Milk In Toni Morrison's Beloved

In “Beloved”, author Toni Morrison uses these reoccuring mentionings of milk that are always followed by a description or dialogue of Sethes need to nurture her child. Sethe, first, refers to it as “stolen” when speaking to Paul D about what happened in the barn with “schoolteacher.” It is brought up again, when nurturing Denver after the killing of Beloved. As well as later in the novel, when Sethe could no longer bear milk in her breast, but instead provides warm glasses of milk for Denver and Beloved. Overall, Morrison uses Sethe’s milk as a symbol of devotion and passion to exemplify the unique bond a mother and daughter has.
As readers, the first introduction to milk is when Paul D and Sethe are talking about what happened to Sethe in the barnback at Sweet Home. Sethe said, “All I knew is I had to get my milk to my baby girl. Nobody was going to nurse her like me” (Morrison 19.) Further events reveal the dynamic of Sethes everlasting love and nurture towards her children, when Paul D is so focused on Sethe being beaten with cowhide when she was pregnant (Morrison 20), she repetingly responds with “ And they took my Milk!” (Morrison …show more content…
Both Denver and Beloved are older now, but Sethe still feels as if she has to provide “milk.” Why? Sethe is known for having a “thick” love, a love that you will not see within the male characters beause they do not know what it feels like to go through the heart ache and rewards a mother goes through when bearing and raising a child. Seethe formed this bond with her children and no matter how old they are she will always feel the need to provide “milk” to comfort