Beloved 281-323

     * I really tried to not make this too long so I summarized as best as I could. But, there is just so much to write about!*

    Wow. There is so much to unpack. But let's start from the beginning of part 3, the final section of the novel. It starts off with Denver's perspective of the current lifestyle of 124. She observes Sethe and Beloved's relationship and their new power dynamic since they had the ultimate realization of Beloved being the dead baby of Sethe. It is seen that Beloved is acting like a toddler and Sethe complies to make her happy. Morrison writes that Beloved "whined for sweets although she was getting bigger, plumper by the day" (Morrison 281). Through Beloved's whining, she ends up receiving everything she desires because of Sethe's guilt for hurting her. Denver originally was a part of this trio but as time passed Sethe grew distant from her, "Now the players were altered" (283). Beloved and Sethe become inseparable to the point when it was hard for even Denver to tell the difference between the two. But suddenly, there is a shift. Beloved starts to take the power over Sethe which she does by accusing Sethe of leaving her behind and hurting her. They begin arguing all the time. Sethe tries to defend herself by stating, "that Beloved was more important, meant more to her than her own life" (284). It's a little ironic to be completely honest. That Sethe is trying to be like I take it all back but in reality, I feel like she would do it again in a heartbeat. Anyways, with this new power imbalance between Sethe and Beloved, Denver also feels a switch. Originally Denver felt the need to protect Beloved from her mother whereas now, she must protect Sethe from the dangers of Beloved. 

    In distress from the dangers of Beloved, Denver decides to embark on a journey to go back in time. She reflects on her past conversations with Baby Suggs to rediscover the path to return to Lady Jones's house. Page 288 is FILLED with numbers (shoutout to Camille), now at first I felt that the whole numbers thing was hard to follow but in this section, it felt very significant. Not only were numbers mentioned throughout this page but colors illuminated the imagery of the path to Lady Jones's house. Lady Jones recognized Denver immediately which made me want to cry. Like I cannot even imagine how comforting that must have felt to Denver. To finally have someone acknowledge her. She ended up visiting Lady Jones at least once a week after their first encounter. She would receive dishes with food in them that she could eat and then return the dishes back to their rightful owner. Lady Jones also helped Denver read a lot of the Bible (religious reference!). But even though, "Denver's outside life improved, her home life deteriorated" (294). Beloved and Sethe continued to fight and Denver states that "the bigger Beloved got, the smaller Sethe became" (294). 

     Denver feels that she is being ignored in her home, so she decides that it is time for her to work more and spend less time at home. Denver felt frustrated because "she kept them alive and they ignored her" (296). She decides to follow her grandmother and mother's footsteps and go work for Mr. and Miss Bodwin. Janey Wagon answers the door and recognizes her as part of Baby Suggs's kin. I think it is amazing that in this part of the novel we see how much of a connection Baby Suggs made with people. Anyways, Denver opens up to Janey and tells her everything that has been happening at 124 Bluestone Rd. and the word begins to spread. Ella believed the story the most out of everyone, which is interesting because she understood Sethe but not her actions. And she "didn't like the idea of past errors taking possession of the present" (302). Around 30 women gathered at 124 to help support Denver and Sethe and see what they could do to get rid of Beloved. Another person joins at 124, Mr. Edward Bodwin. He was on his way to pick up Denver for her night shift. But, when Sethe sees him, she runs away from Beloved. She sees "a whip in his hand, a man without skin, looking. He is looking at her" (309). This right here gave me CHILLS! She leaves Beloved again! 

    Finally, in the last chapter, Paul D returns as he is talking to Stamp Paid about the events that took place at 124 Bluestone Rd. Paul D. then sees Denver on his way to work and one of the first things he notices is that "she looked more like Halle than ever"(313). Tears, literal tears. As he and Denver talk some more he asks if he would be able to see Sethe, but Denver warns him to be careful how he speaks around her. Then Denver leaves Paul D to go speak to a "young man" who asks her to "wait up' (we all know what that implies! Denver found potential love!). When Paul D returns to 124, he experiences some flashbacks of trauma while looking to find Sethe. He finds her in Baby Suggs's old bed and panics that she is trying to kill herself. Pages 321 and 322 made my heart absolutely melt. Sethe opening up to Paul D about how Beloved left her revealed so much about their relationship. They can still talk to each other about anything and everything even after all this has happened. Paul D concludes the novel with a statement that Sethe has been needing to hear her whole life. He says to her, "You your best thing, Sethe. You are"(322). As their fingers are intertwined Sethe replies, "Me? Me?" (322). Oh my god. My heart. 

