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. 

Great Gatsby Chapters 8-9 (Brown)

 SO! These are the last two chapters of The Great Gatsby. A lot went down. At first, Nick doesn't know how to feel about Gatsby and his being okay with the death of Myrtle Wilson. The weather once again mirrors what's happening. Chapter 8 opens with the sound of a foghorn in the distance. Nick is feeling confused and foggy too. Then, we get some nice backstory on the whole Daisy/Gatsby past love. It says that Gatsby loved Daisy because of her popularity with other men. He liked the challenge. Nick says, "It excited him, too, that many men had already loved Daisy- it increased her value in his eyes"(149). I think this is an important quote because it emphasizes that Gatsby's love might not be a real and pure as we originally thought. She is more like a cherry on top or a piece of a puzzle. It reveals to me that Gatsby is more self-absorbed than we might've thought. This is further shown in a later quote saying, "He had intended, probably, to take what he could go- but now he found that he had committed himself to the following of a grail"(149). This is relating Daisy to a trophy. So, yeah, do we like Gatsby? 

Flash forward and we find Mr. Wilson sitting with his friend Michaelis. He is slowly figuring out that Myrtle had been cheating on him and figured her lover must have been Gatsby! Woah plot twist! Okay, so now we have this grief-ridden guy running around with his angsty anger and then he shoots Gatsby! WHAT! Then he shoots himself. Wow, that was crazy. Oh, and did y'all notice the whole God allusion to the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg? That was interesting...

Now we find Nick in the wake of Gatsby's murder and the house is finally silent. This entire book, this house has been filled with people admiring Gatsby and his opulence. Nobody even showed up for his funeral. Daisy and Tom are gone. Okay... so his closest friends wouldn't even come, but Owl Eyes shows up? That's kinda weird too. Nick also has now decided that he does like Gatsby?

Something I thought Fitzgerald might've done intentionally showed the good and bad in all of his characters. The idea that I cannot decide if I like Gatsby or not is something that intrigued me. I think Fitzgerald is saying that we all have bad and good inside us and it just depends on our circumstances or our actions. 

Great Gatsby Chpts. 6-7

 The beginning of chapter 6 opens with a reporter visiting Gatsby to question him, specifically to know who he truly is-just like everyone else around New York. Nick begins to explain Gatsby's past, starting with his former name James Gatz of North Dakota whose family owned a farm. Gatsby was a poor college student at St. Olaf's in Minnesota and worked as a janitor to pay for it, but dropped out after only two weeks, unsurprisingly, unfulfilled by his life and searching for more. He changed his name when he met a drunk yachter named Dan Cody, who brought him along as his "steward, mate, skipper, secretary, and even jailor". I thought it was interesting Nick included an abrupt look into Gatsby's life, an "honest" take on a man who literally invented the person he is today just from the conception of what he thought he should be. Gatsby did not attain his wealth of $25,000 after Cody's death due to a mistress, but let that moment drive him to be successful and wealthy. 

 

We continue in this chapter to a scene with Tom Buchanan being invited to Gatsby's for a drink, with Nick and Mr. and Mrs. Sloan. To add to an already awkward situation, Gatsby begins to conversate with Tom, saying how they had met before and how he knows his wife. There is also a very odd interaction with Mrs. Sloan, who invites them to dinner, but then leaves Gatsby behind. Tom also decides to insert a quite hypocritical statement regarding Daisy visiting Gatsby alone and without accompaniment. Next, we see Tom accompanying Daisy to Gatsby's next big party, which gave the evening its "peculiar quality of oppressiveness" and unpleasantness, as Nick states. It seems that Gatsby has done everything to impress Daisy, he even dances with her, however, both she and Nick appear to not be having a good time. Annoyed by the behavior of Gatsby, Tom assumes that his wealth comes from bootlegging and wants to search more into who he is. Daisy defends Gatsby, saying his wealth comes from owning drug stores and pretends to have had a good time, as to not give Tom any satisfaction. We end the chapter with Gatsby saying he wishes he could make Daisy understand. Nick explains Gatsby's want for a life with Daisy as he has envisioned it is unrealistic. One where Daisy says to Tom: "I never loved you.", runs to Louisville and marries Gatsby "just as if it were five years ago." Nick explains to Gatsby that "you can't repeat the past," but is given denial, with Gatsby searching for the idea of himself that was with Daisy before. Nick also details Gatsby and Daisy's first kiss and we see how she became a part of who he was, and without her, he could not find the "thing" that makes him, him.  

