zaaaAP Lit SuperBlog

Creepy Movie

Alright so I'm sure everyone had a lot to say about the movie. Although I was highly amused, I was not as shocked as many people seemed to be. Oprah peeing like a horse left me pretty flabbergasted though I must say. I think this is because I was one of the few people that imagined Beloved somewhat how the director did. I am actually sursprised no one was creeped out from the reading. I mean she is a ghost that mutilated the family dog! Of course she is gunna be a creep! Did anyone else imagine Beloved to be really creepy too?

One Issue with Beloved

I didn't mind reading Beloved and enjoyed Morrison's creative writing. There was one part, however, that I didn't buy. This was the part about the party. I don't get how everyone got so jealous when many people seemed to be involved with the setup. I can understand why there might be a little jealousy but not to the point where they would let slavecatcher's take them. Considering many characters said slavery was worse than death, I just find this ridiculous. I think it's also a weak on Morrison's part for using that in the plot. Did anyone else not like that part?

Inconsistencies

I really didn't mind Beloved. I enjoyed the paranormal twist to a historical background. The link to the past was interesting. The one thing that ruined it for me was the inconsistencies of Morrison's writing style.

She changed the narration. There were different POVs before, but they were all third person. Then, she starts narrating in first person. I did not understand this. She would switch in the middle of the chapter or dedicate whole chapters to this new technique. To me, this only gave me confusion. The third person already gave a look into the characters' thoughts. Why change it all of a sudden?

Also, Morrison alters the kind of writing she uses. The whole book is just straight-out narration, just like any other novel. In one chapter, though, Morrison uses prose to get her point across. I did not approve of this decision. It did not give me any special insight and it was completely different from the rest of the novel. What was the purpose to this? How did it help to show what the characters were saying. Honestly, I was so distracted by the prose that I did not comprehend the words at all. Doesn't this defeat the purpose?

Unfortunately, this has made my opinion of the book plummet. I felt that she was experimenting and trying these different things out just for the sake of changing things. Experimentation is good, but not for something that is to be published. I felt like she should have kept her exploration of literary strategies to her personal writing exercises. But what are your sentiments? Am I just hyper critical?

Beloved the Movie

    Although we only watched the first 10 mintues or so, I really like the movie version of Beloved. I thought that the red light was shown very well, and I also really liked the setting, particularly 124. Normally I am not a fan of books being made into movies but so far I think that this one is quite good. What are everyone else's first impressions of the movie?

Why not What

So I noticed that a lot of people were talking about the "red heart" and what it could possibly mean and it seems like we might be getting close to a decent answer. The red heart is Paul D's, which is surprising because he describes his heart as a rusted tin that does not let anything out. With a "tin" as a heart, he is able to repress and seal all the horrible things in his life. The consequence, however, is that he is incapable of loving someone with "thick", or passionate, love.

What I really want to know is why does his red heart manifest itself for Beloved. The scene in which his heart comes out is definitely not one where it should. Why is it not Sethe that brings out his heart? My guess is that Beloved makes him realize he needs his heart for his new family. He definitely does not need his heart for her...

More Than Slavery

Toni Morrison's Beloved is unique in its approach to addressing slavery. Many of the books I have read in the past on the same topic have focused on the brutal and inhumane relationships between white masters and black slaves. The plot of these books is usually about a slave's struggle for freedom or something along those lines, but it is never without the perspective of "the white man." Morrison portrays the characters in her novel to a much deeper level. There are anecdotes within the novel about slaves struggling for their freedom, but it takes a back seat to interpersonal relationships and feelings between the characters. In Beloved "the white man" is not absent, but is wholly unimportant. I have enjoyed this book because it is different in the way it illustrates that slaves (or ex-slaves), although oppressed beyond extremity, still had a culture and powerful connections to others within their culture. 

Interviews Are Not that Boring

When we watched the interview with Toni Morrison a couple of days ago, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the film.  Usually I think of interviews as a little boring and only slightly interesting, however, Toni Morrison's articulate speaking captured me as much as her writing does in Beloved. I liked how she would speak about a certain aspect or part in the novel and then the readers would read a related passage - I thought that helped to illustrate what she was saying.  I was also suprised to learn that the story of Sethe is based on the true story of a slave named Margaret.  I find it hard to put myself in Sethe's shoes because everything sounds so painful, and it amazes me that someone actually did some of the things Sethe does.

