized by Morrison.
ReplyDeleteAbandonment is a centralized theme throughout the entire novel, surrounding Sethe and her entire family. Very early on in the novel we learn that Sethe many members in her family. She initially had four children, a loving husband, and her Baby Suggs, however this did not last very long. Baby Suggs passed on very early in the novel and we learned how Sethe killed her third child, Beloved, and her ghost drove her two sons to leave her. Along with this her husband never turned back up after they were separated from each other in their escape from Sweet Home. As Madi wrote, people aren’t the only things that have abandoned Sethe in her life. She has had to give up her hopes and dreams because she was born a slave, and lived with a fear of slavery for her family for the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteThe mother-daughter relationships in Beloved between Baby Suggs and Sethe, and Sethe and Denver are full of betrayal, abandonment and disappointment. Baby Suggs and Sethe’s relationship is described through flashbacks and memories that Sethe has of her mom. Their relationship was very distant and rocky all throughout Sethe’s life. Like they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Sethe’s relationship with her children reflects the one she had with her mother. Her and Denver butt heads due to the fact that Sethe's actions ruined her life forever. Denver is judged everywhere she goes because of an event that she couldn't even stop from happening. However, Sethe definitely means well. She is very protective and sometimes that comes off as overbearing. This characteristic causes her daughter to be scared of her, feeling forced to love her.
ReplyDeleteAbandonment is a common theme of the novel. All throughout, Sethe is abandoned countless times. Sethe leaves Sweet Home and arrives to Baby Suggs’ home, but she is never reunited with Halle. She eventually kills Beloved, creating problems for herself in the future. Buglar and Howard soon after leave Sethe because of the Beloved murder. Soon enough, it’s just Sethe and Denver alone, until Paul D and Beloved arrive. However, Beloved drives Paul D away, which leaves Sethe feeling a mix of emotions and betrayal. This results in the ending, in which Sethe abandons Denver for Beloved. She focuses all of her attention on Beloved, and pays very little attention to Denver, which really weakens their relationship. Overall, there are many examples that are shown which help to develop the idea of abandonment and loss.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, betrayal is a very common theme in most of the relationships. First, between Beloved and Sethe. Beloved is betrayed because she feels as though Sethe didn't love her at all, even before she was killed, and she doesn't believe Sethe when she says that she killed her because she loved her. This gave Beloved what seemed like abandonment issues, because she couldn't stand being away from Sethe. Then, between Denver and Beloved. Denver felt betrayed because at first, she thought beloved was there for her, as a sister, to make her happy and less lonely, but she felt betrayed when she found out that Beloved was only there for Sethe. When Denver tried to put this aside for Beloved's sake, she soon found that it was weakening her mother, and that instead of protecting Beloved from Sethe, she would have to protect Sethe from Beloved. This feeling of betrayal caused Denver to feel abandoned from her mother because of how Beloved was taking her away. These examples are parts of what make loss and abandonment common themes throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteAbandonment and loss are very prevalent themes in Morrison's novel "Beloved." One example of abandonment would be Sethe's neglect of Denver once Beloved appears. Sethe becomes consumed by Beloved's presence and would do anything to make her happy. During this time, she completely forgets about Denver to the point where Denver has to leave the house to get help. Sethe even abandons herself and lets her body waste away. Loss is another big theme of this novel and t can be seen through slavery. Through slavery, many things are lost. Children, hopes, dreams, and especially freedom. A lot of these things can never come back and are lost forever.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jill was starting to say towards the end of her post. Of course Sethe suffered and had so may losses, her child, her 2 sons, and her dignity as some points. What she lost will never come back, she is forever scarred with a chokecherry tree to remember what happened. But I think the novel goes way beyond Sethe with these themes. Baby Suggs had nine children and only ONE was still hers at the end of her life. Baby was so used to the loss of her children that Halle was an anomaly. Slaves were forced to make sacrifices and abandon the things they truly cared about all the time. I also agree that Denver was abandoned. Beloved took up all of Sethe's thoughts, even before she came back. Sethe couldn't get her out of her head so Denver never got the attention she deserved.
DeleteFinally, someone not just repeating others. Yes! Think about Sethe - and how she was the only child NOT abandoned by her mother! Think of Mrs. Garner abandoning her slaves.