In chapter 7, the tea is "spilt", as some would say. We start with a description of Gatsby's disheveled house, no party's happening, and a sudden change in staff. Nick is invited to have lunch at Daisy's house and Gatsby is too, during one of the hottest days of the summer. We learn that heat causes people to act very differently, learn things, and let feelings out. In the house, Tom is sent to prepare drinks and Daisy kisses Gatsby on the lips after saying "You know I love you," in front of Nick and Jordan. Daisy's child runs in, someone I forgot even existed, and causes Gatsby to remember the little person as well. Obvious awkward tension fills the room, with Tom trying his very best to showcase his talents and superiority to Gatsby, who stays silent and observant at this time. In a moment, Daisy comments on Gatsby's ability to remain cool while staring at each other in unspoken conversation, which reveals to Tom their secret love. Gatsby also describes Daisy's voice as "full of money", which causes Nick to have an "a-ha!" moment and realize the distinctiveness as well. Now knowing of the romance, Tom insists on heading into New York and for some reason switches cars with Gatsby-a yellow "circus wagon" for a blue coupe. Needing to stop for gas, Tom ends up at the Wilson's, seeing Mr. Wilson sickly and grave as he describes how he and his wife are moving West after Tom gives him the car to sell. In a window, we see Mrs. Wilson, locked in a room, staring into the yellow car and seeing her lover and a woman, who she presumes to be his wife. Tom is not pleased by Wilson's information and realizes that his wife and his mistress are "slipping through his fingers" and are no longer in his "secure and inviolate" control. 

Continuing on to the hotel scene, where the five of them end up as a way to get out of the heat. Tom continues his questioning of Gatsby, there's a conversation of a Mr. Biloxi who was at their wedding, and there is even a wedding happening just down the stairs. Ironic that a marriage is joining below while a marriage is dying above. Then the getting gets good with Tom's final question to Gatsby, "What kind of a row are you trying to cause in my house anyhow?" This causes an uproar, with a verbal battle between Tom and Gatsby over whether or not Daisy truly loved Tom, and Gatsby revealing how he became a rich man that she could love. This part specifically reminded me of the quote at the beginning of the book: a man willing to do anything to get the girl to love him back. Daisy is forced into the conversation, revealing how she never loved Tom, but she did, but actually only says anything to satisfy Gatsby. I feel in this scene Daisy's true character is shown as well. Tom, in order to get back at Gatsby for stealing his wife, reveals the crooked life that is Gatsby, his dealings with Wolfshiem, the reality of his drug store business, and other sketchiness that leaves Gatsby looking as if "he had killed a man". Gatsby and Daisy inevitably leave, leaving Nick to remember that it is his 30th birthday. 

Finally, leaving to return home to Long Island, Tom, Nick, and Jordan pass by a crowded scene at the Wilsons, where it is learned that Myrtle Wilson had been killed in a car crash, by a yellow car that refused to stop. Knowing that he could be a culprit for the crime, Tom instantly steps in to explain how he did not kill her and on the car ride home, is seen sobbing at the loss of his mistress. Arriving home, Nick refuses to go inside, understandably, with the drama from earlier, and walks past a hidden Gatsby in the bushes. The reader learns that it was Daisy driving the car that killed Myrtle, who, believing it to be Tom, stepped towards the car, while Daisy intentionally (I think) turned the wheel back towards her. Nick no longer trust Gatsby and disliked him so much at this point. Gatsby is waiting to protect Daisy if anything were to happen inside and Nick goes to look into the window to see a surprising scene. Tom and Daisy, neither happy nor unhappy, share an intimate moment of conversation. Nick does not tell Gatsby this, leaving Gatsby to believe that his love is waiting for him, and the fantasy to continue. 

