This questions is a hard one to answer because one can view it in many ways. Through Toni Morison’s recounts of painful experiences that Sethe faced as a slave, it made me realize that the reason for the murder lies in understanding of a mother's love. When a woman because a mother, the focus of life no longer is about them, it is shifted towards their child because all you want to do in life is protect them. Although Sethe's actions were drastic, the situation she was in was pretty crappy if I'm going to be honest. As a mother, maternal instincts kick in once you have a child because I have seen it with my own mother. When we are driving and my mom stops short, if I'm sitting in the passenger seat, she will pull out the ARM OF IRON as a shield to protect me. As sick as it, maybe Sethe killing Beloved was her own way of shielding her. I know that killing is wrong and I don't justify it, believe me! And I know some people will hate on Sethe and call her a monster for what she did but we also have to remember that she did it out of self defense and it probably wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do. Although Paul D. says there must have been another way, there isn't a way of knowing if Sethe's children could have had a better outcome. Sethe says herself, "It aint my job to know what's worse. It's my job to know what is and to keep them away from what I know is terrible." (165). Overall letting the reader know where she stands with her decisions.
I can completely agree and defend Sarah’s point of view. Sethe experienced something a woman or a person should ever face. She not only was faced into a life of slavery at “Sweet Home”, working day and night. But, she was also raped by the schoolteacher and abused as a consequence for setting her children free. It is definitely a maternal instinct of Sethe to keep her kids away from such a life of torture and rape that she was exposed to, especially by the schoolteacher and his nephew. Therefore, although her reasoning and actions are not totally justified, she killed Beloved out of love to keep them out of the torture and aggression of such terrible men. However, on the other hand “She did not have the right to do it”. Although she is the mother, and ultimately makes all decisions, it was not her right to take away the lives of her children because you never know what could have happened to Beloved. For example, the boys and Denver were not taken. Therefore, she committed and action out of love, but only in comparison to her situation. Her children’s could have ended different but she did not give Beloved a chance.
Although I do understand why Sethe killed Beloved, I agree that she did not have the right to. There have no question that Sethe truly believed that death was better than slavery. Based on what we learned about Sethe’s past, every loving mother would feel the same way. No one wants to have their children go through something such as being gang raped, treated like an animal, or abused. Sethe knew first hand what her children would have faced as slaves and did not want them to experience the torture. Sethe was only trying to do what was best for her children; however, I do not believe that anyone has the right to take away a person's chance at life.
No one has the right to take a life of another. Judicial law, the Bible,almost every culture there is condemns murder because of biodiversity. Every being has the right to exist. So while Sethe did do the right thing in protecting her child from the atrocities of her past, she did not have the right to take her life because no one does have that right. This is a question that plagues the people of Cincinnati as well, where is the line in the sand? There has to be one between protection and illegality, but in a post-slavery society where not everyone is over the past, that line is sometimes very hard to see.
This is very true. Sethe did do the right thing because she used her unwavering maternal instincts to protect her children from ever facing the horrors of slavery the way that she did in her past. Her intentions were right, she just wanted to protect her children, just as any mother would, but sadly she was not granted the right to do it the way she did it. She did not have the right to murder Beloved before she had the chance to blossom and grow. She stripped away Beloved life and everything it entails. Although Sethe truly believed that death was better than slavery, that does not give her the right to take away her daughter's life. Outright murder does not solve problems at hand.
Morrison describing that Sethe did the right thing is her saying that doing everything in her power to protect her children from any type of harm that may be brought upon them. In that case she is 100% right. As a mother she is expected to protect her children at all costs, however Morrisons belief that she did not have the right to do it relates to taking someone's life. Sethe’s attempt to protect her daughter was done with good intentions, however no matter who you are, choosing the fate of someone's life is never your decision. Sethe was meant to protect her child, but she should not have killed her. Saving her from the horrors of slavery was justified but how she chose to go about it was not a choice she should have been able to make.
Morrison’s quote is a brilliant interpretation of Sethe’s actions. I can relate to this quote because before knowing Sethe’s intentions, I thought she was a monster for killing her child. However, after learning why I had more sympathy for her. I believe that she did the right thing: she took action to prevent her children from living the same scarring life of slavery as she did. She wanted them to be free from rape and abuse. She was able to take her daughter’s life and free her from misery. Her motherly love was too strong to let them suffer. Yet, Sethe didn’t have the right to do it. At the end of the day she was the mother of these children and shouldn’t have been the person to hurt her own child, no matter what the reason. A mother is supposed to show their children love no matter what. These children must of been dissapointed and fearful when the person that was supposed to love and protect them, tried to murder them. This leaves Beloved’s last memory of life one of terror.
