ENG-216 HW#6

Due: Monday, November 8, 2010 Beloved (Reading assignment page 199-324) Complete the assigned reading for next time and respond in writing to the following questions. (Responses should be either typed or neatly printed on separate sheets.) 1. Now, too late, he understood her. The heart that pumped out love, the mouth that spoke the Word, didnt count. They came in her yard anyway and she could not approve or condemn Sethes rough choice. One of the other might have saved her, but beaten up by the claims of both, she went to bed. The whitefolks had tired her out at last (212). Who is this quote about? How was she beaten up? Did she react the way you think she should have to Sethes action? How would you have reacted? The quote is about Baby Suggs. She was beaten up by the cruelty and disrespect of the slave masters and those that allowed them to commit the atrocities they did. She is worn down by the hardships of her life. She believed that she was finally free, and allowed herself to feel too much. When the horsemen came into her yard and when Sethe did what she thought she had to, it reminded Baby Suggs that she wasnt really free and that she never would be. Her reaction to Sethes action is understandable; she would have stooped it if she could have, but she can also see Sethes reason for doing it and cant really blame her. I probably would have been dismayed, shocked, and outraged, but for Baby Suggs its just one of the many horrible things shes had to see in her life. 2. Who is the narrator in this chapter that begins Beloved, she my daughter.? (Pages 236241)? Who is she talking to? How does this narrator feel about Beloveds return? Sethe is talking to Beloved. She feels that Beloveds return means that her daughter has forgiven her and come back to her. She thinks that she Beloved understands exactly why she did what she did, and she is overjoyed to have her back. 3. Who is the narrator in this chapter that begins Beloved is my sister.? (Pages 242-247)? Who is she talking about? How does this narrator feel about Beloveds return? Denver is talking about Beloved. She is glad that Beloved has come back and wants to protect her. She is concerned that her mother may still have the murderous instinct in her and that Paul D might break up the family.

4. Who is the narrator in this chapter that begins I am Beloved and she is mine.? (Pages 248-251)? Who is she talking about? Can you describe the style of this chapter? Why do you think Morrison made it so difficult to understand? What images does the narrator describe? What do you think she is referring to? Beloved is talking about herself and her experiences in death. The chapter is like a stream of consciousness description of something that cant be explained properly. It seems to be a communal experience of lots of people/souls. I think its especially difficult to understand because Beloved still speaks and thinks and sees as a baby. She doesnt understand the things she experienced and doesnt know how to express them. 5. Who are the narrators of the following chapter (pages 253-256)? What do they keep repeating? What is the mood in this chapter? Based on the last three chapters, how do you think life is changing at 124? The narrators are Sethe, Beloved, and Denver. They are repeating because they are all different people, but all one entity at the same time. They all define themselves by each other. The mood is tense, each of them is trying to express something, but everything is becoming one thing. 6. What is the significance of the line: This is not a story to pass on.? Has Beloved left any trace? Why write a story that should not be passed on? The story is not one to be passed on because the experiences of the characters are so horrible. Sethe and Denver have gotten over Beloved, but they had to deal with her first to deal with their own problems. The story is written so that the things that happened, however terrible, are not forgotten.