Toni Morrison shows how the past can affect the present relationships in Beloved. Sethe an ex-slave who ran away from Sweet Home, a slave plantation, in order to escape the drudgery and humiliation of slavery, shall forever be haunted by the past. In her escape, she tries to kill her children, and succeeds in killing her baby girl. The ghost of this baby girl shall forever haunt Sethe as a representation of the past for the next 18 years in 124. Paul D another ex-slave from Sweet Home, is also affected by th past. He shares the same Sweet Home memories as Sethe, but his life took a different course. He kill his second master and was placed in a chain gang. After this horrific experience in a chain gang, Paul D decides to lock away his feelings and memories. When Paul D meets Sethe again at 124, the two form a relationship that changed how they deal with the past and how they will love again.
The first relationship these two form occurred at Sweet Home. Here Paul D was in competition with the other slave men of Sweet Home for the love and marriage of Sethe. Ultimately, Paul D and the other slave men lose to Halle, whom Sethe chooses because of his love for his mother and his commitment. This is the purest form the relationship shall ever take. Both Paul D and Sethe aren’t tarnished by their past yet (even though they both are slaves, and even the childhood memories affect their actions). Here, Paul D loses to Halle just because Halle is the “better man.”
The next step in the relationship occurs eighteen years later, after Sethe and Paul D have both left Sweet Home, and has experienced the hardships of life to its fullest. Paul D seeks a person to love, and Sethe has devoted her life to Denver. Paul D walked past 124 and by chance, sees Sethe washing her feet. He joins her in 124 to rest, and they end up making love. This rage of passion last only mere minutes, and it is only Paul D’s pent up passion over Sethe during their time at Sweet Home. Paul D spent time in prison in Alfred, Georgia. After that, he shut down his mind except the part that held him walk, eat, sleep and sing. Seeing Sethe again, reopens this “locked” part of his mind, and he decides to stay with Sethe and look for work.
The two are a mismatch when they meet each other for the second time at 124. Paul D’s love is a limited supple whereas Sethe’s love is a mother’s unlimited love for her child. The milk that Sethe carries represents this love, and Sethe believes she has an unlimited supply. On the other hand, Paul D’s love is limited, and he wants to hold on to the tiny bit he has left. He believes that if anyone gives his or her full love to someone, the lost of that person will completely destroy the giver. To protect against this, Paul D limits the share of his love.
The next change in the relationship occurs when Beloved, the baby that Sethe killed, returns from the dead. Now, Paul D has to battle for the love and affection of Sethe. He loses to Beloved, who forces him to sleep downstairs, away from Sethe. Beloved seduces Paul D, and he has sex with her. This act of having sex with Beloved breaks open Paul D’s little locked “tin tobacco box.”
Paul D now feels guilty of this act and wants to confess to Sethe, and meets her at her work. He cannot. Instead he tells Sethe, that he wants to have a child with her. Sethe is taken back and says she’ll think about it. In reality, she is mortified by the idea, and doesn’t feel as if she can do it. They flirt on the way back home, but this is broken when Sethe sees Beloved. The feeling of hatred return in Paul D and Sethe realizes that Paul D is jealous of beloved and the love Sethe has for her children.
The arrival of Beloved shows how the two can never really love each other. Paul D limits his love and is able to share his love between many individuals. But Sethe has given all her love to her children. There is no room for Paul D, even though Sethe realizes that Paul D is jealous, there is nothing she can do. Her love for her children outweighs her love for any other thing. But also, Beloved changes Paul D. He no longer can limit his emotions and he loves Sethe with the rest of the love he has left. But even this is shattered when Paul D hears of Sethe’s actions against her children.
When Paul D learns of Sethe trying to kill her children, he is shocked and mortified by her act. Sethe tries to explain to him why she did it, but he doesn’t listen. He is scared both of Sethe and Beloved. He runs away again to a local church, where he sits and ponders about the past.
At 124, Sethe learns that Beloved is her aughter and Denver, Sethe, and Beloved are stuck in the house. After many days, the people of the town help Denver cast out Beloved, and Sethe is mortified by this act. She goes and lies in Baby Shugs bed.
Paul D returns to 124, not wanting to runaway from the past anymore. Sethe now realizes that her love shouldn’t be for her children, it should be first herself first. Bother Paul D and Sethe, have relived the past, and don’t have to run away from it anymore. They can go on with their lives without the past ever haunting them anymore.
The relationship between Paul D and Sethe was a very complicated one. Beginning with Sweet Home, the two were able to love, and play without the past haunting them. But once they had a past, they couldn’t love each other anymore. It was not until they confronted and defeated the past were they able to continue with their lives. Sethe helped Paul D break open his little tin box and Paul D helped Sethe realizes that she was the most important person in her life. Once this was done, they were able to live their new life together.
Beloved by Toni Morrison, Paper
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