Oh my goodness! Can we talk shoes!?
Ok - So - Baby Suggs makes shoes. There are random people's shoes in her house, and the children try them on. Beloved is wearing new black shoes when she shows it. When Sethe kills Beloved, well after, a boy shows up to drop off his shoes to be fixed. Baby Suggs dreams of those shoes, I think. Denver wears a stranger's pair of shoes when she leaves the house for the first time. And Ella says that "As long as the ghost showed out from its ghostly place - shaking stuff, crying, smashing and such - Ella respected it. But if it took flesh and came in her world, well, the SHOE was on the other foot."
Can you find other references to shoes, and tell us what the heck it could all mean?! Please!
Often times when you put shoes on your feet, you have a destination. There's somewhere you have to be. So when there are references of shoes, the fact that Sethe and Baby Suggs both knew how to craft shoes, I believe that is symbolic of crafting a path for yourself. When Denver finally steps outside the house in a stranger's shoes, she is growing beyond 124 and making her way in the world. The shoes beneath her are all that support her, and she must now support Sethe and Beloved. As for Baby Suggs and Sethe, when it comes to crafting shoes, they know all of the right steps, but their shoes are made during a time of enslavement, or they are making the shoes for other people. So while these two women possess the knowledge of how to craft a new, sturdy life, they never get the chance to implement it for themselves. After Beloved's death, when the boy drops his shoes off to be fixed, maybe his path got changed. Maybe his destiny was to be a part of Beloved's life, and now that Beloved was dead, he needed Sethe to amend her mistake. As for Ella, as long as Beloved remained a ghost, something without really any possessions, it could be respected. But when Beloved came into the physical world with shoes on her feet, well now she was a ghost with a purpose, and a mission, which is often something to be feared.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, Sethe, Beloved, and Denver all went on an ice skating trip. It is quoted, “We’ll take turns. Two skates one one; one skate on one; and shoe slide for the other” (174). The person who got the pair of skates was Beloved. Perhaps Beloved got the complete pair of shoes because, as ice skating has to do with balance, Beloved was seen as the least stable and balanced out of the three of them. However, this was also the part in which Sethe realized that maybe the shadow in which she thought she saw her, Paul D, and Denver holding hands, wasn’t really them, but maybe her, Beloved, and Denver. Maybe the complete pair of skates worn by Beloved represents the fact that she was making the family more stable with her presence, in Sethe’s eyes. Denver is wearing the one ice skate. This could represent how she is imbalanced at the presence of Beloved. Denver knows who Beloved really is and she feels as though she is a threat to the family, but Sethe doesn’t realize this. Therefore, Sethe is not wearing any ice skates, vulnerable to being swept off of her feet easily, which is what happens at the end of their trip. She slips and falls, hurting herself, not recognizing that it would hurt as much as it did. This signifies the downfall that is about to take place with Beloved that she doesn’t even see coming. Sethe has been skating on ice ever since Beloved came back from the dead, and she doesn’t even know it.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this novel, I noticed the excessive amount of times that shoes were referenced. Along with the references you already mention I also found a reference to shoes when it says, “No clearing, no company. Just laundry and shoes. I can forget it all now because as soon as I got the gravestone in place you made your presence known in the house and worried us all to distraction” (Morrison 217). A big part of Baby Suggs life was shoes. However, the shoes were bigger than just a job. They were something that protected her, which she never had as a slave. Stamp Paid’s shoes are also mentioned later on in the story. “Stamp leaned down and untied his shoes. Twelve black buttonhooks, six on each side at the bottom, led to four pairs at the top. He loosened the laces all the way down, adjusted the tongue carefully and wounded them back again. When he got to the eyes he rolled the lace tips with his fingers before inserting them” (Morrison 274). This is a very detailed description of shoes, which gives more evidence why the shoes are representative of something bigger. I believe that these shoes are representative of the hardships of slavery. As slaves, they were constantly moving and working. Just like shoes become weary over time, the slaves get tired of being treated in these inhumane ways.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, as slaves they were treated like animals and animals don’t wear shoes. Now that people like Sethe and Stamp are out of slavery, something we take for granted, such as shoes, are something they treasure. These shoes are supporting them in whatever they chose to do with their freedom. So many things were taken from slaves, including things as simple as shoes.