The Great Gatsby Ch. 1-2 (Beatty)

 Chapters 1-2 of The Great Gatsby

The beginning of chapter one begins with the narrator, Nick Carraway, describing himself and his relationship with his father. He states that his father taught him to not judge other people. This is funny to me because he quickly contradicts his own morals and talks about how privileged he is and how he has almost better morals than most people. He then mentions Gatsby and describes him as he says Gatsby "represented everything for which I have unaffected scorn" (2). But he refutes this statement by letting the reader know that Gatsby is actually exempt from his usual judgements. Just as he did on the first page, Nick is a hypocrite in saying that he does not judge people. Then, Nick switches topics to discuss his move to New York and he mentions his job in the bond business. He then talks about his home which is located in West Egg. West Egg is known for being home to people with new money and poor taste. While Nick's home is modest, his neighbor, Gatsby, owns a massive mansion. I think this contrast between Nick and Gatsby is going to come up a lot in this book. One night, Nick drives to East Egg to have dinner with his cousin, Daisy, her husband, Tom Buchanan, and Daisy's friend, Jordan Baker. Tom tells them about a book he is reading called, "The Rise of the Colored Empires" in order to amuse them. After a while, the dinner ends and Nick goes back to his home in West Egg. When he gets there he sees Gatsby standing in the yard with his arms open towards the water. Nick follows his gaze but only sees a green light in the distance. I think this final scene in chapter one provides a very clear image of Gatsby and how Nick views him. Nick doesn't really know anything about Gatsby and this scene captures it perfectly. Nick doesn't know where Gatsby's wealth came from and when he sees Gatsby looking at the light, he becomes even more mysterious to Nick. This is another clear contrast that shows a difference between Nick and Gatsby which I discussed earlier in the post. 

The second chapter begins with a description of the valley that separates East and West Egg. This valley is where New York's ashes are disposed of. Hovering above the valley, an old sign made by an eye doctor depicts a large pair of eyes. This valley is a major contrast to East and West Egg. It is gray, desolate, and clearly displays poverty in between two wealthy communities. Nick and Tom take a train ride that connects East and West Egg. Tom makes Nick get out of the train with him at one of the stops in the ash valley. Tom leads them to Wilson's garage. It is revealed that Myrtle, Wilson's wife, is Tom's lover. Tom orders Myrtle to follow them to the train and he takes them into the city. They go to Tom's apartment and throw a last-minute party with Myrtle's sister, Catherine, and another couple. Catherine tells Nick that Gatsby is a relative of Kaiser Wilhelm who was the ruler of Germany at the time of  WWI. Nick gets annoyed by the conversation of the guests at the party and wants to leave but at the same time, he finds the group incredibly fascinating. Myrtle is gifted a puppy by Tom and she begins chanting Daisy's name. Tom responds by breaking her nose. What a silly decision! The party ends and Nick takes a late train ride home. This party is another example of major contrast. Nick wants to leave but he stays because he is thoroughly fascinated by the people and environment. Contrast is definitely a repetitive occurrence in The Great Gatsby and I think it will continue to be. 

 Act five begins with gravediggers talking about how they suspect Ophelia committed suicide and question her burial in a Christian graveyard. This relates to what we discussed last class, where some of us suspected that Gertrude described Ophelia’s death as an accident so she would be spared the typical burial of someone who committed suicide during this time. Hamlet arrives in the graveyard with Horatio and picks up a skull. This once again causes Hamlet to ponder what happens after death. He is appalled at the thought of Yorrick, the jester he once knew, as only a skull. He begins to think about how even powerful men, including Alexander the great, are reduced to dust after death. He says, “Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust, the dust is earth, of earth we make loam, and why of that loam whereto he was converted might they not stop a beer barrel?” (5.1.177-189). A lot happened as Ophelia was brought out to be buried, and after Hamlet and Laertes fight, Hamlet declares his love for Ophelia. I don’t think Hamlet has taken full responsibility for Polonius’s death yet, which can be seen through his lack of guilt relating to Ophelia’s death. 