Beloved 236-277

 DISCLAIMER: I wrote this in my notes app on a plane so please be gentle with me. <3

The chapter begins with a declaration, “BELOVED, she is my daughter. She mine” (236). At this point the reader, knew this as well as Sethe but now it is more concrete and serves as the driving force for the next few chapters, and possibly the rest of the book (we’ll just have to wait and see!). Sethe is overjoyed that her daughter has returned and she has a change to explain her actions to her. Sethe begins to mirror Baby Suggs, the matriarch of the family, as she can now apprentice colors. The motif of the color red reappears when she says, “I don’t believe she wanted to get to red and I understand why because me and Beloved outdid ourselves with it (237). The color red and red heart continue to appear throughout the book as it references blood, murder, passion, and love. Even baby beloved had a pinkish headstone. Sethe’s transformation begins with he speaking directly to the reader and later Beloved. She explains that Beloved is hers and she is Beloved’s. Their too thick love for each other brought them back together. It even moved Paul D. out, both Sethe and Denver detail how Paul D. was in the way.

The next chapter begins with a similar, “BELOVED is my sister” (242). Denver declares that it is her duty to protect her sister Beloved. She wants to warn Beloved about Sethe and she lives in constant fear of Sethe killing her as well. Her external love was for her mother but her heart always longed for her father’s return. This part made me so sad because you could clearly see Denver’s child-like need for her father to recuse her. Denver’s section ends with her echoing Sethe’s statement that “She [Beloved] is mine” (247).

“I AM BELOVED and she is mine” (248). Wow guys, I really wasn’t expecting this one and boy was this chapter something else! There was no punctuation and most sentences were just fragments of thoughts. Beloved remembers a woman, flowers, crouching, men without skin, dead people, and teeth. Imagery of purgatory and reincarnation like, “we are all trying to leave our bodies behind” is paired with vivid memories of hoping to finally die and longing for the body of another who is also yourself. Really trippy stuff. Beloved wishes to bite a woman’s neck away which obviously references Sethe and sets before the reader her true intentions. The horror of this chapter is reflective of the middle passive with crammed suffering bodies and the ocean. The “iron circle around our neck” (250) is a metaphor for both the murder of Beloved and she shackles of slavery. The theme of water also comes into play in this chapter. Beloved recalls, “she goes in the water with my face”(252). Baptism and rebirth are both conjured by this memory as well as the water of the Atlantic. Beloved yearns for a “hot thing” which I think is representative of life and humanity. It could also possibly be love, which would go with the imagery of a woman (spoiler alert: Sethe) consuming her in an all consuming love.

The next chapter opens with the same “I AM BELOVED” as the last. However, the punctuation in this chapter could signify her becoming more alive as time progresses or we learn, along side her, more about her past. Her memory becomes more clear as she adds more coherent detail. The middle passage is again referenced with the imagery of “dead people pushed into the sea”(253). It then goes into a dialogue (in poetry form) between Sethe and Beloved, Denver and Beloved, and finally all three at once. It ends with “You are mine” three times. The themes of family, possession, and slavery are used fluidly and often in conjunction throughout this chapter.

The final two chapters of the reading return to our usual format but from Paul D.’s perspective. He is still at the church when we reflects on his escape and all the things that went horribly wrong. His lack of a permanent family acts as an antithesis to Sethe. The middle passage is once again harkened when Paul D questions what he would have been before Sweet Home and without Garner. He worries, “Or, God help him, on the boat?”(260). The thought of the middle passage is so horrific that even his situation at Sweet Home (before schoolteacher) warrants less of a reaction from Paul D. He repeats “But” (263) when listing all the things that when wrong before his escape. Stamp Paid offers to let Paul stay at his house, or anyone else in the community before sharing that he (maybe??) killed his wife, Vashti. Then, Paul remembers flashes of what is described by Beloved in her chapters. A lot to unpack here.

Beloved pgs.199-203

 As I read, I am constantly reminded of what Ms. Meltesen said at the beginning of class when Beloved was introduced. “You bring everything when you read this book”. While we may be reading the same words, different messages will arise for each and everyone of us. With all of that said, I think this is the best chapter that could have been given to me to write about for the blog post. 