Whether or not Sethe had the right to kill Beloved is such a complicated topic to discuss. Sethe went through such a traumatic experience with slavery, it is totally understandable why she would never want her daughter to go through such pain like that. No woman, or any person for that matter, should ever have to go through that. With this experience in mind, Sethe’s mindset became so loyal towards her family that she would do absolutely anything to protect them for the rest of her life. She killed Beloved so she would never have the chance to undergo slavery like she did. So, to Sethe, she absolutely did the right thing by killing Beloved. However, murder is also such an unforgivable, greedy, and evil action, nobody ever has the right to do that. Asking myself this question, it’s so difficult to decide on whether I agree with Sethe’s actions or if I don’t. Although I can completely understand why she would do this, I’m not sure if I think it was the best option she had, especially since she just held Denver inside of the house for years. Why didn’t she just do that with Beloved? Did killing Beloved really resolve everything? As the end of the story goes, Sethe really suffered with her past actions with Beloved. Seeing as she came back alive, did she really accomplish anything with the murder?
After first reading this, I agreed with the first half of the statement that Sethe "did the right thing". However, I had to analyze and consider the second half, "but she didn't have the right to do it" a little more. Then, I remembered the blog post about owning a person. I think that idea applies to this statement in that Sethe did not like being owned herself and the power people had over her so what made her think she had the right to be in control over Beloved’s life at that moment? The counterargument to this would be the saying “a mother knows best” which is why she used her judgement and “did the right thing”. Therefore, maybe Beloved too had emotional and psychological effects from being "owned" in that moment when Sethe took her life away which would explain why she acts the way she does when she returns from the dead.
I agree with Morrison's statement. Although Sethe did the right thing by not subjecting Beloved to a life of slavery, she could have found other ways of protecting her than killing her own child. While I do have sympathy for Sethe in what she did, taking another person's life, especially your own child's, is morally wrong to do. Beloved could have been a very nice person, but with her murder, she turned into a spiteful daughter who was full of revenge and hate.
When Morrison states this, she is referring to when Sethe took Beloved’s life to save her from a life of slavery. I think that Sethe had all good intentions and I understand why she tried to save her family: to protect them from the horrors of slavery. Sethe didn’t want any of her children or herself to be whipped, raped, overworked, chained, or bred any longer. Though she only had the chance to kill Beloved, she planned to take all of their lives in the shed. In that moment, however, she didn’t have the right to take Beloved’s life. Technically she was a runaway slave that did not have to right to be away from Sweet Home or take the lives of the “future investments” schoolteacher owned. On another level, it wasn’t her choice to take away Beloved’s future away from her; she was acting just like the white slave owners: stealing a life from what could be a decent destiny.
This quote by Morrison is probably one of the most controversial topics from this book. Did Sethe do the right thing? That question ran through my head as I read the book and saw how much everyone was suffering from Sethe’s actions. In one sense, Sethe felt as though the only way her most beloved possessions, her children, would not have to endure the suffering of slavery that she had, was to kill them. But on the other hand, what kind of mother would be in their right mind to slice the throat of their own child; that's a little insane. With that said, in my opinion, due to everything Sethe had been through, she was just trying to protect her kids from the same awful life that she had gone through. Was it morally right? No, but in the moment Sethe felt that there was only one way to keep her children safe from Sweet Home.
It is not a humans decision wether to live or die, it is God's in the world of this novel. Sethe's intention of killing her child was good, she did not want her child to suffer as she has being a slave, so she killed the baby. However as Morrison said "she did not have the right to do it", meaning it was not Sethe who had the right to kill her child, as it would be Gods descsion wether the baby lives or not, so this is where Sethe was wrong. Had Sethe been a normal person with a normal life, not a slave, she wouldn't have killed her child. So I understand why she did it, but wether the baby lived or not in a world of slavery was not her choice.
I agree with Morrison that Sethe did the right thing because she was trying to protect her daughter from potential dangers. Sethe was continually haunted by the terrors of slavery throughout her life and didn't want her daughter to be subjected to such brutality. She felt that killing her child would remove her from the possibility of living a life like Sethe did on Sweet Home. However, I agree with Morrison that she didn't have the right to kill her. Even if Sethe was showing a sense of love for her daughter, she shouldn't have gone to the extent of killing her.
Sethe did do the right thing, but did not have the right to do it because she did not have the consent of Beloved. True, Beloved was only just a baby when Sethe decided to murder her and she could not have made the decision herself. If Beloved could have made the decision she obviously would not have took the route of dying, but Sethe did her a favor by doing what she did. Sethe has grown up being used, abused,and taken advantage of. Just because of her skin color she was forced to be someone’s slave. It was not a pleasant experience, but it was one of physical and emotional pain. She did not want her own daughter to have to grow up in a world of violence and pain like her and all the other slaves of the time had to experience. It may have been selfish, but if she did not murder Beloved she would have had to see her grow up being used and abused.