The prominence and recurrence of shoes throughout the novel was something I initially overlooked, however looking back I see how often they are brought up. Shoes are something that would be unavailable to slaves working plantations, which provoked the thought that Baby Suggs and Sethe’s ability to create and fix shoes stands for something the never had but have now created for themselves. In slavery, they were treated poorly and lacked opportunity however once there were no longer enslaved, they had the opportunity and were able to create their own life. The lack of shoes in slavery represents their lack of freedom and opportunity while having shoes supports freedom, and crating shoes represents acting and deciding for yourself. As Kate had pointed out, the shoes also represent a journey and Sethe and Baby Suggs knowledge of creating shoes shows their ability to forge a path in life. The children playing with the shoes represents their early curiosity and desire to set out on something important in their life. One final connection I made was Sethe created and fixed shoes for others, and if this were to symbolize forging someone's path this could connect to when Sethe killed beloved to make sure that her path would not lead to slavery.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ben that one possibility could be that the shoes represent a journey and Sethe and Baby Suggs were trying to create a better pathway for their lives. With that being said, when I think of shoes, I think of standing one's ground, being assertive and also making imprints on the world whenever you leave a shoeprint in the snow, mud, etc. Also, one of my favorite quotes by Dr. Seuss is “you have brains in your head and feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose!" I think this ties in to the novel because they were trying to find their identity as free people and wanted to walk away from slavery and into a better life.
DeleteWhile reading this novel, I noticed the numerous amount of times that shoes were referenced. I believe that Morrison specifically referenced shoes for a multitude of reasons. The first reason being that shoes signify movement and traveling, which is something that slaves lacked. While being wrongfully enslaved, slaves struggled day to day in that they were unable to escape their captivity without risking death. Even so, Sethe and Baby Suggs both craft shoes. This could be representative of the fact they are crafting and taking control of what they don't have, or rather, what they didn't have at the time, which was freedom of movement and destination. While they were enslaved both Sethe and Baby Suggs did not have the chance to have freedom of movement while on the plantation. Now that they can craft shoes, it shows that they can make their path in life finally now rather than before. The shoes that they are crafting are supporting them in whatever they chose to do with their freedom now that they are free. For this reason, Morrison constantly implements the idea of shoes through the course of the novel. Overall, slaves have lost so much in their lives and some of those things often include shoes.
ReplyDeleteI’ve picked up that throughout the story shoes are an intentional symbol. Shoes protect the feet from becoming injured and cut up. Baby Suggs and Sethe’s interest in making shoes symbolizes them taking measures to protect themselves. Creating something to cushion the blow between their body and the outside world. Even though shoes protect our feet, they also become worn out and may even fall apart. This can symbolize that even if slaves take measures to protect themselves, becoming worn out is inevitable.
ReplyDeleteShoes also symbolize walking as well as movement. This symbolizes the brutal labor slaves endured, but also the common theme of slaves trying to move towards their freedom. In a bigger picture, Morrison’s inclusion of shoes can symbolize the country’s movement over time torwards abolition and black rights.
The fact Baby Suggs and Sethe make shoes for others and not just themselves suggests they are spreading movement and support to others around them. Giving people in similar situations hope to keep walking and reach a common destination of freedom.