    Another part of the film that got to me was the part about the bit.  When Toni Morrison described what it looked like and how it fuctioned, and then to see real pictures of it was disturbing.  Being denied the ability to speak because of that horrible contraption seems almost unreal.  Anyone else as suprised by this interview?

Stereotypes in Books About Slavery

When I first started reading Beloved, I viewed it optimistically.  I remember my brother reading it and other seniors reading it, and it almost seemed like a rite of passage.  It wasn't until I started flashing my book around that I started hearing other people's views about the book.  At my math table a few of my friends were upset because they felt as if school was always forcing socially correct views on students.  I honestly don't view Beloved that way at all.  I think books that deal with slavery receive harsh stereotypes. While I don't think Beloved is the greatest book, I don't think it fits in with the stereotypical slave novel.  While we are told of the horrific ordeals the slaves faced, it's not that prevalent in the novel.  I feel its more than that.  Morrison even said in the interview we watched in class that she tried to deviate from the common novels about slavery.

Red Heart top 5

I have several questions about Beloved that we have not yet discussed. We also talked about these in my small motif group - but we all were stumped. We asked Mr. Heidkamp about what the "red heart, red heart" part on pg 138 meant - and he said $5 to anyone who has a right answer. Here are my top 5.

1.  I thought perhaps the red was from the blood of Beloved and her heart that was killed to protect her from the imprisonment of slavery.

2. Or was it perhaps blood from when she and Paul D had sex because it was when her hymen was broken?

3. Red blood like periods? Sethe before mentioned 28 days with waiting for Halle (1 full lunar cycle) and then she gave up

4. Red heart like the red color of blood b/c Beloved was first killed in the shack in the back b/c of her mother's love?

5. Red because of traditional color of love and heart because she loves Sethe so much, even though she killed her.

Any other ideas?

Period.

Through out the chapter, beginning on page 253 and ending on 256, there are no periods and is told by Beloved's point of view.  From the start I did not grasp the meaning of this chapter, besides that we are meant to hear Beloved's thoughts.  Why are there no periods?  At first I thought it was, perhaps, to show how Beloved can never really focus on one thing; that everything in her life is just continuous.  I disregarded this idea because it does not make sense and, also, doesn't provide any information to further the meaning of the book.  So, my question is, what do you think the purpose of this chapter was? and why were no periods used?

Love Little or Lots?

Early in the novel we heard to "only love a little".  Although a bit strange it makes sense in unstable conditions. But i got to thinking. Sethe didn't kill some random slave she felt sorry for, i don't think she would have, she killed out own daughter. The thing that separates the two is love. We always hear about crazy acts of love, and really just how dangerous love is. And here we see Sethe kill her child out of love, (must have been a lot of love). But what about only loving a little. Is it just impossible to follow when it comes to your child. Whats the deal, does she love her a lot or a little?

Red heart. Red heart.

Sometimes after reading specific parts of Beloved, I have been so shocked and confused by what is happening. One of these parts, is the section where Paul D. is sleeping outside in the shed, and Beloved comes to him at night. At first, I was like, what the heck is going on here? I don't know what is happening. Once I figured it out, I was like, what the heck? First of all, is Beloved controlling Paul D.? Because it doesn't seem like he would have sex with her on his own free will... And why would Beloved want that? She seems so in love with Sethe.

Also, I really did not get the whole red heart thing. What does that mean? First I thought, maybe red for blood, and that's where Beloved was killed (the shed), but I honestly have no idea. Does anybody know what red heart could mean?

A Broken Home

Today in class, one thing that was brought up that really interested me was the idea of community in the novel. Through most of the novel, community seems to play a large role in the lives of the characters. When  Baby Sugges was still alive, she was a preacher that would gather everyone together to preach the “Word.” Stamp Paid and Ella worked together to help escaped slaves start a life and make it safely on there way. And even when Beloved first comes into the picture,  even though Paul D does not like her, he knows that they cannot just let her go out alone. But that all seemed to change after Sethe murders her daughter. But personally I don’t think that would have torn the community apart the way it did. To the point where stamp paid had to knock on the door of 124, and couldn’t, and Ella just let Paul D sleep in the Church.

 

Often times great tragedy can tear people apart, but in a community that was  so close, I would think they would come together for support. Or did it have to do with the “white men”  coming onto Baby Suggs’ property? What do you all think?

Falling Down While Skating

There are many parts during beloved that have really left me scratching my head. Most recently the biggest head scratcher was when Morrison decided to switch the POV to a whiteperson when she was describing the scene in which Sethe attempts to kill all of their children to keep them from going back to sweet home. This was most perplexing especially because I dont really understand the reason why Toni Morrison did this. Why? The next part that I felt was troubling was when they were ice skating the narrator continually said "and no one saw them fall". Why does this matter and why is this significant at all? That is my question for the readers of this blog.