When Morrison said this quote she was obviously referring to Sethe killing her daughter, Beloved. I do believe that Sethe killed her daughter for the right reasons. She wanted to save her child from the horrors of slavery that still plagued her and had scarred her for many years. Sethe truly thought she was freeing her child and keeping her safe. However, Sethe killed her child. Without any hesitation Sethe chose to kill her child when she most likely could have tried something else. She took away her daughter's life before she even had a chance to truly live. Sethe's act may have seemed necessary but it also seems to be somewhat drastic. the question remains what would have happened if Sethe had tried to hide her children rather than kill them?
In this quotation, Morrison is referring to Sethe murdering Beloved. What she is saying is that Sethe's motives in killing Beloved were right. I agree with this. It is the responsibility of a mother to care for and protect their children, which Sethe was trying to do in killing Beloved. Sethe was trying to protect her from the horrors of slavery that she had experienced earlier in her life. Morrison is also saying however, that Sethe didn't have the right to kill Beloved, which I also agree with. No matter what the motives are, no person can decide the fate of another person's life. So, while Sethe's motives were right, her way about executing those motives was wrong.
I feel that Morrison’s quote represents how Sethe did the right thing with killing her daughter but never had the right of Beloved on how she wanted to live. Since she was a baby I feel that Sethe’s actions were fair. Sethe took responsibility for her child and being a good mother was able to not have her child experience the horrors that she had to go through. I feel that killing her daughter was an extreme but was what needed to be done.
I agree with Morrison saying that “[Sethe] did the right thing, but she didn’t have the right to do it.” Sethe, like any mother, wants only the best for her family. When the schoolteacher discovered where she was, Sethe feared that her children would be faced with the same life she had as a slave, and after her pain did not want to see them struggle like she did. For this reason she kills Beloved, truly because she cares so much for her, not out of hatred or evil. Although people act with good intentions, does it mean their actions are justified, and okay? In this case, I don't think Sethe had the right to take the life of her baby daughter, someone who saw so little of life with a future ahead. It wasn't necessarily cruel, but instead wasn't fair and was a bit extreme.
I believe that Sethe's choice was the best course of action possible. I believe that giving her daughter a quick merciful death was fully within her rights as a parent as she is just ensuring that her daughter would not have to endure the horrible life that Sethe did. I have to disagree with Morrison when she says Sethe didnt have the right to kill Beloved. This is because Sethe's action prevented a life full of rape and beatings for Beloved, al life previously lived by Sethe, a life that still haunted Sethe even after she left it behind. Sethe had every right to do what she did because she experienced it firsthand and knew what would happen to Beloved if she was taken away by Schoolteacher.
This quote is relating to Sethe killing Beloved. Sethe did this so she could keep prevent Beloved from becoming a slave. According to Sethe, thsi was the right thing to do since it is a mother looking out for her child and doing the best thing, which is to prevent the daughter from becoming a slave. However, this act was not the right thing to do. Sethe stripped Beloved's away from her. I believe that Sethe cannot decide if Beloved should live or die, it should be up to beloved.
Sethe saved Beloved's life, not literally as she was murdered, but granted her a life free of slavery and torture. Sethe preventing Beloved from the pain she endured was only a motherly act as she loved her daughter too much to witness her suffering. However, no one has the right to murder and no one has the right to take away another person's life without consent.
“[Sethe] did the right thing, but she didn’t have the right to do it.” She had the right to protect her child from what would be far worse, as what any mother would do. What she did was out of love. The situation she was in gave her two options that would leave her with two painful outcomes. She knew what she went through and how it left her feeling and she would not wish that upon anyone else so she did what she thought was best. However, this gave her baby no chance. Sethe took everything away from Beloved before she could even try in life. Beloved could have grown up and made a difference. This was a risk Sethe felt was not worth being taken.
This is a great quote from the novel’s author herself and I find it very interesting. I do agree with this quotation. Sethe murdered her daughter because she didn't want her to face the hardships of slavery. While Sethe was a slave, she was abused, raped and treated in way that no one should ever be treated. The serve psychological traumas Sethe was left with gave her a justification that murdering her baby girl to prevent her from slavery was the right thing to do for her child. However, Sethe did not have the right to kill another human, even though it was her own daughter. She did not have the right to take a life full of potential away from an innocent two year old. There was a possibility that Beloved could have avoided the life as a slave, just like her other children. The bottom line is that Sethe did not give Beloved the chance to live and that action is inhumane.