Being fascinated with the role of men in the novel, I was glad to see Morrisson use Stamp Paid to tell an outside perspective of 124 Bluestone. Of course, I was disappointed that he chose to reveal Sethe’s past with Paul D without considering Sethe’s feelings. “Afterward--not before-- he considered Sethe’s feelings in the matter. And it was the lateness…that made him feel bad” (200). I found this interesting because even though we have seen some displays of emotion, for me, most of them have seemed distant. I don’t know why but Stamp Paid’s feeling of guilt and remorse was the reprieve I needed from feeling like everyone’s emotions were either turned off or too heavy to deal with.

Stamp Paid’s relationship with Baby Suggs, I would argue, is much like a mother-son relationship. He talks about her “calling” others and reflects on her “marrow being tired”. Stamp Paid did not understand at the time that Baby Suggs was tired in her marrow. Her last straw was the white men coming into her yard, and after that she had now wish to go to the clearing and preach anymore. My favorite line from this interaction was when Stamp Paid says, “ You punishing Him aint you” and she simply replies “Not like He punish me” (211) It is so simple but perfectly explains her pain and her character so well.  She just wanted to study color. Stamp Paid himself now feels tired in his marrow, and realizes how that can alter one’s perspective on life. It led to Baby Suggs looking for color and it led to him being unable to knock on Sethe’s door. 

Stamp Paid “took the liberty of walking in your door as though it were his own”(203) once you were indebted to him. Throughout the book, Morrison has made us think about the role of men in her story. I had recently watched a video where someone said that men are taught that they occupy space wherever they are. Women are taught to minimize their space to accommodate men. Stamp Paid is unable to make himself enter 124 without knocking because 124 is a place in which he cannot make space for himself. Sethe’s love is too thick, Beloved’s spirit is too strong, and Denver is too protective of the both of them. When he finally knocks, no one answers and he gets frustrated. He can’t take up space in 124 and that bothers him. 

Sethe and her daughters, as she finally recognizes Beloved as her daughter, ice skate to have fun after Paul D leaves. They are untouchable by others because “Nobody saw them falling” (205). I found it interesting that Morisson kept repeating this phrase while they were spending time together. I’m not quite sure of what it means, but my best guess is that since they are all family, with no intrusion of Paul D, their activities are unsupervised and are going unjudged. Sethe decides to live in the “timeless present” with 2 of her 4 children (217). 

We also learn that Paul D has been living in the church for a few days since he left. Stamp Paid is enraged over the fact that no one took him in. We all know no one took him in because of his time spent with Sethe. During his interaction with Ella, we hear her say “You know as well as I do that people who die bad don't stay in the ground.” (221). Stamp Paid says that Jesus himself didn’t, so he couldn’t deny her words. 

We hear much more about Sethe’s time at Sweet Home and how she escaped.We learn the extent of how dehumanizing Schoolteacher was, and the status of all the Sweet Home men once Sethe escapes. 

After this chapter and the perspective from Stamp Paid, I realized how powerful Sethe’s actions were and how deeply slavery infects everything it touches. Stamp Paid says at the end of the chapter that it is a self made jungle. White people ended up being so scared of the jungle that they created, “the screaming baboon lived under their own white skin; the red gums were their own” (234). He has flipped the script, dehumanizing white people and reducing them to self made animals. The comparison is a powerful one, as I had to place the book down and re-read the passage to fully understand what he was saying. Stamp Paid’s feelings and interpretations were needed in this novel because he was not connected deeply to anyone in 124 (besides Baby Suggs) and he gives the reader a much deeper and nuanced understanding of the plot so far. Stamp Paid enriches the novel in a way I didn’t know I needed to fully understand the meaning. 

Beloved 149-195

These chapters opened with Paul D’s reflection on his recent behavior with Beloved. Although he initially decides to tell Sethe about the last three weeks, even travelling to her place of work to do it in person, he cannot bring himself to confess to her. Throughout this scene, I continued to notice the use of the number four. As Paul D waits for Sethe he notices “four kitchen dogs waiting for scraps” (149). Later in the scene, as Paul D and Sethe walk through town they notice “four women, walking two abreast” (154). On the very next page, Morrison writes, “it was nearly four o’clock now.” She also writes that Sethe has been meeting with Beloved for four months. The house on Bluestone road coincidentally has four rooms and it is four men who later try to recapture Sethe. I was originally unsure of the meaning behind the motif of the number four, but now I’m wondering if it is somehow symbolic of Sethe’s four children and her past trauma that she is unable to escape. Throughout the novel, objects in Sethe’s environment appear in fours. Sethe is unable to forget her children, even after one has died, and two have run away. Perhaps the persistence of the number four demonstrates Sethe’s unwavering love for her children, even after everything that has happened. Or maybe the persistence of fours is something far darker. They may represent a part of Sethe’s past that she struggles to escape from—an appendage of the mental chains that harness her to the past.