In Scene Two, I thought it was interesting how Hamlet could see that Laertes was the mirror image of his own desires for revenge, leading him to seek Laertes’s forgiveness. We have discussed how Laertes is a FOIL to Hamlet because they both are seeking revenge for their fathers, but Laertes is quick to act, while Hamlet is indecisive and reluctant to take action. Although these characters contrast each other, they died the same death, both poisoned by the same blade after forgiving each other. I believe that by the time Hamlet is waiting for the duel, he has reconciled with death and is at peace with it. The idea of death and the question of whether or not there is an afterlife, is something Hamlet has pondered throughout the entire play, and I believe he has finally come to terms with death itself by the end. It seems like every character was consumed with either seeking revenge or involved in the plan to kill, leading to the typical Shakesperan tragedy ending of everyone dying.

Hamlet: Act III Scenes II-III

 A play inside of a play, what a classic theather moment. Hamlet's play that he planned is being set up at the beginning of Act 3 Scene 2. Hamlet is instructing his actors for the play on what he wants for the acting style. He instructs quite specifically in saying "Speak the speech I pray as I pronounced it to you" (3.2.1). Meaning he wants the actors to say it exactly how he spoke it to them so that it is accurate and will get a reaction from Claudius. Also before the play starts, Hamlet instructs Horatio to keep an eye on Claudius for him. To see if there will be a reaction which will be Hamlet's answer on the true death of his father. Hamlet is quite rude and blunt to Ophelia, Gertrude, and Claudius. He mocks Claudius, comments on Gertrude's appearance in a harsh manner saying that there is "metal more attractive" (3.2.97), and also makes jokes and innuendos towards Ophelia (basically taunting and teasing her to make her feel embarassed/guilty). 

The play begins with a scene between the King and Queen. Talking about their 30 years of marriage and how great it has been. The queen promises that she will never marry again if the king passes but he responds saying that promises are broken. But the queen insists on he promise that she will never remarry when he dies. Then the reenactment of the kings death begins, as Hamlet makes commentary urging his mother and uncle to feel guilty because he knows they know what the play is resembling. When the king in the play is murdered with the poison in the ear, Claudius abruptly stops the play and Hamlet knows officially that his uncle murdered his father. Hamlet knows he must seek revenge for his father. Claudius fears that Hamlet is becoming dangerous and too violent, so he tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England. Hamlet furious about seeking revenge, decides to go and threaten his mother. Polonious decides to spy on them for Claudius. 

Claudius decides to pray after the play when he is left alone. He begs for divine mercy for killing his brother. He begs that God should, "forgive me my foul murder"(3.3.53) and that his "fault is past" (3.3.52). Hamlet enters seeing Claudius so vulenerable, begging and praying for forgiveness. He questions whether or not he should murder Claudius right then and there. But as he nears Claudius to avenge his father, he stops. 

Hamlet, Act II

I wonder how many spies actually lived in Denmark during the late middle ages. Because from Act II, it seems like everyone either was a spy, had a spy, or was being spied on! The act opens with Polonius giving Reynaldo money to spy on Laertes. After Reynaldo is sent off, Ophelia, frightened, tells her father about Hamlet’s strange behavior and appearance. Polonius mistakenly comes to the conclusion that Hamlet’s insanity was caused by Ophelia breaking up with him. He concludes that Hamlet must have truly loved Ophelia and decides to tell Claudius. Polonius remarks, “This is the very ecstasy of love, Whose violent property fordoes itself, And leads to desperate undertakings” (2.1.101-102). While it may seem that old Polonius just read the room wrong, this statement actually foreshadows much of the tragedy to come. The violent property of love will later be reflected in Ophelia’s death and Hamlet’s acts to avenge his father. Also, this quote reminded me of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet which similarly states, “These violent delights have violent ends”. I guess Shakespeare must have had a really crazy love life!

Once Polonius unites with Claudius and Gertrude, he begins a long and rambling explanation of Hamlet’s madness. He explains that his orders for Ophelia to reject Hamlet’s love has caused his insanity. Polonius formulates a plan to spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia with Claudius who agrees. At this point, I had to put my book down and sigh because how many more spies could we possibly have. It seems Hamlet himself has grown tired of all the spies when his casual and humorous conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern turns suspicious as he suspects they have been sent to spy on him (2.2.254-292).