DeleteThis novel is a story of abandonment and loss. In Beloved’s eyes, Sethe abandoned her duty to Beloved as a mother. This is why Beloved is so spiteful and she doesn’t care about Sethe’s “excuse” that she was saving her from a life of slavery. All Beloved cares about is not letting Sethe move on without her. In Sethe’s eyes, she lost her “crawling already?” child after just twenty-eight days with her. She has to live with this loss for the rest of life: she is sent to jail to pay time for her crime; her neighbors shun her; she is judged by almost everyone in her community for killing her own daughter. There is also a loss that Denver experiences, too. Because of Sethe’s decision and because her family is shunned, she loses any chance of having a normal childhood. Denver also loses her two brothers when they’d rather go to war than be in the house that haunts them every day. When Paul D finds out about what Sethe did eighteen years prior, he abandons Sethe because he doesn’t truly understand what happened and he was scared of the spell Beloved had over him. This novel has numerous stories of abandonment and loss.
ReplyDelete"Beloved" can easily be seen as a story about abandonment in loss. First off, Sethe abandoned Halle when she left Sweet Home without Halle. Then Sethe was abandoned by her two sons when they were old enough to leave her. Sethe, however lost Halle and her baby when she abandoned him and killed her daughter. Sethe's loss of Beloved is what led to her son's leaving her. Denver then feels loss when Paul D gets the ghost to leave, but later feels abandonment when both Sethe and Beloved stop paying any attention to her. Sethe also experiences abandonment again when Denver gains the courage to step outside of 124, and then when Beloved disappears. The whole novel is a story of people abandoning each other, with most of these abandonments revolving around the loss on Beloved as a baby.
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ReplyDeleteAbandonment and loss are very significant themes throughout the novel. The first theme of abandonment is seen at the very beginning when it is mentioned that Howard and Buglar ran away because they were afraid of Sethe. The loss of Baby Suggs and Beloved are also very significant to the story. Denver faces loss when Paul D scares away Beloved’s ghost. She thought of the spirit as a companion since she lost Baby Suggs and her brothers. Once Beloved returns, we learn she has felt abandoned. Sethe also abandoned all her senses when she killed Beloved, resulting in a loss and the ability to not feel anything at all.
ReplyDeleteThe novel starts out with displaying loss, as readers come to find out that Sethe lost Baby Suggs, killed her own daughter, and that her sons ran away from home. Right off the bat the theme of loss and abandonment is instilled into the piece. Prior to this loss, Sethe experienced abandonment at Sweet Home, as she abandoned her traditional lifestyle to take on that of a slave. Slavery took away her children, and time took away any detailed memories she had of each of them. Loss not only affects Sethe, but has an effect on Denver too. When Beloved seems to have left 124, Denver is beyond upset. She has lost so much as well, including her father, her sister, her brothers, her grandmother, the company at Lady Jones' school, the ghost and now Beloved; this final loss pushes her over the edge. One of the final times loss is portrayed is when Paul D leaves. Sethe was planning her future around him, and he abandoned her because he can't reconcile Sethe's killing of her own child to prevent her being sold into slavery. Although Sethe is no longer a slave, she is still subject to the loss of friends and family because of the lifelong impact it has on her.
ReplyDeleteAbandonment is one of the few unsettling components of the novel. Sethe's sons, Howard and Buglar abandon 124 Bluestone Rd, Halle abandons Sethe, Sethe kills her own daughter and abandons her motherly duties, Sethe abandons her life at Sweet home. Abandonment as well as the brutal violence and unnerving slavery circumstances all make up the story.
ReplyDeleteThe story can certainly be described as one of abandonment and loss. Firstly, Sethe loses her mother-in-law as she passes away in her bed at 124. Additionally, Buglar and Howard abandon Sethe after she kills her youndg daughter. They abandon their mother because they fear her, and Paul D leaves her later in the story after hearing about her past actions from Stamp Paid. Loss is also present as Sethe only has one child living with her in Denver. Additionally, she killed one of her daughters so she would not be subjected to slavery.
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ReplyDeleteAbandonment and loss is a recurring theme throughout Beloved. Firstly, Sethe has to deal with the abonment and loss of both of her two sons, her husband, her daughter, and baby suggs. Seth’s sons abandoned her in fear that she would try and kill her like she killed beloved. When she was trying to escape from Sweet Home, Sethe was separated from her husband alle and hasn't seen him since. Also, Beloved and Baby Suggs are both dead. Additionally, as many other people have mentioned, abandonment is not only present in people. Due to the fact that she is a slave and a black woman, Sethe was forced to abandon her dreams and aspirations.