Like others have said in their comments, I originally overlooked how many times shoes were mentioned in the novel. After looking back at the references of shoes, I have come to the conclusion that the shoes represent freedom. Slaves were never given shoes while white people had shoes, and the shoes represented something that slaves never thought they would have. Sethe and Baby Suggs mending and crafting shoes represents their longing for freedom. Then, when Sethe, Denver, and Beloved are ice skating, the freedom is signified once again. Beloved has two ice skates because out of the three of them, she is the most free and has had the most freedom. Denver gets one skate because she is beginning to grow with beloved there, and despite the fact that she has barely ever left 124, she even leaves the house alone for the first time after this occurs. And Sethe gets no skates, because although she escaped sweet home and made a new life for herself, the only time she was truly free was the twenty eight days before she was found by schoolteacher. After she killed Beloved, she was never able to see the world as a free slave because of her guilt and remorse over killing one of her babies. Sethe is finally free once she realizes who Beloved actually is.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading, I had not originally noticed the amount of times shoes were mentioned in the text. After reading the comments, I realized that they must have a significant meaning in the novel. I agree with Madison in saying that the shoes are used for protection . They are a shield that Sethe and Baby Suggs seem to use to protect themselves from the outside world. When running through the woods while pregnant with Denver, Sethe was not wearing shoes. This was a time in which she needed protection most. She was extremely vulnerable and needed any help she could get. Another instance of shoes would be towards the end of the book when Paul D comes back. When he enters a room he sees a pair of shoes nestled into the back corner. This could possibly mean that since Beloved is gone, they do not need protection anymore and it is safe to put "the shoes" away.
ReplyDeleteAs many others have said, in reading the novel I overlooked shoes but now looking back, they become a huge symbolism to achieve the true meaning. Overall I think shoes represent the ideas of movemeng and freedom, but also a source of protection and stabaility. The idea that slaves don’t have shoes is significant because they are deemed not worthy by the owners. They have no source of freedom or protection, which becomes an example of the symbolism Morrison is trying to achieve. In including shoes as an overall symbolism, it works toward the meaning of slaves and abolitionists working toward a life free of slavery and full of freedoms. Because Baby Suggs makes shoes, I think that in itself contributes to the true meaning perfectly. By making shoes it symbolizes her and her family working toward a life of freedom as well as contributing as much as possible to get other supporters. One moment that specifically stuck out to me was when Denver put on a strangers pair of shoes to leave the house for the first time. That to me is a huge representation of freedom, Thiose shoes give her the freedom to step out of her secluded life and experience the world on her own. The shows almost gave her empowerment to physically and mentally move her life in a more free and independent direction, away from her mother’s ideals.
ReplyDeleteIn part II of the novel, Stamp Paid recalls the time when he encountered Baby Suggs on Richmond Street, several weeks following the murder of Beloved. Baby Suggs was carrying a carpetbag full of shoes in her hand, delivering them to members of her community. I think that the shoes she crafts are a representation of freedom for African Americans. When she and the members of her community were slaves, they were only provided with limited clothing, including one pair of shoes. Now that they are free in Cincinnati, Ohio, they have the opportunity for owning more than one pair of shoes if they so choose. I also agree with Stephanie that the shoes they wear contrast with the view that slaves are “half animal,” like schoolteacher depicts them. The shoes they wear make them human, as animals do not wear shoes. Amy Denver recognized that in Sethe when she offered Sethe her own shoes to help her escape.
ReplyDeleteWhen Stamp Paid confronts Baby Suggs on Richmond Street, he was trying to persuade her to preach on Saturdays, and he asks her why she is punishing God for what happened. She says she doesn’t know what is right, but “‘What I know is what I see: a nigger woman hauling shoes.’” and Stamp Paid replies “‘We have to be steady. ‘These things too will pass.’ What you looking for? A miracle?’ ‘No,” she said. ‘I’m looking for what I was put here to look for: the back door,’ and skipped right to it. They didn’t let her in. They took the shoes from her as she stood on the steps and she rested her hip on the railing while the white-woman went looking for the dime” (Morrison 213, 214). In this case, the shoes represent that African Americans still have a long road ahead for being “equal” in the eyes of white people. Though they might own their own freedom, they still have a stigma of being servant-like and animal-like (serving the needs of white folk) about them.