Sethe lives in her own little world

As i have been reading Beloved, i could not help but notice Sethe's narcissistic personality, well maybe more self-centered is a better word because she is not really in love with herself. Anyways, Sethe is so preoccupied with her past that she misses obvious details in the present. The most prominent of these details is that she cannot connect Beloved to the ghost of her dead baby. I think such a smart and powerful woman would have picked up on some of the hints. One being that Beloved is completely interested in Sethe and Sethe only, that she asks Sethe tons of questions whenever her past is brought up, which is quite often. Another is that the baby's ghost is no longer present in 124, i know that Paul D supposedly "beat it out" of the house, but after 15 or however many years the ghost has been there the baby's presence would not have simply left unless it took another form. One other example is when Sethe was being choked by some spirit (Denver informs us it was Beloved) and then when Beloved tries to sooth Sethe, her mother notices the same touch on the nape of her neck. On another note, why did Beloved do this? Was it because she was feeling spiteful that Sethe didn't care for her well enough as a baby, and how did Sethe's reminiscing on the rock spark Beloved to do this? 

Yes Sethe did have a horrible past, we can all agree on that. But the fact that she dwells on a life she cannot change takes her away from the only life she can control, the present. She is therefore missing large detail that could possibly heal some of the wounds she procured in the past.  

Can Beloved (or any other character) Love?

After reading part of Beloved, part of me wonders if these characters can truly love.

First, there is Beloved, who is clearly obsessed with Sethe. She says that she came back to see Sethe. Beloved wants her to herself. So I can understand the jealousy with Paul D. But, this is what I don't understand. She sleeps with Paul D and Sethe loves him. So I am wondering why she would do something that could a) hurt Sethe and b) get her kicked out the house. If she loves Sethe, then why is she doing something to hurt her? Do you think she was doing it to hurt her, or simply because she wanted to know what it is like.

Second, you have Paul D. He loves Sethe and is willing to fight for her. However, when Beloved comes to him, he only tells her to go away. Eventually, he gives in and sleeps with her. If he loves Sethe so much, than why didn't he simply just kick Beloved out? Also, the whole "let's have a baby" is very childish. I think it would just add to the problem. It just seems like a very desperate attempt, a quick fix to a bigger problem.

Do you think they truly love Sethe?

SEX!!!

I hate to tell you, but this is not a blog about sex. I simply wanted to get your attention.

I have really enjoyed Beloved so far. As I was reading, the one passage that stuck out to me was the passage about the berries that Stamp got for Sethe. He crawled through mud, survived attacks from snakes, and was bitten by many a spider. All for the sake of berries.

I must say, if Stamp was willing to risk his life for berries, they must taste pretty good. I once had berries. They gave me tape worm. But not actually. My favorite type of berry is the raspberry. I can't even imagine how delicious the berries were that Denver ate. Two buckets full. The entire time that I was reading about the pies, and the delicious feast, I was wondering who would carve the roast beast. To be quite honest, I believe that the berries hold significance with the relationship between Stamp and Sethe. He obviously is trusted in full by Sethe. Perhaps he loves her. I don't know. I think that there might be a relationship between Sethe and Stamp, as well as Sethe and Paul. Paul does leave at the end of the first section, so, it is possible, even though that is not the stated reason for departure.

Paul and Sethe have sex. I hope that suffices for my title.

What do you think is the significance of the berries from Stamp Paid?

And why is his name Stamp Paid? Perhaps he married a man with the last name of Paid, and he called him Stamp. It's all very possible.

Why is Beloved Loved?

Beloved is quite the character, literally pushing Sethe's past across the threshold of 124. Her motives seem contradictory. At first, Beloved just wants to hear stories about Sethe in order to get to know her better. She asks about Sethe's crystals that Mrs. Garner gave her for her makeshift wedding day. Beloved asks Denver about stories that Sethe has already told her. But then Beloved tries to strangle Sethe, denying it at first to Denver, but then tries to make excuses by saying she massaged her neck afterwards to make her feel better. Later, Beloved says insistingly to Paul D, "I want you to touch me on the inside part and call me my name," when he was definitely sleeping with Sethe first. For a girl who does not want anyone telling her want to do, she certainly does it to everyone else. As time goes on, Denver gets into a habit of always knowing where Beloved is, and then she disappears into thin air. To return, Beloved plays a game with Denver sort of like hide and seek, but with seemingly cruel or deceiving intentions. But even after all this happens, Denver and Sethe still like Beloved, and Paul D gives in to her. Why?

