ipl-logo

Sethe's Relationship In Beloved Essay

481 Words2 Pages

In the book Beloved we are introduced to a sad relationship between a daughter and mother. Due to slavery and cruel treatment the main character Sethe never really got to know her mother because her mother was hung at a young age while Sethe stood and watched. “Beloved continues to spur recollections of Sethe’s past. Sethe’s memories of her mother show how slavery separates children from their mothers, not allowing for close maternal relationships,” this quote in chapter 6 is the beginning of the tales Sethe tells her daughter about her dear mother. We quickly learn that Sethes mother was a very special lady, and Sethes memory of her mother that had stuck with her the longest is the day that her mother took her aside at the smokehouse and showed her a circle and a …show more content…

Seth says in the book, “that she know understands why her mother hit her when she asked for the burn on her, now that she has her own children.” Sethe then goes on to tell the girls another harsh memory she has of her mother, the day her mother was hung. The day her mother was hung Sethe was unfortunately scarred for life as she stood and watched it. The killing of Sethe’s mother shows slave owners had very little connection with their slaves at this time. A major part of her mother’s death story is the fact that Sethe was unable to even find her mother’s body even with the mark, and she also had no idea why her mother had been hung in the first part. This emphasizes Sethes lack of relationships, and the lack of control she has of her own life. She was unable to ever find answers to the stories she has of her mother because slave owners, and other people controlled what she did and how she was to do it. The memories Sethe has of her mother upset her because it becomes even more visible the lack of control she had of her life, and she is mad at herself for allowing those cruel people to do the things they did to the people she loved and

More about Sethe's Relationship In Beloved Essay

    Open Document