Hamlet begins plotting his revenge play, staged around the Murder of Gonzago, in an attempt to reveal his uncle’s guilt. When he is alone, Hamlet begins a soliloquy full of self-loathing as he wallows in despair. He reprimands his cowardice and inability to act on his revenge. Hamlet questions, “Am I a coward?”. This simple phrase summarizes the self-hatred and conflicting emotions that he is experiencing from his father’s death and the arrival of his apparition. The added pressures of vengeance and murder now weigh heavy on his conscience.   

Hamlet, Act I Scenes 3-5 (Gabby Welhoelter)

 In these scenes all I could think about was contrast. The contrast between Ophelia and her brother and how their father talked to both of them was extremely telling. Ophelia got lectures from both her brother and her father about her loyalty and love for Hamlet. Laertes first scolds her and tells her she is too young to know Hamlet's intentions and even suggests that his intentions are wrapped up in the plans of the state (" for on his choice depends/The sanctity and health of his whole state..." (Hamlet 1.3.20-21)). My favorite lines from this scene are in Opelias retort to her brother when she says "But good my brother,/Do not as some ungracious pastors do,/ Show me steep and thorny way to heaven,/ Whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine/ Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,/ and recks not his own rede" (1.3.46-51). A sister telling her brother to listen to his own advice has never sounded so elegant, and it reminds me quite a bit of Mister Dimmesdale. Afterward, their father comes in. The way he speaks to Laertes sounds just like you expect it would, a dramatic speech about following your own path and being a kind gentleman to all. (Kind of like the speeches we hear from parents about us going away to college). But the speech he gives Ophelia is completely different. He's looking out for both of his kids but he thinks Laertes can have good judgment while Ophelia can't. Laertes is allowed to follow his own path while Ophelia is forbidden to see her boyfriend because Polonius can't believe the judgment she has made of his character. Next, the juxtaposition of this speech with scene four is so funny to me. Scene four is just Hamlet ranting about how corrupt humanity is and is extremely philosophical about the state of man, which is pretty much the opposite of what Polonius has described him as (young and idealistic, unfaithful, etc). I especially think that when Hamlet says "I'll make a ghost of him that lets me" (1.4.85) that it shows his ability to set his mind to something and to do it. He will kill someone if that means talking to his father again (sounds a little like foreshadowing, no?). His conversation with his father that closes out our reading is a direct foil to the conversation between Laertes and Polonius. Hamlet is being told about the world and given advice on what to do, like Laertes but with a darker undertone. It is revealed that Claudius killed Hamlet's father through poison being poured into his ear. The reason he is a ghost is that he is stuck in Purgatory since he was killed before he could confess his sins, complete penance, and be absolved of them. Hamlet then makes his friends swear to never repeat what they saw or heard that night to anyone after the ghost has gone. This section, specifically scene 5, is filled with themes of trust and betrayal. It truly feels as if no one can be trusted. In the context of which this play was written, it makes perfect sense. Losing a child makes you feel hopeless, alone, and everything else we said hamlet was feeling about his father's death. Shakespeare is showing he feels as if no one can be trusted or talked to through these scenes. 

Nathaniel Hawthorne: Transcendentalist Baddie and Literary Genius (Chapters 20-END)

 As I read the last few chapters I could not help but notice the many allusions and references to the transcendentalist movement. As discussed in class, Transcendentalism is “a philosophy suggesting that ultimate reality is unknowable or asserting the primacy of the spiritual over the material or empirical.” This idea of reality being unknowable is continually reinforced throughout Hawthorne’s work. Oftentimes, Hawthorne describes his characters in a seemingly contradictory way. In these later chapters specifically, Mr. Dimmesdale’s heart both “dreads” and “yearns” for his meeting with Pearl (190). When portraying Pearl’s reflection in the brook, he writes, “In the brook beneath stood another child -- another and the same… there was both truth and error in the impression.” Even the Scarlet letter, the centerpiece of the novel, becomes a symbol whose meaning is clouded in ambiguity. These contradictory descriptions seem to be Hawthorne's way of reinforcing the idea that ultimate reality is unknowable. 

