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Beloved Test
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| "124 was spiteful. Full of a baby's venom" | the house purposely wants to hurt its inhabitants, has malicious/evil intentions, the ghost of dead baby wants revenge (oxymoronic, babies aren't normally poisoned) |
| Howard & Buglar | Sethe's sons, ran away from 124 at 13 years old, sent ahead by Sethe to escape on Underground Railroad, fear Sethe because they watched her kill Beloved in the shed |
| setting | 124 Bluestone Rd, Cincinnati Ohio |
| Baby Suggs' death | after being shunned away from community that she created and "the Misery", lost all motivation to live and only wanted to look at colors, wanted to die/didn't want to die (knows that dead don't rest ex. Beloved's ghost) |
| significance of colors | Baby Suggs only wanted to think about colors as she laid in bed the days leading up to her death; she has witnessed and experienced so much as a slave and now (watching Sethe murder Beloved) so she wants to contemplate something less harmful |
| first exorcism attempt | Sethe and Denver want to "end the persecution" of the ghost so they hold hands and say "come on. come on."--- only a sideboard moved, won't answer to humans (acceptance of the supernatural) |
| why doesn't the ghost come back during first exorcism? | Sethe believes that the baby ghost is still the same age as she was when she died (very young/an infant), but the ghost could have aged, assume that the ghost is real and that its the spirit of her dead daughter (magical realism/role of supernatural) |
| why does Sethe want the ghost to come back? | wants to communicate with the ghost to explain why she killed her so that the ghost will understand and stop haunting 124 with her anger |
| why do people avoid 124? | j |
| 124 | the house serves as a living, breathing character that traps and tortures the inhabitants with past trauma --- changes as the book progresses and characters face their past, missing #3 because Sethe's third child is dead |
| why doesn't Sethe leave 124? | accepts the hauntings of the ghost and power of the house because she feels that she deserves it since she killed her infant daughter |
| "ten minutes for seven letters" | the gravestone engraver asks Sethe for 10 minutes of sex in exchange for 7 letters on her daughter's gravestone, Sethe accepts degradation of body for her child/sold her mind and body all to honor her child's life (effects of slavery/feminine identity) |
| Sethe's character - "ten minutes for seven letters" | after only "Beloved" is engraved into the headstone, can only think about the possibility of giving the engraver more of herself to buy more letters for her child/degrade herself further, Sethe's mindset is twisted (never realizes that this isn't okay) |
| why did Sethe kill Beloved? | to bring attention to the issue of slavery, |
| "Negro's grief" | every single slave has experienced some form of trauma, and every free house will still have echoes of that terrifying past (inescapable, collective burden) |
| themes to know | effects of slavery, role of supernatural, masculine/feminine identity, role of supernatural, meaning of freedom, role of community, role of family, faith/religion, facing/dealing with past, nature of humanity, destruction of identity, dehumanization |
| chamomile sap | Sethe's ongoing attempt to physically and mentally wash away her past trauma of enslavement, tries to wash it away as she has a rememory of being assaulted by her master's men |
| why are Paul D and Sethe the perfect match? | they have a shared past, they both understand each other and what they both experienced, make each other's pain go away but need to confront past in order to move to future |
| current ages of characters | Denver - 18 years old, Baby Suggs - dead for 8 years (died when Denver was 10), Beloved - almost 19/20 |
| Paul D character | pragmatic, practical, stoic, rational, has pent up love and memories, pretty reserved but sometimes outgoing, traveling man since he escaped, catalyst for future |
| Sethe's reaction to Paul D | casual, not very surprised to see him standing outside 124, Paul D originally doesn't tell her much about past |
| red pulsing light | the ghost turns the light in the house red, Sethe allows the house to take over, evil/magical things are normal in 124 (role of supernatural) |
| current inhabitants of 124 | Sethe, Denver, ghost (Howard & Buglar ran away, Suggs died, not a way station anymore) |
| how Mr. Garner treated Sweet Home men | he always listened to their opinions and inputs on farming techniques, made them feel like humans and worthy men (Sethe was only woman, worked with Ms. Garner), allowed them to pick a wife |
| Mr. Garner | bragged about slaves, called them men and treated them this way, prideful, humanitarian, tough, intelligent |
| white staircase | Suggs painted it white so that the crawling already? baby could see the steps in the dark since she liked climbing them so much, item that most black families didn't have, contrasts heavy traumatic pasts (facing past/effects of slavery/family) |
| Sethe character | stoic, independent, strong, brave, highly values motherhood, intense amounts of love, traumatized/can't escape past, more than happy to accept ghost (what she feels she deserves) |
| Denver character | lonely, upset at Sethe for isolating her from community, wants friends, immature/doesn't emotionally act her age, defensive when Paul talks to Sethe--only person who had Sethe's attention at all times (jealous), narcissistic |