Loss and abandonment are two prevalent themes throughout Beloved and are often seen hand in hand throughout the novel. The first example of this is the beginning of the novel in which Sethe's mother-in-law Baby Suggs dies. It is next seen when Sethe's sons, in an attempt to escape the same fate as Beloved, run away from 124 . Also when Paul D heats what Sethe did to Beloved he abandons her as he is disgusted with her actions. Also when she escaped from Sweet Home Sethe loses her husband Halle. By killing Beloved Sethe also abandons her former self and becomes a new changed person, one who experiences only loss.
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ReplyDeleteMorrison uses many elements to express abandonment and loss throughout the novel. On the first page the reader learns that Sethe’s two sons has run away from home since they were most likely in fear of what she was capable of doing. Her husband Halle creates a loss within both Sethe and Denver. Sethe knows that her husband will never return and Denver feels discouraged to never have a father figure in her life. Sethe and Denver’s relationship is lost of a good mother daughter bond. Denver is fearful of her mother and often holds her mother's actions to her hatred towards her. Sethe often turns her attention away from Denver such as when Paul D arrived and when Beloved comes into the novel. Not only were people in their lives lost but for Sethe, her freedom life up until that point had been lost. She never had the chance to live a normal life and now if permanently scarred with mental and physical suffering from her time as a slave.
ReplyDeleteLoss can be directly associated with the death of Beloved as a child. The loss of freedom was experienced by all the slaves for the obvious reason being that they were stuck in captivity. Sethe personally experiences loss because she made the decision to choose her children's well being over their lives. She lost the ability to protect them, her decision was either to end their lives or allow the possibility that they be tortured like she was. She lost the ability to be the mother she wanted to be, to protect her children. After making this decision Sethe lost support, friends, and her reputation. No one could understand her actions so she was separated from the community of blacks she once was a part of.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to abandonment, it is obvious that Denver experiences abandonment all through out her life. Every one that has a potential to be a good addition to her life leaves, dies, or goes away. Denver feels that she has no one.
Loss and abandonment is a huge theme throughout the novel. Sethe is abandoned by her mother as she passes away. She is also abandoned by her two sons after Sethe kills Beloved, they fear her and want to leave her. Loss is seen through Beloved when Sethe kills her and Beloved’s death haunts Sethe and even their house. Abandonment and loss relates to the overall meaning of the text regarding slavery since these scenarios were common throughout the time period.
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ReplyDeleteLoss is a major theme that is presented throughout Beloved as Sethe has been suffering from losses both big and small since her childhood. She lost her mother and felt that she barely knew her and was unable to properly cope with her death. Sethe lost her husband Halle when she escaped Sweet Home and he never made it to her in Ohio. She lost three out of her four children, Howard and Buglar running away and Beloved being killed. She also lost Baby Suggs, who had been almost like a mother to her. She is haunted by all the loss she has experienced throughout her life as a result of slavery, one of Morrison’s main messages in the novel. Sethe knows how terrible it is to feel abandoned and therefore strives to be a good mother. Because of what she has been through, Sethe lives her life as a person who wants to prevent anyone else from feeling the same abandonment and suffering terrible losses like she has.
Abandonment is strongly prevalent throughout this novel. Whether is be in the sense that Sethe abandoned Beloved/her future when killing her, her two sons leaving, Sethe abandoning the idea of being able to live a “normal” life, or when Paul D leaves. It all causes a feeling of despair. The feeling of complete loss and the absence of hope is something that slaves felt often which is why Morrison wanted the readers to feel like this.
ReplyDeleteAbandonment and loss are two major themes in this novel. Sethe faced the abandonment of her own children. Sethe murdered her own daughter to prevent her from becoming a slave. The baby Beloved also lost a whole life set out a head of her because of this murder. After this loss, her two sons were fearful of their mother and they ran away. Then, Sethe also abandons her other daughter, Denver, as she gives all of her attention to the “reincarnated” Beloved. Loss and abandonment is also seen in the novel’s central purpose, to highlight the devastations of slavery and its negative effects. During her time as a slave, Sethe and all slaves their freedoms, hopes and dreams as they were crushed by cruel and unjust treatments. Loss and abandonment surround Sethe throughout the novel, and will for the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteAbandonment is a huge aspect throughout this novel. At 124, Sethe commits an act of abandonment by murdering her daughter. She did what she believed was right, but she left her daughter without even giving her chance. By doing this, Beloved always resented Sethe and caused the other acts of abandonment within her life. The haunting caused her two sons to leave and abandon Sethe. When Paul D came back, he was there to live and be with Sethe, but once he heard what she did to her daughter, he abandoned her as well. When Beloved comes back, Sethe tries to rekindle her relationship with her, which leaves Denver alone to resent he mother and Beloved. Denver was always there for Sethe, but Sethe abandoned her as well. All the abandonment within the novel revolves around Sethe murdering Beloved, the catalyst for all of the other acts of abandonment.