This support for transcendentalist ideas is consistent in later scenes. When Mr. Dimmesdale returns from the forest, he cannot help but notice an “importantly obtrusive sense of change” (198). He describes the edifice as exhibiting “so very strange, and yet so familiar, an aspect, that Mr. Dimmesdale’s mind vibrated between two ideas; either that he had seen it only in a dream hitherto, or that he was merely dreaming about it now.” (198). Mr. Dimmesdale’s experiences upon leaving the forest further suggest that ultimate reality is unknowable, as he is unable to discern whether he had seen reality “in a dream” or whether he dreams about it in the present. 

Another aspect of the novel that carries great significance is Hawthrone’s characterization of the townspeople. Throughout the work Hawthorne highlights the hypocrisy of the members of Puritan society. They also refuse to view Mr. Dimmesdale as he wants to be seen. Dimmesdale’s attempts to confess of his sinful actions prove futile, as the townspeople only revere him more. On page 199, as Mr. Dimmesdale comments on his transformation upon emerging from the forest, he states, “his friends, no doubt, will still have insisted with him, -- “thou art thyself, the man!” In relation to the transcendentalist movement, Hawthorne seems to suggest that the townspeople’s reluctance to see things beyond the lens of social conventions and their stubbornness in adhering to their hypocritical and often wrongful views prevents them from “transcending.” To transcend means to go beyond the limits of something typically abstract. The philosophical movement certifies its support for this act, asserting “the primacy of the spiritual over the material and empirical.” Through this characterization of the townspeople as stubborn and hypocritical, Hawthorne suggests that their behavior grounds them to their humanity, thus subjecting themselves to the oppression and suffering that plagues human society. Contrastingly, Hester and Pearl are often portrayed as divine and otherworldly. Perhaps their willingness to reject social conventions and expectations allows them to eventually transcend the futile demands society imposes upon them. 

Aside from the plethora of transcendentalist ideas interwoven within these chapters, I found the ending enjoyable. Hawthorne closes the book in the marketplace, the same setting that served as the backdrop for the opening of the novel. The scenes of the Election Day celebration further the novel’s social critique. The Native Americans present at the ceremony, unaware of the history behind the scarlet letter, think its wearer is a person of great importance. While it was meant to serve as punishment, outsiders view it as a designation of someone special. The duality of the symbols' meaning further highlights the hypocrisy of the townspeople. 

As a reader, I found that the novel’s ending satisfied many of the existing conflicts. Roger, aka the leech meets an untimely death, which I found fitting as the “leech’s” source of vitality is removed when the minister dies. I thought it was interesting that even in death Hawthorne never reveals Roger’s true full name. Perhaps this is to reinforce the air of mystery with which the leech is portrayed or maybe it serves to reinforce the idea that reality is unknowable. Hawthorne additionally writes that "no man for any considerable period of time can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true" (197). Although this quote refers to Mr. Dimmesdale's public and private self I think it certainly applies to Roger as well. There are instances where Hawthorne briefly describes Roger's past self. Perhaps his decision to never reveal the leech's true name suggests that the leech has worn the "face" of Roger and has become so absorbed in achieving revenge on the minister that he is overwhelmed by this character and subsequently becomes the person he was once only pretending to be. Thus, his past self and true name is no longer relevant to his character.

Lastly, I found the context surrounding Mr. Dimmesdale's confession quite interesting. Although he confesses his sins and is able to die free of most of his regret, his confession does little to change the oppressive nature of Puritan society nor does it humanize the experience of sinning as a universal action. Even in his defiance, Dimmesdale is appropriated by the Puritan system as a means of reinforcing its pre-established messages.

Although sin remains something to be harshly condemned, the meaning of the Scarlet Letter, following Hester’s death is painted in ambiguity. Hawthorne writes, “The Scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, and yet with reverence, too.” 

In blurring the meaning of the Scarlet letter, what do you guys think Hawthorne suggests? I view it as his way of not only redefining the line between hate and love, sin and righteousness, but erasing this line entirely and exploring the dichotomy between these opposing things. 

