Ghosts In Toni Morrison's Beloved

The past often comes back to "haunt" the present, sometimes more literally than others. In Toni Morrison's Beloved an infant ghost haunts her mother in order to be closer to her, with the underlying theme focusing largely on slavery and its effects. Beloved, the infant ghost, is constantly yearning for her mother’s love and attention, and once she returns to 124 fully grown, she becomes increasingly present in Sethe's life and stirs up some old memories. Throughout the novel, Sethe and Beloved's relationship matures and eventually becomes very obsessive and hurtful to both of them. Beloved's spirit returned to search for not only her mother’s love, but also for answers as to why she died such a vicious demise. Beloved develops to be a reminder to Sethe, and everyone around her, that evading …show more content…
Beloved is obsessed with Sethe and why she was murdered by her own mother, and Sethe is obsessed with having her baby back in her life. Beloved brings back memories of Sethe's traumatic days as a slave. Sethe is traumatized by her memories of when she was molested and tortured, causing her to dehumanize herself. Beloved revives the horrible events that have happened in Sethe's life, while forcing her to face them and come to terms with what has happened to her. While Beloved is causing Sethe to re-experience her days as a slave, she begins to act like Sethe, much like a daughter strives to be like her mother. Sethe begins to do the same things that Sethe does, even going as far as sleeping with Paul D, Sethe's male companion. In chapter 22, Beloved even says "I am not separate from her there is no place where I stop her face is my own and I want to be there in the place where her face is and to be looking at it too". This shows that she wishes to be the same as Sethe, and she does not want them to be separate people. Beloved and Sethe's relationship grows to be toxic to both of them, and with good