Morrison says that Sethe did the right thing based off of her motives for killing Beloved. The murder was caused by Sethe seeing Schoolteacher and immediately she knew that neither she nor her daughter would be taken back as slaves. Morrison’s entire novel focuses on the terrors of slavery. That scene shows the readers just how awful slavery was by showing that a mother would kill her own daughter just to avoid it. It was painful for Sethe to experience death and other losses in her already traumatic life; a murder committed by her own hands was something almost impossible to handle. The victim being her daughter definitely amplified it. It was a protective act for both Sethe and Beloved, and Morrison considers it the right thing because it was able to prevent her from becoming a slave again. However, Sethe didn’t have the right to do it, obviously because murder is wrong. Nobody should have the right to kill another person, no matter the reason. Sethe is aware of this and it may be part of why the memory of it continuously tortures her.
As a reader, I can completely understand the choice that Sethe made to kill her own daughter, but it was not her decision to make. She was doing what she thought was right, saving her child from the past she experienced but it was not for her to decide that. She wanted to save her from the horrors of slavery, but Sethe did what she did without thinking through her actions. She didn’t think of the consequences that this would have on her life and the life of her family.
Although Sethe had awful experiences that left her scarred (literally and figuratively) for the rest of her life, her experience was not the same as everyone else's, and she can't say that her children would have the same experience as her. Although she would have chosen death over slavery, there are other people, like Paul D and many members of the black community in Cincinatti that disagreed with her decision. This is because although she had the right to take her own life, Beloved's life, along with the lives of her other children, were not hers to take. Had they become slaves and decided to kill themselves or escape, that was on them, but even if she was trying to protect her children from evil, and she did it out of love, it wasn't her life, and she shouldn't have taken it.
I am in agreement with Morrison as to where she stands on the topic on Sethe killing Beloved. Although I can see the motivation behind Sethe’s actions I feel that she did not have the right to kill her child. Although Beloved was only a young child at the time and she could not comprehend the horrible events that might unfold, that does not give Sethe the right to take her life. Sethe’s motherly instincts kicked in as she attempted to save her child. She did this act out of love in an effort to protect Beloved from a life of misery, but her good intentions did not justify her actions.
This quote refers to Sethe killing her daughter. Personally, I am quite conflicted with this idea. I see why Sethe did it, to protect her child from a most likely bad life, but at the same time I don't think you could ever justify killing your own child. She was too young to have her path decided for her, something that she should have been able to decide for herself. Sethe just wanted to protect her, but was the cost too painful?
Sethe's motherly instincts kicked in, that was right. Her choice effected her child's life beyond her rightful position, that was wrong. Sethe wanted to act as a mother when she made this decision, she wanted to protect her children from harm, suffering, and pain. Her motive was not wrong, but that was not her decision. Beloved was too little to understand what was going on, before she even knew what life was it was taken from her. Sethe was wrong in taking the right to live away from Beloved.
This question cannot be answered in a straightforward way since there is much to consider. While Sethe chose Beloved’s fate for her, I believe as a mother, she has the authority to make that call. I have never been in Sethe’s shoes, never experienced what she has and I hope I never do, but what she endured must have been truly horrific for her to turn to death as an escape. As the reader and an outsider, all I can do is respect Sethe for making a hard choice and sticking with it. While Beloved did face a grotesque death, I think strength lies in Sethe, as I can imagine that it must be horribly difficult for a mother to slit her own child’s throat. I defend my beliefs by bringing up the topic of religion. When a child is born, it is up to the mother and father to decide what faith that child will practice, if any. We all accept this concept and pass no judgement onto those parents that baptise their children at birth or send them to CCD when they are children. A choice as serious as religion is made for us when we are born. While we can change that path our parents chose for us when we are grown and religion is not nearly as life-altering than death, this comparison is virtually the same. Sethe made a call on behalf of her child when time was running out. I believe she had every right to parent her children the way she pleased- whether it mean death or life. Sethe’s actions were selfless, and she only ever put her children first. For her to protect her children from slavery through death is a choice that is respected by me. I stand by Sethe.
I think that this question means that as a mother with a fierce love for her child, Sethe did the right thing, but logically in the eyes of the law and of bystanders who had not lived the life that Sethe lived, under no circumstances would anyone have the right to kill a baby. This is probably a dilemma that Sethe had herself in the years following Beloved's death. Only Sethe really understood what she was trying to save her daughter from, and in many ways a life as a slave at Sweet Home was a fate much worse than death. However, the circumstances can't change the fact that murdering an innocent child is a horrifying, soul shattering act that will haunt Sethe forever. Personally, since I am aware of the trauma that Sethe experienced, I respect Sethe's decision and I do believe it was the right thing to do.