ReplyDeleteThe pivotal example of loss is the killing of Beloved. Through Sethe's actions she lost her youngest child, Beloved lost her life, and Sethe’s children lost their their connection with her their mother. Her two young boys left as soon as they could and Denver slowly got shoved out of her mother’s point of view when Beloved returned. Sethe seemingly looses her own identity throughout the novel as she becomes overwhelmed by her need to serve Beloved. In this process, Denver loses her connection with Sethe as she becomes mentally abandoned by her own mother
ReplyDeleteHere are all the connections of abandonment in the novel beloved:
ReplyDeleteSethe's mother "abandoned" her
Sethe abandoned Halle from Sweet Home
Sethe abandoned all senses when killing her baby "Beloved"
Sethe's 2 boys abandoned her
Sethe and Beloved abandoned Denver
Beloved and Denver abandoned Sethe
All starting with Sethe's mother when Sethe feels as if her mother abandoned her, and never loved her as a mother should have. In trying to be a better mother than her own, Sethe ends up just driving the rest of her family away. Sethe wants to love, but with love also comes pain, so rather than waiting for her own pain to catch up and crush the love in her life, Sethe causes her own pain getting it over and done with.
Love has abandoned Sethe in life, and because of this her life is just screwed up.
Nice!
DeleteThe theme of abandonment in “Beloved” is one that is not so clear cut for me. Sethe kills her daughter, and attempts to kill her other three children, to prevent them from enduring the inhumanity and barbarity she faced as a slave. While some view this as Sethe not being “a real mother,” I feel as though this was the best gift Sethe could provide her kin. She doesn’t have much to offer more than the milk from her breasts, as Sarah mentioned, but an escape from slavery through death is what Sethe thought was best for her kids, and was probably an alternative she had considered for herself. While I believe that Sethe did not abandon her children by trying to kill them, I do believe that she deserts Denver once Beloved enters her life. Sethe, trying to make up for lost time, directs all her energy towards Beloved, and turns her back on Denver. Like Katherine, I believe Denver experienced the most loss. As the youngest child, Denver relied on her mother greatly. Having no father or supportive siblings to lean on, Sethe (and Baby Suggs) was Denver’s only companion. When Beloved came, the one person in the world that Denver had was ripped out of her grasp, and when Beloved left, Denver was there to pick up the pieces. It is important to realize that loss was a normal occurance for Africans of this time. It was very hard cultivating relationships because they never knew who would stay in their lives and for how long. Also, any physical freedom the slaves had meant practically nothing because of the traumatic years of their lives they would never get back.
ReplyDeleteAbandonment and loss often have negative connotations. No one wants to be abandoned and no one wants to be forced to lose someone/something. However, in the novel, abandonment and loss aren't always bad things. Sethe abandon's her life ay Sweet Home, which was her only chance at being free. She also attempts to abandon the cycle of slavery by sacrificing Beloved. Denver abandons her home-bodied tendencies to go out and start a whole new life. The loss of Beloved's presence is the only thing that saves Sethe from withering into nothing and will finally let her move out of the past. I think that the issue that arises in the novel is Sethe's, Baby Sugg's, Beloved's, Paul D's, and Denver's FEAR of loss and abandonment. Slavery ripped children from mother's, husbands from wives, and friends from each other. Especially for Sethe and Paul D, it feels like everything is so uncertain because as slaves, they never knew when someone would just disappear out of their lives. For Paul D, the trauma makes it so he is so scared of being abandoned that he refuses to form any strong bonds or love with anyone (his heart was an empty tin can). For Sethe, the feelings of horror after Beloved died was so traumatic that the idea of going through it again makes it impossible to let her go the second time, even though she is completely sucking the life out of her. Even Beloved's actions can be rationalized by her own fear of abandonment. After being in the "dead world" by herself, she comes back and attaches herself to Sethe because she is so scared of being alone again.
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