You made me think that Baby Suggs, by fixing shoes, is still contributing to the upward mobility of whites. But, I love that there are a variety of shoes at the house that were never delivered, picked up, like the inhabitants of 124 can try on anyone's shoes. Can where the shoes of whites. Not sure what this means yet.
DeleteIn general, shoes can represent a lot of different things. After reading some of the other comments, I agree most with freedom and carving a new path. I think it's interesting that there are a lot of charities that specifically give out shoes. You can often find brands like Toms where you can buy a pair of shoes and they'll give one away to those that can't afford it. This is because how important shoes are. They protect our feet from a long journey and allow us to keep going. They represent the freedom to walk 10 miles if you want to and relieve some of the pain. We choose to give out shoes because something so simple can help us so much. Baby Suggs makes shoes because of this freedom and the freedom she wants others to have. A new pair of shoes can start a whole new attitude.
ReplyDeleteRemember Sethe's feet when she gets to 124?
DeleteWhen I was first reading Beloved, I did not really notice anything about shoes, but then in class when you mentioned it to me, I started seeing them everywhere. So the fact that shoes were so prevalent in the story made me think, because I could nor figure out what they were representative of. However, after some discussion in class I think that the shoes represent freedom for these former slaves. Slaves were not given any luxuries, which means that they most definitely did not have real shoes if any. So the fact that so many of the former slaves in the novel, like Sethe, Baby Suggs, and Stamp are mentioned with shoes represents their freedom. Also, since Beloved shows up wearing brand new shoes and she has technically been imprisoned in an in-between sort of place (not alive but not really dead), these shoes could represent her being freed of that place. One other interesting scene with shoes was when Beloved, Sethe and Denver were ice skating with only three skates. Maybe the fact that they only had three instead of three full pairs was meant to represent how none of them are completely free of their pasts.
ReplyDeleteI truly find it amazing that Morrison effectively used a recurring concept of shoes in his novel to produce a deeper meaning. In Beloved, it is evident that shoes were relevant throughout the story, as they were made by Baby Suggs and worn by many others. A time I thought they stood out the most was upon the arrival of Beloved to 124. Morrison discusses how Baby Suggs could only make out high-topped shoes, which were symbolic of possible wealth. At the time, people were not wearing the nice shoes that we have today, and nicer shoes such as these set you apart from the rest of society. Additionally, I found it interesting to read what others had said about shoes and and agree with others that stated the shoes could symbolize a new path, ad new beginning for Sethe and her life. After being enslaved, she is trying to create the best life for her family and the shoes being brought up over and over again indirectly can cause readers to draw the conclusion that Sethe is, like a new pair of shoes, ready to stray for her old path, to make her own that grants freedom and a new direction for her life to follow.
ReplyDeleteI did not originally notice any specific mention or significance of shoes while reading the novel. This has now been brought to my attention, and I think it makes a lot of sense. When one thinks of shoes they think of moving, walking, running. The time period of the story is during the harsh times of slavery, which to me suggests that the mention of shoes is symbolic of running away. They have never gotten a chance to feel as if they were at home. All they knew was running away and hoping to be rid of burden of being a slave. They had moved from house to house so they never have experienced home. When the boy shows up to drop off his shoes to be fixed, I believe it represents the running from slavery to find a home. He is leaving his shoes there, meaning he is no longer running. Another example would be when Sethe, Denver, and Beloved go ice skating. As previously mentioned in other responses, the ice skates are representative of freedom and stability. Beloved gets to wear both ice skates on her feet, representing the power and freedom she has received by coming back into Sethe’s life. Denver wears one ice skate because she is not as balanced as Beloved is becoming. Denver knows Beloved is a possible threat to Sethe, but she also thinks of Beloved as a dear sister. Sethe wears no ice skates because she feels she cannot be free. Most of her life she has cursed herself with the burden of killing her own child. She can't forgive herself for what she has done. Beloved also continues to drain Sethe of everything she is, which is representative by the fact that Sethe does not have any ice skates on and continually falls on the ice.
