Text: Beloved by Toni Morrison
Lens: Feminist
Blog: Responding and Reflecting #2
One thing I want to make sure I touch on is the relationship between Paul D and Beloved. As well as Beloved as an individual. Although Beloved is a grown woman when she reincarnates, she acts as an infant. She can't talk right, she isn't sturdy when she walks, and she is clingy with her mother. Beloved is almost obsessed with Sethe. She follows her around constantly and creates a competition with Denver. Going on to the relationship with Paul D, it gets interesting. Before we get to Part 2 in the book, we notice that Paul D is paying attention to the sex appeal beaming from Beloved. When I read this, I knew it was going to go downhill. Beloved says, "I want you to touch me on the inside part. . . . And you have to call me my name.” Paul D tries hard to resist the urge that he has to have sex with Beloved but her attraction is too difficult to resist. Paul D ends up having sex with her. Paul D goes on to say that Beloved opened up his "tobacco tin heart". After they finish having sex Paul D repeats "Red Heart" over and over again. This, to me, seemed like Paul D was alive now. He had been missing something all his life. This is somewhat a paradox in two ways. One way is because Beloved is supposed to be thought of as the spirit of an infant yet has a womanly sex appeal. The other is because she is technically dead but makes someone else feel alive. Both of these concepts make it very hard to understand what Beloved's motives are. She seems to want to do good and please people especially her mother but makes choices like sleeping with Paul D. The way the scene was written made it feel like Beloved is a manipulator. Paul D was distant and then almost trapped by her. I feel as though Paul D left the home of 124 due to his guilt he faced after this encounter with Beloved. It is really unfortunate that no one sees through Beloved because not once have I gotten an innocent vibe from her, only evil!
It is interesting how you said that Beloved is dead, yet she makes Paul D feel alive. I never thought about it in that way. In the book, according to what happened between Paul D and Beloved, she does have a sex appeal that makes it hard to resist her. I agree with everything you said in this post! Good job. (:
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