| Sethe's perspective on ghost vs. Paul D vs. Denver | she is sad/mad vs. she is evil vs. she is lonely and rebuked |
| "must be something you got it wants" | foreshadows Beloved's chaos and what is coming, represents black community's deep belief in ghosts and that people who die in a bad way/the past always come back to haunt you |
| effects of Denver's isolation | doesn't like to share Sethe with Paul D, greedy, sassy, self-centered, has temper tantrums and acts like a child, tries to get rid of Paul D by being rude to him (wants Sethe's complete attention), all Sethe's fault |
| chokecherry tree on Sethe's back | deep scars from being whipped during her time as a slave, represents her deep trauma and dehumanization that she has to live with |
| symbolism of breastmilk | represents Sethe's motherhood (something she cherishes), strengthens a mother-child bond, taken away from most slave mothers (ex. Sethe and her mom) |
| the breastmilk/barn/loft incident | under schoolteacher's command, his nephews began to take Sethe's milk from her which left Sethe feeling violated and dehumanized, later told by Paul D that Halle watched the whole thing and couldn't do anything to stop it without harm |
| second exorcism attempt | Paul D, in an attempt to relieve Sethe of her pain from the past, screams at the house/ghost as it is shaking the house for it to go away, he is successful |
| why does Denver hate Paul D? | taking up all of Sethe's attention, removed ghost from 124 which was her only friend |
| what happens after Paul D and Sethe go upstairs? | he begins to second guess a future relationship with Sethe, she reminds him too much of his traumatic past that he cannot face |
| Thirty-Mile Woman | Sixo's love interest, he would walk to go see her on Sundays for 17 hours, hang out for 1 hour, then walk 17 hours back to Sweet Home |
| Brother | sprawling tree at Sweet Home that the slaves liked to hang out under, felt safe here to talk about horrors of slavery, maintain connection to sanity/earth (role of community, masculinity) |
| Halle | Sethe's "husband" for 6 years & father of children, nicest man on Sweet Home, selfless, family-oriented, bought Baby Suggs' freedom (had to work on Sweet Home and another place for $$) |
| role of women in slavery | sole purpose was to be sold for more $ since they can reproduce and make more slaves, moved around like checkers, often sexually abused and denied motherhood rights (ex. breastfeeding newborns) |
| Sixo | slave on Sweet Home, liked to take risks and rebel, comedic relief, got caught escaping and was burned alive, never liked Sethe, stopped speaking English (saw no point) |
| why did Sethe choose to marry Halle? | devoted to family, extremely selfless, practical choice, never really loved him, thought of him more as a brother than a husband |
| Halle & Sethe's wedding | given the privilege of marrying the person they choose, never got an official ceremony, Sethe sewed her own dress out of old fabric (effects of slavery) |
| what do Sethe and Paul D remember about Sweet Home? | the corn stalk PDA, memories are different but converge into one, realize it will strengthen relationship/intimacy, the good things about Sweet Home, sense of comradiery slaves had |
| "how loose the silk. how fine and loose and free." | figuring out how their relationship will work, describes how relationship has joy/intimacy amidst their heavy traumatic past and current lives |
| Denver's emerald closet | her happy place, only time she leaves 124, distraction from loneliness and unstable relationship with her mother, ring of boxwood bushes in the forest |
| Sethe & Denver's relationship | Sethe doesn't allow her to leave 124 because she fears her own past and that Denver will encounter the same things if she leaves the house, ruled by fear, puts onto Denver --> why Denver's emotional/social growth is stunted |
| why does Denver only like listening to her birth story? | she is self-centered and emotionally underdeveloped for her age, only interested in things about herself right now, believes Sethe escaped only for her (makes her feel special) |
| why is Sethe so determined to escape to 124? | her other 3 children are there waiting, needs to get milk to Beloved (breastfeeding, wants to fulfill motherly role), wants to keep Denver alive (dedicated to intensely loving kids) |
| Amy Denver | white girl who helped deliver Denver on the side of a river in a canoe, who Denver is named after, says she was traveling to Boston to find velvet |
| antelope | represents Sethe's drive and determination as she treks through the woods to escape slavery while 6 months pregnant, why she's escaping---building a better life for kids/wants to stay alive for them (feminine identity) |
| Bildungsroman | novel of maturation; traces Denver's character from the beginning to end and see if she can overcome obstacles (Sethe's fear & ghost) and mature |
| "anything dead coming back to life hurts" | foreshadowing Beloved's arrival and Sethe's need to face her past by the end of the novel, said by Amy while massaging Sethe's swollen feet |
| white dress holding onto Sethe while she's praying | possible picture of Beloved, represents purity--something Beloved and characters do not have, Sethe didn't see/feel it (part of Sethe much like her past) |
| rememory according to Sethe | has timeless fluidity (time has no limit), can't escape memories that never die, thinks memory is living/breathing which instills fear for Denver, fears her past memories |