ReplyDeleteThe few times I read of shoes in beloved, the idea that they played an important roll was never truly evident to me. After reading the prompt and realizing how big a roll the shoes play in this novel, there is one thought that enters my head. The sayings "try spending a day in my shoes" "If I were in your shoes", and most importantly "walk a mile in someone else's shoes", all stand out to me. Grammararits.com explains it as this "The admonition to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes means before judging someone, you must understand his experiences, challenges, thought processes, etc. The full idiom is: Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. In effect, it is a reminder to practice empathy". To me after reading this, the shoes symbolize empathy. Out of empathy Amy Denver makes shoes for a pregnant half dead Sethe, out of her clothes and leaves. So sharing the empathy of others, Baby Suggs a former slave herself, she understand not having shoes, and thus repairs and makes shoes for the less fortunate. Obviously the shoes represent freedom, but they less obviously to me represent empathy.
ReplyDeleteShoes are such a luxury, and no one ever stops to realize how many opportunities they give you. With shoes, you can walk for miles, create a new life, escape from your past, brave any new difficulty that comes your way. Slaves were not gifted shoes as they were never believed to be allowed the luxury. The shoes Baby Suggs makes are new lives and paths for everyone else, something she was only given later in life when she was freed but yet was never free. When Beloved appeared with the shoes, it was just another way of showing Beloved was there to ensure Sethe be free of her past and create a new life.
ReplyDeleteSAVANNAH MARTINEZ: At first glance while reading this novel, I, like many other readers, thought nothing more about the significance of shoes. But, once the reference to shoes is made more than several times, it is made clear that shoes mean more than just shoes in Beloved. People request that Baby Suggs repairs their shoes when they become worn and broken, and after she does she returns the shoes so they can be put back to use. Baby Suggs repairs the shoes of white and black people, but one significance of the shoes I noticed related to the black individuals. Slavery captivated the black people's lives. It left them with uncertain, unsteady life plans, because they could have to be on the run from slaveholders at any give moment. When they did escape they had to constantly be on their toes being sure they were never caught again. The shoes in this instance represent the lack of "home" that these slaves experienced. They had no real home. They would stop for a season and then keep going, this captivity did not define them or where they come from. The shoes are their transportation to the next place that still would not be home.
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ReplyDeleteThe actual meaning of the shoes mentioned in Beloved initially blew over my head, however as they were mentioned more and more I finally realized that they meant something. I eventually realized that the shoes were symbols of the escape from slavery the characters endured. Over the course of their escape each characters shoes were torn and destroyed, just like the wearer was over the course of their time at Sweet Home as well as over the course of their escape. As both the shoes and the escapee grew closer to their destination each was worn down more and more until they finally reached it. In this stories case 124, the fianl destination was initially a place for recuperation where the escapee was finally able to fully recover as well as a place where their shoes were fixed by baby suggs.
ReplyDeleteInitially, I overlooked the idea of shoes being a symbol in the novel. However, after it being mentioned to me, I believe the author wrote about the shoes with a deeper meaning. My take on the shoes is that it represents the freedom of the slaves, since slaves did not wear shoes while working in the plantation. Shoes are usually intended for people who are traveling and wearing shoes could symbolize slaves as they are traveling to start a new life, away from the life of slavery. Since Sethe and Baby Suggs craft shoes, metaphorically, they are crafting their new life and are free. In the text, Denver put on a pair of shoes to go outside, this symbolizes her being able to go outside of her life and see the outside. This notion of creating a new life relates to the overall meaning of the novel since it relates to the devastation of slavery. Shoes are a form of protection against the devastations.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the novel, I didn’t realize how often shoes were brought up. I think morrison includes the references to shoes for many reasons. Firstly, shoes serve as protection for the feet and shields them from the outside world . Sethe and Baby Suggs’ interest in shoes could symbolize that they are trying to shield themselves from the outside world. They are trying to shield themselves from the harsh reality of slavery and the lives of black women at the time. Additionally, shoes are often connected with running and Sethe’s interest in shoes could symbolize her attempting to flee from her past. In the novel, Sethe tries to forget most things from her past, including the memory of her sons, so the shoes symbolize her running from her past.