In the subsequent chapters, the pace of the book quickens. As a reader I felt the sense that the book was beginning to reach its climax. This is first hinted at when Baby Suggs describes that she smells something “dark and coming.” As Suggs tries to guess at what this dark and coming thing could be, she reflects that it can’t be news of Halle’s death because she’s prepared herself for that. She reminds herself that “it wasn’t worth the trouble to try to learn features you would never see change into adulthood anyway,” (something she has done seven times for each of her seven children). As a side note: 1+2+4=7. I might be reaching a little far here, but I think everything Morrison does in this novel is intentional. This idea that Baby Suggs never bothered to learn the features of her children because they would likely die before adulthood is incredibly horrifying to consider. The horror and shock I experienced when reading these chapters only grew.

The next chapter opens with the focus on the four horsemen. Here, Morrison depicts the cruel perspective with which these men view slavery. The men describe Sethe as having “gone wild,” repeatedly relating her to nothing more than a horse, hound, and other animals devoid of humanity. This chapter culminates in the following scene: “Inside, two boys bled in the sawdust and dirt at the feet of a woman holding a blood-soaked child to her chest with one hand and an infant by the heels in the other. She did not look at them; she simply swung the baby toward the wall planks, missed and tried to connect a second time” (175). My initial reaction to this scene was a mixture of shock, confusion, and horror. I stormed into Katherine’s room, sat down on her bed, looked her in the eyes, and asked “is Sethe crazy.” She only replied, “not at all.” As a reader it was easy to consider whether or not Sethe’s actions were justified. My initial reaction was the same as the four horsemen: How could she have done something like that. However, what’s more important is not whether Sethe was justified in attempting to kill her children but rather the idea that she had to consider doing so in the first place. When Sethe reflects on her journey to 124 Bluestone Road, she explains, “when I jumped down off—that wagon, there wasn’t nobody in the world I couldn’t love if I wanted to” (191). Having endured the atrocities of slavery, Paul D understands what she means. He explains that amidst the brutality and loss associated with slavery, it’s not worth loving anything for fear it will be taken from you, “so you protected yourself and loved small. Picked the tiniest stars out of the sky to own; lay down with head twisted in order to see the loved one over the rim of the trench before you slept …A woman, a child, a brother—a big love like that would split you wide open in Alfred, Georgia. He knew exactly what she meant: to get to a place where you could love anything you chose—not to need permission for desire—well now, that was freedom.” Cue the tears! This passage is probably my favorite from the entire novel. I think Paul D’s reflection on the ambiguity of morality puts Sethe’s actions into perspective. Sethe’s actions are a testament to the cruelty of slavery. While Paul D has chosen to love little in order to preserve his safety, Sethe, upon arriving at 124 Blustone Road, allowed herself the freedom to love whoever. She loves her children so much she would never allow them to suffer what she experienced at Sweet Home. In her eyes, death is a mercy in the face of slavery.

The last (and I promise the last thing because this blog post is so long sorry) I noticed during these chapters was the symbol of trees and the duality behind their meaning. Up until this point, trees have represented sources of healing, protection, and comfort—they represent finding beauty amidst the trauma and evil of the world. Denver finds solace in her emerald closet and it serves as a space of comfort that offers a reprieve from the isolation and loneliness she feels at home. Amy describes Sethe’s scar as a chokecherry tree, turning evidence of human cruelty into something of beauty and growth. When Sethe and Paul D walk through town, they notice “black trees lining the roadside, their defending arms raised against attack” (152).  However, as Sethe and Paul D argue over the morality of her actions, Paul D comments “You got two feet, Sethe, not four” (195). Paul D’s comment carries with it a remorseful tone. He reminds Sethe of her humanity, suggesting that her attempts to kill her children were unusually cruel and animalistic. I found it interesting how, like the four horsemen, Paul D too relates Sethe in this moment to an animal, citing her actions as inhumane and wrong. Following this comment, “a forest sprang up between them; trackless and quiet” (194). In this moment, the meaning of trees shifts from one of protection to a symbol of separation and isolation. As the forest thickens, Paul D and Sethe grow further apart, culminating in Paul D’s departure from 124 Bluestone Road.

