Beloved

A detailed Summary of Beloved

In Toni Morrisons' novel, Beloved, the main character Sethe, is a former slave

who chooses to kill her baby girl rather than allowing her to be exposed to the

physically, and emotionally damaging horrors of a life spent in slavery. There is

no other way to say it: she murdered her child. By killing her child, so dear to her

heart, the question arises whether Sethe acted out of true love or selfishness.

The fact that Sethe's act is irrational can easily be decided upon. Does Sethe kill

her baby girl because she wants to save the baby from slavery or does Sethe end

her daughter's life because of a selfish refusal to reenter a life of slavery? By

examining the complexities of Sethe's character it can be said that she is a

woman who chooses to love her children but not herself. Sethe kills her baby

because, in Sethe's mind, her children are the only good and pure part of who

she is and must be protected from the c

a selfish pleasure I never had before. I couldn't let all that go back to where it

Throughout Beloved, Sethe's character consistently displays the duplistic nature

acknowledge that her show of mercy is also murder.

selfishness of Sethe's act lies in her refusal to accept personal responsibility for

that her actions were morally justified. The peculiarity of her statement lies in her

her child. By not even approaching the subject of her daughter's death, it is also

Approximate Word count = 1403
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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