ReplyDeleteI never even thought about the references to shows until reading this question. I find it interesting to go deeper and discover the parallel between the shoes and their meanings. The shoe qualities relates to the ranks of the people during this time. The nice shoes that Baby Suggs was able to identify symbolized the high ranks in society. This connects to the ranks in slavery vs the owners of the plantations. I also agree that shoes symbolize a walk or new beginning that the slaves in this time hoped to achieve. Sethe wants to begin her life after Sweet Home as a new pair of shoes but in reality is more like a old pair of shoes that were attempted to be cleaned: appearing new but carrying the memories and wear of their past.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are many instances in which shoes are referenced throughout Beloved. For example, in chapter seven, the mention of Beloved's new shoes represent a lack of a home for runaway slaves. They always have been moving to new homes and stay in different places. In chapter 12, Beloved's shoes symbolize mystery because Beloved is unable to remember how she got them. The only things she can remember are standing on a bridge and a white man. Throghout the novel, shoes are also a symbol of the hardships of slavery and how slaves must always be on the move. African Americans were on a journey as they were constantly sold to new owners.
ReplyDeleteShoes in "Beloved" are very symbolic. At first I didn't see the importance of them because I had been reading for context in the novel, but if the reader were to actually take a moment and understand the message that Morrison conveys through the shoes, they would see the bigger picture of it all. The character of Baby Suggs is important because she makes and fixes shoes, but at the same time she also fixes people's problems. So that was one of my interpretations about the shoes.
ReplyDeleteHowever I also thought that the shoes symbolized the attributes of a human. Humans wear shoes because they are not animals and do not live off the land in their bare skin, so maybe this is another message that Morrison is trying to tell us. That the people that Baby Suggs gave shoes to were not animals but people because they had destination and didn't just roam the land.
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ReplyDeleteThe first instance where shoes are reference is at the end of the first paragraph in Chapter 1, “In fact, Ohio had been calling itself a state only seventy years when first one brother and then the next stuffed quilt packing into his hat, snatched up his shoes, and crept away from the lively spite the house felt for them”. This first reference suggests having shoes off and then grabbing them to run away. This can be a direct reference to Sethe and her escape from slavery. Shoes in this story can symbolize the desire of slaves to escape. During slavery, they were unable to leave or have freedom. However, Sethe did embark on her journey to escape. Since Baby Suggs and Sethe both craft shoes, it shows that Sethe desired to escape from slavery and be free. Morrison uses references to shoes multiple times to symbolize their freedoms and hope in creating a better lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteShoes are mentioned many times in this novel and I personally never gave it much thought until now. Shoes can mean so many things however in this case I believe they represent protection. Sethe is a mother who will do (and has done) anything for her children to be safe. She watches out for them because she loves them and wants the best for them. She protects them from getting hurt and scarred. Shoes do the same for us. They protect us from getting cut and leaving scars. While shoes protect us from the rough world Sethe is protecting her children from the harsh reality of slavery. The more we wear our shoes the less they protect us because they get worn out. The more Sethe does to protect her children the more worn out and weaker she gets. At one point in the novel Denver puts on someone else's shoes to go outside. To me this represents Denver growing up and how her mother will not always be there to protect her. Sometimes she will have to rely on herself or even a stranger.
