Reading Response To Toni Morrison's Beloved

Reading Response: Beloved In the book, Beloved by Toni Morrison, the author writes about a free slave woman, Sethe, confronted by her past, while trying to handle the present struggles of life. Beloved, Sethe’s dead daughter, comes back to life and integrates herself into the family unit. Beloved’s incorporation into the family has a positive effect on Sethe. Sethe is confronting dark recollections of the past and, in turn, is becoming free of the burdens within her mind. After further investigation, Sethe is recollecting her memories of why she killed her daughter, Beloved, while also battling her inner thoughts of guilt. For example, Sethe is found speaking to herself and is trying to reassure herself that she made the right decision of killing her daughter: “I’ll explain to her, even though I don’t have to. Why I did it. How if I hadn’t killed her she would have died and that is something I could not bear to happen to her. When I explain it she’ll understand, because she understands everything already. I’ll tend her as no mother ever tended a child, a daughter” (Morrison, 236). The presence of Beloved, as well as the realization she is Sethe’s daughter, has thrown Sethe into …show more content…
Even though Sethe is feeling guilty, she is confronting her reasoning as to why she did it. Thus, reinforcing her previous beliefs of why she had to do it. Sethe concealed a lot of memories because she was faced with a ghost of a memory instead of the flesh. A ghost is untouchable. Flesh is something that can be seen and touched. Thus, the flesh representation of her daughter has caused Sethe to confront her dark past. Furthermore, proving that Beloved has a positive force on Sethe’s recovery of the past. Sethe’s burdens are being lifted slowly and if she continues this course she may be able to move on from the shackles of the