In addition to freedom, Eva’s love preserves her children’s future. Hannah blatantly asks if Eva ever loved her children because of her nontraditional expressions of food and shelter instead of the typical hugs and kisses. Eva responds:
“You settin’ here with your healthy-ass self and ax me did I love you? Them big old eyes in your head would a been two holes full of maggots if I didn’t…” “I didn’t mean that Mamma… Did you ever, you know, play with us?” “Play? Wasn’t nobody playin’ in 1895… when I set in that house five days with you and Pearl and Plum and three beets… What would I look like leapin’ round that little old room playin’ with youngins with three beets to my name?” “I know ‘bout them beets, Mamma...” “Yeah? Well? Don’t that count? …show more content…
As exemplified in Morrison’s novels, motherhood communes with the people around it. However, Sethe isolates herself, lacking maternal support from anyone. The lack of community manifests into Denver’s inability to socialize when she first tries and Beloved’s wildness. As Stephanie Demetrakopoulos notes in “Maternal Bonds as Devourers of Women's Individuation in Toni Morrison's Beloved,” Denver needs others besides her family. For example, Denver recounts that as a child, she went to a teacher’s house to learn to read, but left when a boy asked her a question about her family. Many years later, the teacher remains the only person Denver acknowledges for help with her mother and Beloved. Even at first, despite her family’s dire situation, Denver reluctantly agrees to accept the help because she never depends on anyone besides her mother. For years Denver only talks to, eats with, and depends on her mother, but when she looks to the community, the female community joins to solve Denver and her family’s problems. Sethe never involves the community with her life, which leads to Denver’s reluctance to go to the community, but ironically, the female community resolves all their problems. If not for Denver initially seeking help, Sethe would have allowed Beloved to consume her. Although Sethe interacted with more people than Denver, such as Paul D and her …show more content…
After finding out about Joe’s affair, Violet exhumes her anger on the dead Dorcas. Even though Violet is not a mother, she feels the pangs of her miscarriage and adopts a matronly outlook on what her seemingly aborted child could have been. Throughout the novel, she longs for healing of her marriage, her self-esteem, and unknowingly her lack of female companionship. Provoked by confusion and rage, Violet journeys to discover everything that she can about the woman whom she believes ruins her marriage. When she encounters Alice, both her and Alice expect to dislike the newfound relationship; however, the relationship proves that both of the women need female companionship. As for Violet, her character morphs from bitter and vengeful to contemplative and retrospective. Violet begins to find solace in her time with Alice and describes the relationship having a “calming effect” on her (Morrison 89). Through community, violent Violet calms. As Violet changes, Alice also releases some of the hurt from her failed marriage as well and mourns over her adopted child. Retrospectively, she realizes her strictness of Dorcas possibly led to Dorcas’s desire to belong by whatever means necessary. Even though Alice loses Dorcas before their healing relationship, Alice gains more insights on motherhood because of her communal relationship with Violet. Both of the two women
“You settin’ here with your healthy-ass self and ax me did I love you? Them big old eyes in your head would a been two holes full of maggots if I didn’t…” “I didn’t mean that Mamma… Did you ever, you know, play with us?” “Play? Wasn’t nobody playin’ in 1895… when I set in that house five days with you and Pearl and Plum and three beets… What would I look like leapin’ round that little old room playin’ with youngins with three beets to my name?” “I know ‘bout them beets, Mamma...” “Yeah? Well? Don’t that count? …show more content…
As exemplified in Morrison’s novels, motherhood communes with the people around it. However, Sethe isolates herself, lacking maternal support from anyone. The lack of community manifests into Denver’s inability to socialize when she first tries and Beloved’s wildness. As Stephanie Demetrakopoulos notes in “Maternal Bonds as Devourers of Women's Individuation in Toni Morrison's Beloved,” Denver needs others besides her family. For example, Denver recounts that as a child, she went to a teacher’s house to learn to read, but left when a boy asked her a question about her family. Many years later, the teacher remains the only person Denver acknowledges for help with her mother and Beloved. Even at first, despite her family’s dire situation, Denver reluctantly agrees to accept the help because she never depends on anyone besides her mother. For years Denver only talks to, eats with, and depends on her mother, but when she looks to the community, the female community joins to solve Denver and her family’s problems. Sethe never involves the community with her life, which leads to Denver’s reluctance to go to the community, but ironically, the female community resolves all their problems. If not for Denver initially seeking help, Sethe would have allowed Beloved to consume her. Although Sethe interacted with more people than Denver, such as Paul D and her …show more content…
After finding out about Joe’s affair, Violet exhumes her anger on the dead Dorcas. Even though Violet is not a mother, she feels the pangs of her miscarriage and adopts a matronly outlook on what her seemingly aborted child could have been. Throughout the novel, she longs for healing of her marriage, her self-esteem, and unknowingly her lack of female companionship. Provoked by confusion and rage, Violet journeys to discover everything that she can about the woman whom she believes ruins her marriage. When she encounters Alice, both her and Alice expect to dislike the newfound relationship; however, the relationship proves that both of the women need female companionship. As for Violet, her character morphs from bitter and vengeful to contemplative and retrospective. Violet begins to find solace in her time with Alice and describes the relationship having a “calming effect” on her (Morrison 89). Through community, violent Violet calms. As Violet changes, Alice also releases some of the hurt from her failed marriage as well and mourns over her adopted child. Retrospectively, she realizes her strictness of Dorcas possibly led to Dorcas’s desire to belong by whatever means necessary. Even though Alice loses Dorcas before their healing relationship, Alice gains more insights on motherhood because of her communal relationship with Violet. Both of the two women