ReplyDeleteNot realizing the importance of shoes while reading the book, I overlooked all of these instances. Bt now looking back, it's astonishing at how many references were made to shoes. When Beloved, Sethe and Denver went ice skating, Beloved wore two skates, Denver wore one and Sethe wore none. This could symbolize power and freedom in a sense because at this point in the story Beloved is everyone's main focus, hence having two skates. Denver is developing as a person, trying to better herself, but is not quite there yet, hence only having one skate. Lastly Sethe, is stuck in the past, not really having a way out, hence having no skates at all.
ReplyDeleteLooking back at the novel, I can see the significance of the repetition of shoes. While initially reading the novel, I did not think too much about the meaning of shoes but now realize its connotations. Shoes are seen as a symbol of power in the novel. When though about not in context to the novel, shoes plainly mean something that you wear on your feet. Shoes help you walk through terrains that are unable to be crossed bare foot. They are a symbol of strength and aid to the characters as the walk though the rough terrain of their past. The example that sticks out to me the most would have to be the scene where Denver, Beloved, and Sethe were all ice skating. Beloved wore two shoes where as Denver wore one. This showed how Beloved was further empowered by Sethe and further showed Sethe's connection with Denver weaken.
ReplyDeleteLike many other people, I never thought about the deeper meaning of the shoes while reading, but after seeing everyones response, I completely agree. Shoes are meant to protect you on your journey, guide you to a new place. By repairing shoes, Baby Suggs could be trying to erase them of their past, the journey that they went through. She wants people to walk in new shoes. Forget their past and journey on to a life new, rather than dwell on the on the one that they experienced before. It’s giving everyone a brand new and fair opportunity, no matter their skin color. Shoes protect you, keeping you safe from the outside world and helping you to find safety within your life.
ReplyDeleteLike my classmates, as I read through the book, footwear never piqued my interest. Looking into it now, I see the underlying symbolism that the shoes possess. Shoes, as well as other articles of clothing we take for granted, protect us from outside disturbances and give us the power to move with ease. This connects to Sethe’s circumstances because she is not given the freedom to travel with no troubles. She carries much baggage and weight on her shoulders, and has no shoes to aid with her worries. The absence of shoes for Sethe represents the freedom she lacks. When Sethe, Beloved, and Denver go ice skating, Sethe has no ice skates to use. In this part of the story, I felt that the shoes were another example of Sethe’s selflessness and sacrifice. She is willing to go to extreme measures for her children. She understands the effects of slavery, and tries to shield her children from it at all costs. Her crafting shoes with Baby Suggs is representative of their desires- the desire to be free, the desire to live a life they choose. However like shoes, Sethe is growing weary with time as she cannot escape the past. Sarah brings up a great point that humans wear shoes, while animals go barefoot. This could be Morrison showing the reader that slaves were comparable to animals regarding treatment and quality of life.
ReplyDeleteI picked up on more than just a few symbols, allegories, motifs, etc. while reading the novel, but I never really put much thought into why Morrison kept mentioned the presence, or lack thereof, shoes throughout the story. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about shoes is that they give you the ability to walk; to run. When babies first learn to walk, it's like their first pair of shoes is their first step into freedom. I think the reason Morrison continually includes the "barefooted" detail is because without shoes, you can't runaway. Being barefooted is symbolic of being unprotected and being bound to where you are. The fact that Baby Suggs makes shoes is fitting because she has her freedom, and if shoes are a vehicle for freedom, for running away, she wants to spread that to others. The fact that Denver wears a stranger's shoes when she leaves the house for the first time could show how in her community, they use their own freedom to help others. Denver is freeing herself from the chains of her haunting past, and although she doesn't have her own freedom yet, with the help of others (and a pair of shoes) she can leave the house and start working on her new life. In the very beginning of the book there is another reference to shoes when it says“Ohio had been calling itself a state only seventy years when first one brother and then the next stuffed quilt packing into his hat, snatched up his shoes..." At this point, it is talking about how one of Sethe's sons had left when he was very young. Morrison couldn't discuss him leaving to be free from the house without mentioning how he "snatched up his shoes".
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