In the novel, Sethe is instrumental in developing Morrison’s theme, the prejudice of a community towards a specific target can influence the actions and judgment of others.
The prejudice expressed by the community towards the protagonist, Sethe, influenced her actions towards her children. Sethe and Baby Suggs held an impromptu blackberry party, and the whole town gathered at 124 for the feast. Instead of being joyful and merry for Sethe and Baby Suggs holding this feast, the community held “a scent of disapproval [that] lay heavy in the air…the smell was sharp” and that “it made them mad” (Morrison 161-162). Due to this anger, the community did not alert that Schoolteacher and his nephews came to East Cincinnati to recapture Sethe for her …show more content…
Not typical for a woman of her time, in order to pay for the tombstone of Beloved, Sethe agreed to do the “deed” for “ten minutes for seven letters” and that it bothered her that” [possibly]for twenty minutes…she could have the whole thing…engraved for Beloved…enough to answer one more preacher, one more abolitionist and a town full of disgust” (5).With the whole murder of Beloved, obviously the town would be in disgust that one of its members did the “unthinkable” to a young, helpless child. Doing the “deed” with an engraver for a tombstone, would also lead to prejudice, as the woman is not normal, in terms of the social norms in Reconstruction-era of the United States. However, Sethe did not think much of the “deed’’ as morally wrong, but necessary to make Beloved happy. Another example of this prejudice of Sethe, is directed towards the “ghost” at 124.The “ghost” resulted in the “condemnation Negroes heaped on them; the assumption that the haunting was done by an evil thing looking for more” (45). Even “drivers whipped their horses into gallop…when they passed 124” (5). It also resulted in the fact that Denver states that “Nobody speaks to us…comes by…don’t like [us]…living in haunted house” (17). The people of East Cincinnati are prejudiced at her because that in their view, Sethe is a “basket case” due to her past issues, and exclude her from the
The prejudice expressed by the community towards the protagonist, Sethe, influenced her actions towards her children. Sethe and Baby Suggs held an impromptu blackberry party, and the whole town gathered at 124 for the feast. Instead of being joyful and merry for Sethe and Baby Suggs holding this feast, the community held “a scent of disapproval [that] lay heavy in the air…the smell was sharp” and that “it made them mad” (Morrison 161-162). Due to this anger, the community did not alert that Schoolteacher and his nephews came to East Cincinnati to recapture Sethe for her …show more content…
Not typical for a woman of her time, in order to pay for the tombstone of Beloved, Sethe agreed to do the “deed” for “ten minutes for seven letters” and that it bothered her that” [possibly]for twenty minutes…she could have the whole thing…engraved for Beloved…enough to answer one more preacher, one more abolitionist and a town full of disgust” (5).With the whole murder of Beloved, obviously the town would be in disgust that one of its members did the “unthinkable” to a young, helpless child. Doing the “deed” with an engraver for a tombstone, would also lead to prejudice, as the woman is not normal, in terms of the social norms in Reconstruction-era of the United States. However, Sethe did not think much of the “deed’’ as morally wrong, but necessary to make Beloved happy. Another example of this prejudice of Sethe, is directed towards the “ghost” at 124.The “ghost” resulted in the “condemnation Negroes heaped on them; the assumption that the haunting was done by an evil thing looking for more” (45). Even “drivers whipped their horses into gallop…when they passed 124” (5). It also resulted in the fact that Denver states that “Nobody speaks to us…comes by…don’t like [us]…living in haunted house” (17). The people of East Cincinnati are prejudiced at her because that in their view, Sethe is a “basket case” due to her past issues, and exclude her from the