| Schoolteacher | slave master after Mr. Garner died, extremely racist, evil, treated slaves horribly, made them question identity |
| the color pink | color of chips in Beloved's headstone, will always remind Sethe of what she did and the trauma that comes along with it (can't see colors anymore because she is so consumed with past) |
| Sethe's thoughts on Paul D | loves him, forces her to think about future, allows Sethe to feel emotions (isn't used to this/doesn't like it), thinks he's the cause of lifelessness but she is the problem |
| what does Paul D notice about Denver? | she asks him when he's leaving, him and Sethe argue saying, "whatever's in her head a mind, that is" (insult to Denver & Sethe), notices that Sethe loves Denver a little too much and Denver is extremely immature |
| Paul D's perspective on love | "risky, very risky", not a parent (doesn't understand motherly love), careful with emotions due to past, only loves a little bit at a time so there is love left over if heart is broken (not all or nothing) |
| Sethe's attitude towards Denver | will protect her and take care of her forever, so wrapped up in forgetting past that she loves Denver for the wrong reasons, never thinks Denver is wrong (unreasonable), believes she will come back as a ghost to protect daughter |
| Paul D's promise to Sethe | promises to help Sethe face her past and "jump inside", making a huge promise that he may not be able to fulfill (doesn't know everything about her past), does this because he wants a future |
| shadows holding hands | Sethe thinks she sees her, Denver's and Paul D's shadows holding hands, begins to think about the future and building a family/life together (not concrete--shadows can change) |
| juxtaposition at carnival | joy of a life that could be (shadows) contrasts the dying roses (death keeps following them) |
| juxtaposition of Beloved's rebirth | the past is coming back to haunt Sethe, shows how there can't be a future until she reconciles the past |
| Beloved's initial characteristics | acts like a newborn baby (barely breathe, stay awake, walk, hold head up), line less skin (no identity/fingerprints or future), extremely thirsty |
| what happens when Sethe sees Beloved? | she has to go to the bathroom as if her water is breaking, similar to giving birth (visceral reaction) |
| why doesn't Paul D ask Beloved questions? | as an empath, he assumes she has been through a lot and how she feels about it, knows about walking everywhere but is getting weird vibes from her |
| why doesn't Sethe recognize Beloved? | doesn't make connection because it isn't safe to navigate her past |
| how does Beloved help Denver mature? | Beloved gives Denver someone to care for/keep her busy and eliminates her loneliness, teaches her how to be selfless/caring/patient (Beloved only cares about Sethe |
| the rocker incident | Paul D claims he saw Beloved pick up a rocking chair with one hand, asks Denver to confirm, lies and says it never happened (makes Paul D look bad-wants him out of 124, keeps Beloved around-needs a friend, supported by Sethe since she solves her problems) |
| Paul D's relationship with women in 124 | gradually shutting him out, giving him less authority although he is the only man (manipulation by Beloved to drive him out) |
| "their two shadows clashed" | relationship looks like love now, but soon Beloved will begin to hurt and consume Sethe (foreshadowing) |
| what does Beloved want | Sethe and her recognition of her identity |
| Sethe's diamonds | earrings given to her by Ms. Garner as a wedding present after her lackluster ceremony, used to play with them & Beloved, ears are pierced by Suggs when she arrives at 124 |
| Sethe's mother | came with Nan on Middle Passage, never breastfed/spent time with Sethe (not allowed), branded, was hung after trying to escape without Sethe, spoke little English |
| why is the memory of her mother painful for Sethe? | values motherhood (relationship she never had with her mom), knows she tried to run away without her, never knew if it was actually her mom that was hung (couldn't see brand), can't remember native language |
| "Beloved was shining and Paul D didn't like it" | uncomfortable, thinks Beloved is sexually attracted to him/can't place her desire (it is for Sethe), no idea how to handle a younger girl's arousal, bothers him |
| the choking incident | as Paul D is thinking about placing Beloved in a different home, she mysteriously chokes on a raisin --> she can read his thoughts, manipulates Sethe and Denver into thinking she's helpless which allows her to stay (insidious) |
| what does Sethe think about Beloved? | happy (Denver finally isn't sad and lonely), solves her problems, thinks she's lost and that 124 is still a way station, has a positive impact on Denver (manners) and there's no more ghost |
| why did Halle go crazy? | after watching schoolteacher take Sethe's breastmilk, he ran away from Sweet Home and had a mental change, pained him that he couldn't intervene & was expected to, last seen churning butter |
| iron bit | mental mouth device given to slaves as a punishment, Paul D couldn't talk because he got caught escaping |
| Mister the rooster | Paul D sees him while he has the bit in his mouth, realizes he is more free/a man than Paul D is (upsets him, makes him want more for himself), causes him to lose identity |
| "the tip of the thing" | Beloved's scar on her neck where Sethe cut it with the handsaw, establishes that she is an Abiku child here to torment Sethe |
Created by:
ts2819