So following this theory that some higher power had control of Sethe's decision, how much of the story relates to fate if the characters do not solely act on free will? Much of the characters' fate depends on their connection to slavery. It seems to be fate that after being a slave for so long, the past comes back to almost haunt the characters. One significant example of this is when the four horsemen from Sweet Home attempt to bring the escaped slave, Sethe, and her children back to slavery. These four horsemen are allusions to the Book of Revelation in the Bible that relate to the apocalypse, the fate of the world. This shows how slavery seems to be the fate of Sethe's family, although she escapes it for the second time, and contributes to the outcome of her family's stability. Sethe and Denver remain isolated from their community due to the grief of the murder of Beloved, which was directly related to going back to slavery and eventually overwhelms Sethe to an almost death-like state. Paul D, also a former slave at Sweet Home, and Beloved remind Sethe of her past as a slave by constantly asking questions and telling stories. Beloved seems to represent not only the grief that Sethe feels, but she also represents every slave, especially with her constant allusions to being on a slave ship. The memories and constant references to the harshness of slavery occur throughout the story, illuminating that slavery, or the memory of slavery, guides how Sethe's family should live, isolated and cautious. To say that Sethe's family was destined to fall apart is a stretch, but it is safe to say that the re-occurrence of events relating to slavery are unavoidable.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Beloved
The role fate and free will play in Beloved is not a completely clear one. Is free will more apparent than fate? Which of the two seems to be dominant throughout Morrison's novel? First I'll examine the free will aspect of the story. One of the most important events in Beloved is when Sethe murders Beloved, illustrating the occurrence of free will. Sethe had the choice to murder her daughter and protect her from the harsh reality of slavery that she had once experienced. On the other hand, she acted upon instinct; her "thick love" guided her to protect her children and do what she could to save them from the trials of slavery. Based on Paul D's claim, Sethe was not thinking for herself, and her decision was not completely her choice; she made the decision within the confines of her extreme love. Maybe it was not absolutely fate, but a higher power (love) forced her to commit this crime of passion.
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Interesting ideas, Jessie.
ReplyDeleteI like your attention to the four horsemen, and that does become a powerful symbol of a kind of dreadful, unalterable fact. The sad thing is that these men, like all other slaveholders, are not angels but simply narcissistic racists who would justify their superiority in any and every form, and the fact that a political system would go along with that creates "fate" for millions of African-Americans. It was interesting hearing the way you used the phrase "higher power" and referring to love, and I agree with you. But as I mentioned, there are often other less noble and entirely human forces controlling other lives--witness the last recession caused by blindly greedy bankers and stock traders--and what do we call that? These are some interesting questions about fate and free will, and I'd love to hear what you think of them.