This questions is a hard one to answer because one can view it in many ways. Through Toni Morison’s recounts of painful experiences that Sethe faced as a slave, it made me realize that the reason for the murder lies in understanding of a mother's love. When a woman because a mother, the focus of life no longer is about them, it is shifted towards their child because all you want to do in life is protect them. Although Sethe's actions were drastic, the situation she was in was pretty crappy if I'm going to be honest. As a mother, maternal instincts kick in once you have a child because I have seen it with my own mother. When we are driving and my mom stops short, if I'm sitting in the passenger seat, she will pull out the ARM OF IRON as a shield to protect me. As sick as it, maybe Sethe killing Beloved was her own way of shielding her. I know that killing is wrong and I don't justify it, believe me! And I know some people will hate on Sethe and call her a monster for what she did but we also have to remember that she did it out of self defense and it probably wasn't the easiest thing in the world to do. Although Paul D. says there must have been another way, there isn't a way of knowing if Sethe's children could have had a better outcome. Sethe says herself, "It aint my job to know what's worse. It's my job to know what is and to keep them away from what I know is terrible." (165). Overall letting the reader know where she stands with her decisions.
ReplyDeleteI can completely agree and defend Sarah’s point of view. Sethe experienced something a woman or a person should ever face. She not only was faced into a life of slavery at “Sweet Home”, working day and night. But, she was also raped by the schoolteacher and abused as a consequence for setting her children free. It is definitely a maternal instinct of Sethe to keep her kids away from such a life of torture and rape that she was exposed to, especially by the schoolteacher and his nephew. Therefore, although her reasoning and actions are not totally justified, she killed Beloved out of love to keep them out of the torture and aggression of such terrible men. However, on the other hand “She did not have the right to do it”. Although she is the mother, and ultimately makes all decisions, it was not her right to take away the lives of her children because you never know what could have happened to Beloved. For example, the boys and Denver were not taken. Therefore, she committed and action out of love, but only in comparison to her situation. Her children’s could have ended different but she did not give Beloved a chance.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do understand why Sethe killed Beloved, I agree that she did not have the right to. There have no question that Sethe truly believed that death was better than slavery. Based on what we learned about Sethe’s past, every loving mother would feel the same way. No one wants to have their children go through something such as being gang raped, treated like an animal, or abused. Sethe knew first hand what her children would have faced as slaves and did not want them to experience the torture. Sethe was only trying to do what was best for her children; however, I do not believe that anyone has the right to take away a person's chance at life.
ReplyDeleteNo one has the right to take a life of another. Judicial law, the Bible,almost every culture there is condemns murder because of biodiversity. Every being has the right to exist. So while Sethe did do the right thing in protecting her child from the atrocities of her past, she did not have the right to take her life because no one does have that right. This is a question that plagues the people of Cincinnati as well, where is the line in the sand? There has to be one between protection and illegality, but in a post-slavery society where not everyone is over the past, that line is sometimes very hard to see.
ReplyDeleteThis is very true. Sethe did do the right thing because she used her unwavering maternal instincts to protect her children from ever facing the horrors of slavery the way that she did in her past. Her intentions were right, she just wanted to protect her children, just as any mother would, but sadly she was not granted the right to do it the way she did it. She did not have the right to murder Beloved before she had the chance to blossom and grow. She stripped away Beloved life and everything it entails. Although Sethe truly believed that death was better than slavery, that does not give her the right to take away her daughter's life. Outright murder does not solve problems at hand.
ReplyDeleteMorrison describing that Sethe did the right thing is her saying that doing everything in her power to protect her children from any type of harm that may be brought upon them. In that case she is 100% right. As a mother she is expected to protect her children at all costs, however Morrisons belief that she did not have the right to do it relates to taking someone's life. Sethe’s attempt to protect her daughter was done with good intentions, however no matter who you are, choosing the fate of someone's life is never your decision. Sethe was meant to protect her child, but she should not have killed her. Saving her from the horrors of slavery was justified but how she chose to go about it was not a choice she should have been able to make.
ReplyDeleteMorrison’s quote is a brilliant interpretation of Sethe’s actions. I can relate to this quote because before knowing Sethe’s intentions, I thought she was a monster for killing her child. However, after learning why I had more sympathy for her.
ReplyDeleteI believe that she did the right thing: she took action to prevent her children from living the same scarring life of slavery as she did. She wanted them to be free from rape and abuse. She was able to take her daughter’s life and free her from misery. Her motherly love was too strong to let them suffer.
Yet, Sethe didn’t have the right to do it. At the end of the day she was the mother of these children and shouldn’t have been the person to hurt her own child, no matter what the reason. A mother is supposed to show their children love no matter what. These children must of been dissapointed and fearful when the person that was supposed to love and protect them, tried to murder them. This leaves Beloved’s last memory of life one of terror.
