Who Is Parenting In Toni Morrison's Beloved?

Although many children rebel against the rules their parents introduce, children actually desire and need structure in their lives. Rules and boundaries prepare them for adulthood, and create meaning in their lives. However, too many rules can have adverse effects on not only a parent's relationship with their child, but also on the child's relationship with themselves, and the world. While rules and discipline are necessary for providing structure in a child's life, parents should only exercise a moderate amount of control over their children, for the child's sake as well as their own.

Parents who have the proper amount of control over their children also bolster their child's mental health. A more encouraging approach to parenting (versus an authoritarian one) promotes good self-esteem. Encouragement and acknowledgement of their worth boosts children's confidence to new heights.

Parents who are …show more content…
Children who grow up without a proper parental role model often lack this important quality, and as a result often question themselves and their competence. This is evident in Toni Morrison’s novel, Beloved. In beloved, mother and former slave Sethe often questions her decisions as a parent. Sethe’s mother was very much absent in her life. In fact, Sethe “didn't see her but a few times out in the fields [...] She must of nursed [Sethe] two or three weeks—that's the way the others did. Then she went back in rice and [Sethe] sucked from another woman whose job it was […] One thing she did do. [...] She slapped [Sethe’s] face" (CITE!). Sethe’s struggles as a mother are indicative of lack of parental guidance as a child. This lack of parental authority led Sethe to develop a crippling sense of unworthiness. Her lack of self-worth bleeds into her adult life, trapping her in the past, and preventing her from being a well-functioning member of