Attention Whores

As we continue to read the novel I have been wondering the role that attention plays in the novel. It seems to me that everyone seeks Sethe's attention. When Paul D first arrives at 124, Denver acts extremely rude toward him because she does not like the fact that Sethe is ignoring her. Beloved is constantly asking Sethe stories about her past and waiting in anticipation for Sethe to come home from work. She also does not like it whenever Paul D spends time with her. Finally, Paul D asks Sethe to have another baby spontaneously, but then realizes it is a good way to be closer to her. Everyone wants Sethe's attention and it may be obvious, but I just don't know why. Any explanations?

Beloveds Motivations

So I am confused about Beloved. At first It just seemed like she wanted to become closer to her mother and make up for lost time, but now shes coming on to Paul D. In last nights reading we saw Beloved basically force Paul D to sleep with her. And then on page 158 it talks about  how beloved " Cried... the way she wanted to when Sethe went to him standing in the tub under the stairs" as if she is jealous of Sethes and Paul D's relationship. Im just kind of confused about Beloveds motivations here. Why all the sudden interested in Paul D? Im sure that the answer to this question will be revealed later in the book, but I just wanted to throw it out their to see if you guys had an ideas about it. 

Beloved as the Baby

Although this is looking back a little bit in terms of what we've read in Beloved so far, while I was reading I made a list or all of the evidence that Beloved is Sethe's dead child and found it pretty helpful. So, I figured I'd write it here.

Here Boy is gone (61)

Sethe has an "emergency" that she compares to her water breaking when Beloved shows up (61)

Beloved's feet and hands are "soft and new" (63)

Her name is Beloved, just like the baby's headstone (63)

She sleeps a lot and eats very little (64)

Her voice is raspy and the baby's throat was slit (65)

She loves sugar (66)

She can't lift her head very easily (67)

She's oddly obsessed with Sethe (68)

She knows things about Sethe that she wouldn't otherwise (the diamonds) (69)

She doesn't know basic things (how to tie her shoes) (77)

She belongs in the house ("This is where I am." 89)

She "behaved like a two-year-old" (116)

Her and Denver were like sisters (117)

Did I miss any?

Unsure thoughts

When reading Beloved, there are a few things that I am unsure about.  One is why Sethe always refered to the baby as "the already crawling? baby".  Also, on page 138, Paul D kept repeating "Red heart. Red heart. Red heart."  I don't know if that has meaning but I don't know the importance of this.  Finally, I was confused by the part when Paul D tells Sethe he wants her pregnant.  I know he said that becuase he couldn't tell her what he wanted to, but why does he go along with it.  Didn't he just tell her he wanted her pregnant because he told her he had something to say but he couldn't tell her the truth?  What do you think about this?

The Clearing

One of the scenes in Beloved that stood out to me was the scene when Sethe, Denver and Beloved went to the Clearing together.  Sethe wanted to go to pay tribute to Halle.  When she got there, Beloved and Denver sat in the trees and Sethe sat on Baby Suggs rock.  The part that really stood out was when she was being choked.  Everything seemed to be going fine, but then Sethe could not breath and was bruised all over her neck because of the choking.  Denver and Beloved ran to her to help her, and Sethe says that she believes it was Baby Suggs who was choking her. 

Later on, Sethe states that Baby Suggs didn't choke her...it was someone else. "But one thing for sure, Baby Suggs had not choked her as first she thought" (pg. 115).  Also, Denver tells Beloved that she saw her choke Sethe (page 119).  What do you think?  Who do you think was the one choking Sethe? 

Men's role

All throughout the novel, men have only been portrayed in a negative light.  Perhaps not initially, perhaps they have some redeeming qualities, but ultimately every male character has let a women down.  Sethe even says that, at the end, a man is "nothing but a man."  Halle left her, as did her sons, and now Paul D is having sex with Beloved.  There are also other examples throughout the story -- like Sethe's mother being raped on the slave ship -- that (obviously) characterize men poorly.  What is Morrison trying to say?  Does this make Beloved a feminist novel?  Of course feminism is not synonymous with putting men down.  Rather, it focuses on equality.  So perhaps feminist is not the right lable... How would you categorize this novel?

