Seduction

So. I thought this book couldn't get any weirder. And then Beloved seduced Paul D. with her supernatural powers. It was pretty clear that Paul D. did not want to "touch her on the inside" but something weird happened and then there he was, touching her and calling out her name. Why does Beloved do this? Is it a bizarre attempt to get Sethe's attention? Beloved obviously cares for Sethel so why would she get busy with her lover? And isn't Beloved supposed to be pretty young? I had to put down the book after I read this scene. It just completely baffled me.

Comments

[Zwainer]

I totally agree with you. It was incredibly weird. Beloved is supposedly about 2 years old.

[Theresa Y.]

Yeah, I couldn't believe Paul D actually is cheating on Sethe with Beloved. Maybe Beloved seduces him because she is insanely jealous of Paul D because he is who Sethe wants, and Beloved wants all of Sethe's attention for herself. On page 118, when Beloved hears Paul D and Sethe together, she feels like crying, because she knows Paul D is monopolizing the time, attention, and love she is able to get from Sethe: "But now - even the daylight time that Beloved counted on, disciplined herself to be content with, was being reduced, divided by Sethe's willingness to pay attention to other things. Him mostly" (118).

When Beloved realizes that Paul D and Sethe fully love each other, she becomes jealous. I think she is the one who is forcing Paul D out of the house, and into the shack, just like she is the one who somehow choked Sethe in the clearing. By getting with Paul D, she is able to divert his attention from Sethe, possibly leaving more of Sethe's attention for her.

[Kirsten H.]

Everything that Beloved does has some calculated effect. She controls the surroundings to bring Sethe closer to her or whatever her particular goal may be. I agree with Theresa that Beloved actually moves Paul D. into the shed so she is able to manipulate him for her benefit, but I’m not really sure on her intentions with that yet. To me it seems Beloved’s intention was to open Paul D.’s “tobacco tin”.

He mentions that “nothing in this world could pry it open” and then beloved does (133,138). Beloved doesn’t really seem that this-worldly so possibly this hints at her ability alone to open his heart? As Beloved is trying to get Paul D. to comply she says “You have to touch me. On the inside part. And you have to call me by name”, completely insistent that he must comply, like it is more important that an actual desire for him (137). And as soon as he begins to submit to Beloved the rust falls “away from the seems of [his] tobacco tin” and Beloved repeats “Red Heart, Read Heart”, knowing she is revealing Paul D.’s heart (138).

Why Beloved would want to open Paul D.’s heart is lost on me, but I think we should take there encounter as Beloved’s need to progress her “mission”, not so much as a grotesque sexual encounter.

[ben L]

sex sex sex is that all we talk about here. But yeah the whole situation is quite weird. I think that the answers that we are looking for are further on in the book. But maybe these supernatural powers were used because she was lonely and was looking for that connection. But who knows I am usually wrong.