As I reflect on this reading, I am reminded of the idea that slavery destroys everything it touches. Not only does slavery impart on its victims severe mental and physical trauma, but it forces individuals to make unimaginably difficult decisions. It severs ties not only between racial groups but even amongst people of shared backgrounds and experiences. Most of all, it shows how the practice of slavery has lasting consequences—physical, psychological, and societal—even after it ends.

Beloved, 101-146

            This reading begins with a revealing discussion between Paul D and Sethe, where Sethe learns why Halle didn’t meet her to escape as planned. While initially furious when she discovers that Halle had witnessed her sexual assault and didn’t come to her aid, Sethe’s anger dissipates when Paul D tells her how broken Halle was after seeing that happen. Shortly after this conversation, Paul D mentions the pain of wearing a bit as punishment.

The story of the bit invokes the more physical definition of freedom we discussed last class. Paul D brings up the imagery of how difficult it was to see the farm rooster strutting around with more liberties than himself. This was the scene I pictured during our conversation last class when we considered Sartre’s words, “Freedom is what we do with what is done to us.” I pictured the rooster scene as we discussed the differences between physical and mental freedoms, pointing to that instance as symbolic of physical liberty. The lines between physical and mental freedoms, ideas I hadn’t considered too much previously, are made much more visible, and shown to be important in this reading. This was done through instances such as Paul D and the rooster paralleling Sethe and her relationship with Denver versus Beloved. These relationships represent the more abstract mental freedom that Sethe now has. This freedom we discover is limited, as Sartre says, due to her past experiences. With Denver, we’ve seen a much more restricted relationship than Sethe has with Beloved. Even though time is on Denver’s side, in terms of opportunities to be close with Sethe, Beloved is able to quickly get close to Sethe through specific knowledge of her past. The ease of not having to articulate crucial events in her life that would dredge up pain creates a swift bond between Sethe and Beloved, one which Denver envies. In short, Sethe is not permitted full mental freedom due to the impossible nature of her past and is thus unable to connect with Denver in the same way she is with Beloved, even though she may want to. 

Beloved (52-100)

    This reading opens with tension between Paul D. and Denver, as Denver feels great animosity toward Paul D. for banishing the baby ghost, Beloved. Concerned with how much Sethe stands up for her misbehaving child, Paul D. thinks that it is unwise for Sethe to have such strong emotions in her current situation, thinking, “For a used-to-be-slave woman to love anything that much was dangerous, especially if it was her children she had settled on to love” (Morrison 54). As seen with Baby Suggs, children are quite a risky thing to love because they can disappear or be hurt. Sethe has already commented on her immense love for baby Beloved, and she has now proven this overpowering love to extend to Denver. With Paul D. back in her life, it remains to be seen if Sethe’s love and protective spirit will grow to include him, as well, especially after such a successful outing to the carnival. 

    The novel takes a turn when Sethe, Denver, and Paul D return to 124 to find a young woman with impeccable skin who goes by the name Beloved. As the chapter progresses, the three turn their efforts to taking care of their new guest. As Denver becomes enamored with her new companion, Beloved grows obsessed with Sethe. She often goes to meet Sethe each day as she returns from work, “as though every afternoon she doubted anew the older woman’s return” (68). Sethe appreciates Beloved’s unending devotion, and the two converse over Sethe’s early life. Beloved appears to know specific details about Sethe’s life, such as her diamond earrings given to her by Ms. Garner after her wedding. 

    Later, Paul D. and Sethe talk about their life at Sweet Home, specifically Halle’s mysterious disappearance. Paul D. admits that Halle watched Sethe get assaulted by the schoolteacher and boys, and that seeing this horrendous violation against his wife finally broke him. This seems to continue the theme of Morrison’s commentary on the comparative strength of women and men, as Sethe survived the assault while Halle’s sanity did not. Paul D. also admits to awful crimes being committed against him before he escaped slavery.

    Towards the end of this reading, it is implied that Beloved is the baby ghost that has been haunting the house, as she discusses the cold, dark place from which she came. Beloved then makes it clear to Denver that her loyalties are to Sethe alone. Despite Denver’s many attempts to get close to her, Beloved says, “[Sethe] is the one. She is the one I need. You can go but she is the one I have to have” (89).  It appears that Beloved’s adoration of Sethe may be exceeding normal boundaries, perhaps turning into an unhealthy obsession. I am interested to see how Sethe and Beloved’s relationship evolves, as well as what role Denver will play.

Beloved (pg 4-51)

    In my reading of this section of Beloved, I noticed patterns in certain feelings and emotions. The feeling of despair was prevelant in this reading. This despair caused utter turmoil for the characters as they sought to navigate their current lives despite all of their previous trauma. 