Whether or not Sethe had the right to kill Beloved is such a complicated topic to discuss. Sethe went through such a traumatic experience with slavery, it is totally understandable why she would never want her daughter to go through such pain like that. No woman, or any person for that matter, should ever have to go through that. With this experience in mind, Sethe’s mindset became so loyal towards her family that she would do absolutely anything to protect them for the rest of her life. She killed Beloved so she would never have the chance to undergo slavery like she did. So, to Sethe, she absolutely did the right thing by killing Beloved. However, murder is also such an unforgivable, greedy, and evil action, nobody ever has the right to do that. Asking myself this question, it’s so difficult to decide on whether I agree with Sethe’s actions or if I don’t. Although I can completely understand why she would do this, I’m not sure if I think it was the best option she had, especially since she just held Denver inside of the house for years. Why didn’t she just do that with Beloved? Did killing Beloved really resolve everything? As the end of the story goes, Sethe really suffered with her past actions with Beloved. Seeing as she came back alive, did she really accomplish anything with the murder?
ReplyDeleteAfter first reading this, I agreed with the first half of the statement that Sethe "did the right thing". However, I had to analyze and consider the second half, "but she didn't have the right to do it" a little more. Then, I remembered the blog post about owning a person. I think that idea applies to this statement in that Sethe did not like being owned herself and the power people had over her so what made her think she had the right to be in control over Beloved’s life at that moment? The counterargument to this would be the saying “a mother knows best” which is why she used her judgement and “did the right thing”. Therefore, maybe Beloved too had emotional and psychological effects from being "owned" in that moment when Sethe took her life away which would explain why she acts the way she does when she returns from the dead.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Morrison's statement. Although Sethe did the right thing by not subjecting Beloved to a life of slavery, she could have found other ways of protecting her than killing her own child. While I do have sympathy for Sethe in what she did, taking another person's life, especially your own child's, is morally wrong to do. Beloved could have been a very nice person, but with her murder, she turned into a spiteful daughter who was full of revenge and hate.
ReplyDeleteWhen Morrison states this, she is referring to when Sethe took Beloved’s life to save her from a life of slavery. I think that Sethe had all good intentions and I understand why she tried to save her family: to protect them from the horrors of slavery. Sethe didn’t want any of her children or herself to be whipped, raped, overworked, chained, or bred any longer. Though she only had the chance to kill Beloved, she planned to take all of their lives in the shed. In that moment, however, she didn’t have the right to take Beloved’s life. Technically she was a runaway slave that did not have to right to be away from Sweet Home or take the lives of the “future investments” schoolteacher owned. On another level, it wasn’t her choice to take away Beloved’s future away from her; she was acting just like the white slave owners: stealing a life from what could be a decent destiny.
ReplyDeleteThis quote by Morrison is probably one of the most controversial topics from this book. Did Sethe do the right thing? That question ran through my head as I read the book and saw how much everyone was suffering from Sethe’s actions. In one sense, Sethe felt as though the only way her most beloved possessions, her children, would not have to endure the suffering of slavery that she had, was to kill them. But on the other hand, what kind of mother would be in their right mind to slice the throat of their own child; that's a little insane. With that said, in my opinion, due to everything Sethe had been through, she was just trying to protect her kids from the same awful life that she had gone through. Was it morally right? No, but in the moment Sethe felt that there was only one way to keep her children safe from Sweet Home.
ReplyDeleteIt is not a humans decision wether to live or die, it is God's in the world of this novel. Sethe's intention of killing her child was good, she did not want her child to suffer as she has being a slave, so she killed the baby. However as Morrison said "she did not have the right to do it", meaning it was not Sethe who had the right to kill her child, as it would be Gods descsion wether the baby lives or not, so this is where Sethe was wrong. Had Sethe been a normal person with a normal life, not a slave, she wouldn't have killed her child. So I understand why she did it, but wether the baby lived or not in a world of slavery was not her choice.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Morrison that Sethe did the right thing because she was trying to protect her daughter from potential dangers. Sethe was continually haunted by the terrors of slavery throughout her life and didn't want her daughter to be subjected to such brutality. She felt that killing her child would remove her from the possibility of living a life like Sethe did on Sweet Home. However, I agree with Morrison that she didn't have the right to kill her. Even if Sethe was showing a sense of love for her daughter, she shouldn't have gone to the extent of killing her.
ReplyDeleteSethe did do the right thing, but did not have the right to do it because she did not have the consent of Beloved. True, Beloved was only just a baby when Sethe decided to murder her and she could not have made the decision herself. If Beloved could have made the decision she obviously would not have took the route of dying, but Sethe did her a favor by doing what she did. Sethe has grown up being used, abused,and taken advantage of. Just because of her skin color she was forced to be someone’s slave. It was not a pleasant experience, but it was one of physical and emotional pain. She did not want her own daughter to have to grow up in a world of violence and pain like her and all the other slaves of the time had to experience. It may have been selfish, but if she did not murder Beloved she would have had to see her grow up being used and abused.