Middle Passage Reality in Classroom

In my class today, we were discussing the passage from Beloved in which Beloved tells Denverthat she came from a dark place that was hot and full of people.  Mr. Heidkamp commented that this passage reminded him of the conditions on a ship transporting African slaves through the Middle Passage.

Mr. Heidkamp’s comment reminded me of this news story that I saw on Yahoo News about what a social studies teacher in White Plains, NY, did during a class discussion recently.  "On Nov. 18, [the teacher Eileen] Bernstein was discussing the conditions under which African captives were taken to America in slave ships. She bound...two students' hands and feet with tape and had them crawl under a desk to simulate the experience," according to the superintendent of the school’s district and the mother of one of the students.  This demonstration greatly traumatized the two students.  The teacher did apologize, but some, including the local NAACP chapter, believe that the teacher should be removed from the class.

This demonstration does seem a little extreme, and I would certainly agree with those who wish that the teacher had used a different method to demonstrate the conditions.  This incident reminds me of the incident featured in "The Eye of the Storm", about the Iowa teacher who purposefully simulated discrimination in the classroom to teach her students about how wrong it was.  I think that considering other options should especially apply when it comes to discussing the Middle Passage, because the level of brutality involved in it certainly makes it difficult to discuss, let alone demonstrate.

See what you think.  The article is at the following website: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_on_re_us/slave_lesson

Please Note: This may not really mean anything, but for those of you whom it might affect, I just wanted to make you aware of this: If for any reason you wish to access this article a few weeks or even a couple of months from now, this story may no longer appear on Yahoo News.  Several times I've bookmarked articles and tried to go back to them months later, only to find that they've been removed.

If you would like a copy of this article, I have one available.  Just let me know, and I can send it to you.

What does bloodchild really stand for?

When I was reading bloodchild i could not help to be disgusted by the extreme imagery that was painted by the author when she was explaining the scene in which the human or terran was giving birth to the larvae of the tlic. It did seem funny to me, however, that Mr. Heidkamp said that there was a deeper meaning behind this story an allgeory if you will. A suggestion was that the story could represent slavery but I do not understand how that would relate to the story besides the fact that the tlics keep the terrans within the place called the reserve. The reason that the tlics did that though was to help both the tlics and the terrans from having a bad relationship. So I ask what the rest of the classes think that this story means? Because I have absolutely no idea.

Attention To Detail

One thing I enjoy in Beloved is the attention to detailthat the author writes with.  Though she does not present these details in paragraphs that are extensive in length and state every single little aspect of a character or object, she is able to paint a picture in one's head.  For instance, when Seth and Paul D. are lying in bed after they have made love, the author states how Sethe is careful not to draw attention to herself.  She does this by crossing her ankles instead of rolling over.  The details in this scene allow the reader to create a visual image of what is occurring in the story.  This I found to be very interesting.

Sethe's Parenting Skills

Sethe is a very interesting parent in my opinion. She seems like a truly devoted mother, but there are little things that she does that don't seem like what a good parent would do. For example, her sleeping with some guy that just arrived on her doorstep while her daughter was home. Another weird thing that she does, or doesn't do, is help Denver make friends. Consequently, her daughter runs away to play under a bush for entertainment.

Denver, however, is does not seem like a failure of a child just as Sethe is not a failure of a parent. Sethe seems to be really caring when its important, and defends Denver from Paul D. What does everything thing about this somewhat inconsistent behavior.

He Saw!

For me this section just didnt quite add up.

Halle saw the men in the barn steal Sethes milk.
So...
1. He just lets it happen
2. He runs away
3. Paul D, defends these actions

I dont understand how you could let something like this happen to a loved one, was he to scared to stop them or what? Paul D. said that it was something on the inside that got to him. If anything that should be more reason to act. And worst you run away, when your family needs you most because your traumatized, what about Sethe, you dont think it was horrible for her? Seems like Halle is quite selfish.  Why does Paul D. defend him. Because someone has to do it because hes not there? He actually believes that Halle was justified? Do you? As of know i give thumbs down to Halle, and Paul D. Am i missing something? What do you think?

Where Did Here Boy Go?

I'm confused about why the dog left when Beloved came to the house. I know the dog probably isn't that important but why did it run off. Also is that proof the Beloved is Sethe's ghost child. If Beloved is not a ghost then who is she? Both Sethe and Denver feel a connection to her and Beloved seems to have some sort of claim on them, but she doesn't like Paul D. THis might be because he doesn't like her or that he messes up their little family. All of the flashbacks and changes in POV make the novel hard to follow sometimes.