    Sethe often feels guilty for any happiness or appreciation she feels for the world. In one of her first times remembering Sweet Home, Sethe remarks: "although there was not a leaf on that farm that did not make her want to scream, it rolled itself out before her in shameless beauty...it made her wonder if hell was a pretty place too... It shamed her" (Morrison 7). Sethe bitterly grapples with the contrast of such a beautiful place bearing such awful atrocities. Throughout much of the reading Sethe feels guilty or wrong for appreciating good, beautiful things. Often, people who have been through seriously traumatic events, as Sethe has, struggle with this feeling of wrongness when they naturally appreciate something good instead of reeling in their pain all the time. 

    Sethe continues with this conflict, reflecting that she "had the amazing luck of six whole years of marriage to that 'somebody' who had fathered every one of her children. A blessing she was reckless enough to take for granted, lean on... A bigger fool never lived" (28). Sethe in reflecting on her husband and marriage, instead of allowing herself to appreciate those six years, Sethe can only wallow in her current pain. She feels foolish for relying on companionship and comfort-- things that are necessary for humans to thrive. 

    Ultimately this suffering has led Sethe to unhealthy ways of dealing with it. She remarks: "all her effort was directed not on avoiding pain but on getting through it as quickly as possible" (46). Sethe rushes her feelings and trauma responses. She doesn't allow herself the time and space to truly dwell in her pain and experience it. While I can sit here and reflect that this is unhealthy by our standards, Sethe knows that with all her pain and trauma, allowing herself to actually feel those emotions and recount those memories would ultimately destroy her. 

    Eventually, Sethe's own pain and bitterness has affected her daughter. Denver like her mother has bottled up her feelings and pushed her pain down. Morrison describes her meltdown, writing, "Denver was shaking now and sobbing so she could not speak." She continues to reveal the extend of Denver's avoidance of her feelings, calling her crying, "the tears she had not shed for nine years" (17). Even a child has felt the effects of her mother's trauma so heavily that she hasn't expressed her extreme loneliness and sadness that has plagued her entire childhood. When Morrison describes Denver's safe space, she returns to Denver's feelings of loneliness. Morrison writes, "In that bower, closed off from the hurt of the hurt world, Denver's imagination produced its own hunger and its own food, which she badly needed because loneliness wore her out. Wore her out" (35). Denver's loneliness is tiring. Much of the weight of dealing with trauma both first-hand and second-hand is tiring. 

    Despite all this pain, Morrison's characters also begin to give themselves the opportunity to hope and find some comfort in their lives. Sethe considers this when she wakes up next to Paul D. She "thought also of the temptation to trust and remember... Would it be alright? Would it be alright to go ahead and feel? Go ahead and count on something?" (46). Sethe considers the possibility of allowing herself to trust and rely on something (or someone). This shows some considerable growth in her journey of grief and processing compared to Sethe's earlier consideration that she was "foolish" to ever think that she could depend on and find comfort in her husband. Sethe continues to allow herself the hope to feel even the smallest bit of contentment. Morrison writes, "[T]he notion of a future with him, or for that matter without him, was beginning to stroke her mind" (51). Sethe allows herself to consider the possibility of a future with Paul D as a source of comfort or finding comfort without him. Previously, Sethe has restricted herself to the present, unable to linger too much in her past full of grief and pain but equally unable to consider a future. 

    This growth is also seen in Paul D. When elaborating on Paul D's own denial of his grief and feelings regarding his friends at Sweet Home, Morrison describes Paul D's trauma response as one full of constant work. Paul D only allows himself limited headspace. He only operates "on the part that helped him walk, eat, sleep, sing" (49). In shutting down all other brain function, Paul D avoids the memories, feelings, and pain associated with his memories of his relationships and past hardships at Sweet House but through his time spent with Sethe "the closed portion of his head opened like a greased lock" (49). This imagery of a greased lock evokes the notion that his change wasn't slow or forced. Even just seeing Sethe started Paul D on this journey of allowing himself to think and feel, not just work. 

    In just the short time that he's lived with Sethe, both Sethe and Paul D have such large changes in their response to their trauma. Their bond through their trauma and the comfort they find in eachother is innately human. When one experiences trauma, it becomes profoundly easier to address or cope with when reflecting on that or even just spending time with one who has similar experiences. In finding comfort in eachother, Paul D and Sethe have made considerable steps towards their ability to hope despite their trauma and grief.