ReplyDeleteWhen Morrison said this quote she was obviously referring to Sethe killing her daughter, Beloved. I do believe that Sethe killed her daughter for the right reasons. She wanted to save her child from the horrors of slavery that still plagued her and had scarred her for many years. Sethe truly thought she was freeing her child and keeping her safe. However, Sethe killed her child. Without any hesitation Sethe chose to kill her child when she most likely could have tried something else. She took away her daughter's life before she even had a chance to truly live. Sethe's act may have seemed necessary but it also seems to be somewhat drastic. the question remains what would have happened if Sethe had tried to hide her children rather than kill them?
ReplyDeleteIn this quotation, Morrison is referring to Sethe murdering Beloved. What she is saying is that Sethe's motives in killing Beloved were right. I agree with this. It is the responsibility of a mother to care for and protect their children, which Sethe was trying to do in killing Beloved. Sethe was trying to protect her from the horrors of slavery that she had experienced earlier in her life. Morrison is also saying however, that Sethe didn't have the right to kill Beloved, which I also agree with. No matter what the motives are, no person can decide the fate of another person's life. So, while Sethe's motives were right, her way about executing those motives was wrong.
ReplyDeleteI feel that Morrison’s quote represents how Sethe did the right thing with killing her daughter but never had the right of Beloved on how she wanted to live. Since she was a baby I feel that Sethe’s actions were fair. Sethe took responsibility for her child and being a good mother was able to not have her child experience the horrors that she had to go through. I feel that killing her daughter was an extreme but was what needed to be done.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Morrison saying that “[Sethe] did the right thing, but she didn’t have the right to do it.” Sethe, like any mother, wants only the best for her family. When the schoolteacher discovered where she was, Sethe feared that her children would be faced with the same life she had as a slave, and after her pain did not want to see them struggle like she did. For this reason she kills Beloved, truly because she cares so much for her, not out of hatred or evil. Although people act with good intentions, does it mean their actions are justified, and okay? In this case, I don't think Sethe had the right to take the life of her baby daughter, someone who saw so little of life with a future ahead. It wasn't necessarily cruel, but instead wasn't fair and was a bit extreme.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Sethe's choice was the best course of action possible. I believe that giving her daughter a quick merciful death was fully within her rights as a parent as she is just ensuring that her daughter would not have to endure the horrible life that Sethe did. I have to disagree with Morrison when she says Sethe didnt have the right to kill Beloved. This is because Sethe's action prevented a life full of rape and beatings for Beloved, al life previously lived by Sethe, a life that still haunted Sethe even after she left it behind. Sethe had every right to do what she did because she experienced it firsthand and knew what would happen to Beloved if she was taken away by Schoolteacher.
ReplyDeleteThis quote is relating to Sethe killing Beloved. Sethe did this so she could keep prevent Beloved from becoming a slave. According to Sethe, thsi was the right thing to do since it is a mother looking out for her child and doing the best thing, which is to prevent the daughter from becoming a slave. However, this act was not the right thing to do. Sethe stripped Beloved's away from her. I believe that Sethe cannot decide if Beloved should live or die, it should be up to beloved.
ReplyDeleteSethe saved Beloved's life, not literally as she was murdered, but granted her a life free of slavery and torture. Sethe preventing Beloved from the pain she endured was only a motherly act as she loved her daughter too much to witness her suffering. However, no one has the right to murder and no one has the right to take away another person's life without consent.
ReplyDelete“[Sethe] did the right thing, but she didn’t have the right to do it.” She had the right to protect her child from what would be far worse, as what any mother would do. What she did was out of love. The situation she was in gave her two options that would leave her with two painful outcomes. She knew what she went through and how it left her feeling and she would not wish that upon anyone else so she did what she thought was best. However, this gave her baby no chance. Sethe took everything away from Beloved before she could even try in life. Beloved could have grown up and made a difference. This was a risk Sethe felt was not worth being taken.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great quote from the novel’s author herself and I find it very interesting. I do agree with this quotation. Sethe murdered her daughter because she didn't want her to face the hardships of slavery. While Sethe was a slave, she was abused, raped and treated in way that no one should ever be treated. The serve psychological traumas Sethe was left with gave her a justification that murdering her baby girl to prevent her from slavery was the right thing to do for her child. However, Sethe did not have the right to kill another human, even though it was her own daughter. She did not have the right to take a life full of potential away from an innocent two year old. There was a possibility that Beloved could have avoided the life as a slave, just like her other children. The bottom line is that Sethe did not give Beloved the chance to live and that action is inhumane.