Chapters 15 - 19

Chapter fifteen opens with a fascinating description of Roger Chillingworth as seen collecting herbs by Hester Prynne. It is as if she is seeing him for the first time, painting him as the reader has long viewed him: a haggard and evil old man. Her long held feeling of being in his debt has faded, as she no longer respects him for keeping their marriage secret, but rather: “she marveled how she could ever have been wrought upon to marry him!” (160). Hester’s recognition of the true Chillingworth is both satisfying for readers as well as a show of progress. From here, Hester further strays from the life she’d settled into, when she, at the beginning of chapter seventeen, seeks out Dimmesdale in the woods. This exchange is curiously balanced with themes of nature, as Hawthorne interposes the forest's unwavering natural beauty and effervescence with the triviality of humanity’s drama. Pearl is sent to wait out her mother and the pastor’s conversation by the brook, which is often visited by troubled people. Hawthorne writes of how the brook heard this talk, and maintains “a murmuring babble, with not a whit more cheerfulness of tone than for ages before” (195). Hawthorne often invokes nature in the midst of Hester and the pastor’s discussion, perhaps as a commentary on how this drama, so trivial, will not have any lasting impact on the world. Hawthorne’s characterization of the brook and its nonchalant acknowledgement of the nearby conversation tells that the water has come and gone unbothered thus cementing the unimportance of such dramatic matters.

The Scarlet Letter: Chapters 1-4

 Chapters 1-4: 

Hawthorne opens his exquisite novel with incredibly detailed imagery and the subtlest of hints at background. Hawthorne never explicitly explains to the reader what is actually happening, but it seems to create a sort of mystery for the reader to unravel. I already have an idea of who the father is but don't worry, I won't share it. Hawthorne creates a sort of fantastical chase for the reader to understand characters and their motivations. I felt almost excited while reading in trying to discern what was happening and what the characters meant by what they said.

Hawthorne employs significant imagery to juxtapose Hester from the rest of the townspeople. He paints Hester as a strong, independent, beautiful, almost holy woman. Through this, Hawthorne seeks to encourage the reader to like Hester’s character compared to the drab, dark, sullen descriptions of the townspeople. He presents Hester as this radiant bright spot in the dark, depressing town.

While Hawthorne presents Hester as this strong, radiant character, there is a brief description on page 51 which leads me to believe that her punishment takes a small toll on Hester. Hawthorne writes, “Hester Prynne might have repaid them all with a bitter and disdainful smile. But, under the leaden infliction which it was her doom to endure, she felt, at moments, as if she must needs shriek out with the full power of her lungs, and cast herself from the scaffold down upon the ground , or else go mad at once” (51). This brief quotation shows the complexity of Hester’s feelings. While she puts on a brave face, Hester is still a person and isn’t unaffected by the harsh abuses hurled at her by the people from her town.

The Scarlet Letter, Chapters 5-8

     Reading The Scarlet Letter, Chapters 5-8, I was struck primarily by the otherworldly diction used to describe Pearl, Hester Prynne’s independent and fiery daughter. When first describing the physical beauty of Pearl, the narrator relates “that there was an absolute circle of radiance around her, on the dark some cottage-floor” (Hawthorne 81). Within the first passages concerning Pearl, her existence is already characterized by contrast. While she herself is glowing in her loveliness, she is placed in a dismal reality of ostracism that is represented in the dark setting of the cottage.

    This contrast is continued in Pearl’s comparison to societal expectations for children of her age. Born from the passion of the affair, Pearl is noted to be “wild, desperate, defiant” with a future “prolific of the storm and whirlwind” (82). While the other Puritan children are described as rather pious and obedient, Pearl is the incarnation of an untamed storm. Her spirit seemingly influenced by the passion and vitality of the moment in which she was conceived, Pearl defies the decided conventions of Puritan society. In fact, her own mother even questions her origins, wondering during her “wild flow of spirits” if Pearl is “rather an airy spirit” (83). Pearl seems to so embody an elven creature or fae that Hester doubts her daughter’s human origins. 

Yet, Pearl’s abnormality of behavior and temperament can be partially accounted for by extreme social exile and disconnect from her peers. When the children see Pearl and Hester walking together and conspire to pelt the two outcasts with mud, Pearl fiercely defends her mother, embodying “the scarlet fever, or some such half-fledged angel of judgement” (92). In the absence of typical community ties and security, Pearl has transformed into her own protector and bringer of wrath. Through shouted threats and powerful stances, Pearl drives off her attackers since she alone can defend herself and her mother. 