ReplyDeleteMorrison says that Sethe did the right thing based off of her motives for killing Beloved. The murder was caused by Sethe seeing Schoolteacher and immediately she knew that neither she nor her daughter would be taken back as slaves. Morrison’s entire novel focuses on the terrors of slavery. That scene shows the readers just how awful slavery was by showing that a mother would kill her own daughter just to avoid it. It was painful for Sethe to experience death and other losses in her already traumatic life; a murder committed by her own hands was something almost impossible to handle. The victim being her daughter definitely amplified it. It was a protective act for both Sethe and Beloved, and Morrison considers it the right thing because it was able to prevent her from becoming a slave again. However, Sethe didn’t have the right to do it, obviously because murder is wrong. Nobody should have the right to kill another person, no matter the reason. Sethe is aware of this and it may be part of why the memory of it continuously tortures her.
ReplyDeleteAs a reader, I can completely understand the choice that Sethe made to kill her own daughter, but it was not her decision to make. She was doing what she thought was right, saving her child from the past she experienced but it was not for her to decide that. She wanted to save her from the horrors of slavery, but Sethe did what she did without thinking through her actions. She didn’t think of the consequences that this would have on her life and the life of her family.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Sethe had awful experiences that left her scarred (literally and figuratively) for the rest of her life, her experience was not the same as everyone else's, and she can't say that her children would have the same experience as her. Although she would have chosen death over slavery, there are other people, like Paul D and many members of the black community in Cincinatti that disagreed with her decision. This is because although she had the right to take her own life, Beloved's life, along with the lives of her other children, were not hers to take. Had they become slaves and decided to kill themselves or escape, that was on them, but even if she was trying to protect her children from evil, and she did it out of love, it wasn't her life, and she shouldn't have taken it.
ReplyDeleteI am in agreement with Morrison as to where she stands on the topic on Sethe killing Beloved. Although I can see the motivation behind Sethe’s actions I feel that she did not have the right to kill her child. Although Beloved was only a young child at the time and she could not comprehend the horrible events that might unfold, that does not give Sethe the right to take her life. Sethe’s motherly instincts kicked in as she attempted to save her child. She did this act out of love in an effort to protect Beloved from a life of misery, but her good intentions did not justify her actions.
ReplyDeleteThis quote refers to Sethe killing her daughter. Personally, I am quite conflicted with this idea. I see why Sethe did it, to protect her child from a most likely bad life, but at the same time I don't think you could ever justify killing your own child. She was too young to have her path decided for her, something that she should have been able to decide for herself. Sethe just wanted to protect her, but was the cost too painful?
ReplyDeleteSethe's motherly instincts kicked in, that was right. Her choice effected her child's life beyond her rightful position, that was wrong. Sethe wanted to act as a mother when she made this decision, she wanted to protect her children from harm, suffering, and pain. Her motive was not wrong, but that was not her decision. Beloved was too little to understand what was going on, before she even knew what life was it was taken from her. Sethe was wrong in taking the right to live away from Beloved.
ReplyDeleteThis question cannot be answered in a straightforward way since there is much to consider. While Sethe chose Beloved’s fate for her, I believe as a mother, she has the authority to make that call. I have never been in Sethe’s shoes, never experienced what she has and I hope I never do, but what she endured must have been truly horrific for her to turn to death as an escape. As the reader and an outsider, all I can do is respect Sethe for making a hard choice and sticking with it. While Beloved did face a grotesque death, I think strength lies in Sethe, as I can imagine that it must be horribly difficult for a mother to slit her own child’s throat. I defend my beliefs by bringing up the topic of religion. When a child is born, it is up to the mother and father to decide what faith that child will practice, if any. We all accept this concept and pass no judgement onto those parents that baptise their children at birth or send them to CCD when they are children. A choice as serious as religion is made for us when we are born. While we can change that path our parents chose for us when we are grown and religion is not nearly as life-altering than death, this comparison is virtually the same. Sethe made a call on behalf of her child when time was running out. I believe she had every right to parent her children the way she pleased- whether it mean death or life. Sethe’s actions were selfless, and she only ever put her children first. For her to protect her children from slavery through death is a choice that is respected by me. I stand by Sethe.
ReplyDeleteI think that this question means that as a mother with a fierce love for her child, Sethe did the right thing, but logically in the eyes of the law and of bystanders who had not lived the life that Sethe lived, under no circumstances would anyone have the right to kill a baby. This is probably a dilemma that Sethe had herself in the years following Beloved's death. Only Sethe really understood what she was trying to save her daughter from, and in many ways a life as a slave at Sweet Home was a fate much worse than death. However, the circumstances can't change the fact that murdering an innocent child is a horrifying, soul shattering act that will haunt Sethe forever. Personally, since I am aware of the trauma that Sethe experienced, I respect Sethe's decision and I do believe it was the right thing to do.
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