When Pearl and Hester reach Governor Bellingham’s residence thanks to Pearl’s assurance of their safe passage, Pearl is described as a “little bird of scarlet plumage” as she flits about the room (98). Dressed in red, Pearl is a shocking deviant in homogenous Puritan society. The men are taken aback by Pearl’s wild and strong-willed demeanor, wondering if she does not possess magic. Mr Wilson asks if Pearl’s “tiptoes touched the floor” as she darts out of the room, while Mr. Dimmesdale asserts that she “hath witchcraft in her” (104). In her abundant spirit, Pearl seems to have unearthly qualities, pushing the Puritan leaders to suspicion. Much like her mother, Pearl has become the young focus of this town’s distrust. 

Throughout these chapters, Pearl is depicted in every way but the typical. She is a storm, an elf, an angel of judgement, and a witch. Beyond inheriting her mother’s defining sin, Pearl is further ostracized by her brazen personality and strong temperament. As the novel progresses, I look forward to watching Pearl’s development. In particular, I am interested to see if Pearl abandons defiance in her character or if she remains otherworldly, seemingly not constrained on a spiritual level by the opinions and affairs of the townspeople. 

The End of the Awakening

     The last chapters of The Awakening are undeniably sad and difficult. The cascade of personal liberations leading up to Edna's suicide begin with her moving out of the house. She moves out, and then truly begins sexual and romantic relationships with Robert and Arobin. Throughout the last chapters, the symbol of childhood is repeatedly used in regards to Edna, causing us to see the full course of her awakening. In relation to Edna's own children, it is evident how much she cares about them. Although she may not care for her husband at all, her children still mean something to her. Before Edna's death, she is at Madame Ratignolle's house, when she is in labor. Edna helps her, and that makes her uneasy. She remembers having her own children, and describes the act of giving birth as torture. This relates directly to the rest of Edna's life: it is torturous. Besides her children, which often do not bring her joy, she is alone. When Robert leaves, she cannot handle it anymore. At the end of the book, Edna swims naked in the cold water, ultimately committing suicide. This is a direct parallel to her swimming out at Grand Isle in the middle of the book, when her awakening began. In her first swimming experience, Edna thinks,"'How easy it is!'...'It is nothing,' she said aloud; 'why did I not discover before that it was nothing. Think of the time I have lost splashing about like a baby!'" The final passage of the book says, "She went on and on. She remembered the night she swam far out, and recalled the terror that seized her at the fear of being unable to regain the shore. She did not look back now, but went on and on, thinking of the blue-grass meadow that she had traversed when a little child, believing that it had no beginning and no end." Although the ending is sad and terrible, it was highly foreshadowed, and it sort of seems as if the book could not have ended any other way. Chopin really emphasizes the point that, as a married woman in that day and age, Edna did not have options. This is especially clear when Edna refuses to attend her sister's wedding. I think that is when Edna truly realized that the problem in her life was marriage. Or at least that is when it became really obvious to the reader. 

The Awakening: Chapters 12-20

When I first started reading this section of the novella I was impressed to see how awakened Edna had become. Within the next couple of chapters Chopin allows the reader to see how truly self-aware Edna is as well. Her physical appearance shows how she is glowing and waking up. Her imagination also starts to wake up when she and Robert are talking about pirates and gold. Robert also starts to become a major factor within Edna's life, and eventually Edna expresses her true feelings for Robert. Edna is completely and utterly infatuated with Robert and even relates the feelings she has towards him back to the crushes she had when she was young that was narrated earlier in the novel. When Robert leaves I feel as though all of the progress that Edna has made for herself starts chipping away at itself. Edna is becoming severely depressed and I'm scared for how this spiral is going to end. I have also noticed that Edna is being addressed much more as Edna except for when her time at the Grand Isle ends. When everyone leaves the Grand Isle to presume their normal lives, Edna starts being referred to as Mrs. Pontellier. This also makes me believe that any progress that Edna had made within herself is starting to fade away. Being back in her home and being expected to truly presume her duties as a wife has left Edna as a shell of a person, Mrs. Pontellier. I also believe that Edna has a panic attack of sorts when she stomps on her wedding ring and shatters the vase. I'm really scared for how this is going to turn out for Edna.