Beloved Quote Explication

“The whole problem was trying to do two things: to love something bigger than yourself, not to murder yourself [...] I’ll say it this way. This story is about, among other things, the tension between being yourself, one’s own Beloved, and being a mother.” (Toni Morrison)

Toni Morrison, in her novel Beloved, spotlights the delicate nature of relationships and the sustained struggle of a caregiver, Sethe, to provide for those in need as well as herself. It exploits the effects of past experiences on present day actions and decisions, while simultaneously incorporating the effects of love and companionship into character development. Morrison brilliantly illustrates the repercussions of rash decisions by showing the magnitude of how rare it is to be able to get the best of both worlds. With the ever growing technological capabilities of the twenty-first century, Americans are becoming more distracted, leaving them with less time to devote to events that deserve sufficient mental presence. However, back in the mid to late nineteenth century, the focus of American minds was on more important, localized issues. Morrison illustrates the dangerous potential of the issues that arise due to the inability to equally ration out ones care and resources by tracking the developing relationships between Sethe and those close to her.

The inability to equally divide emotions, care, and resources is the “problem” presented to Sethe because with so many looming relationships from the past surfacing at the same time as she is developing new ones with family, it is hard to find time for herself. She works with such unprecedented care and love to create a better life for those who surround her, that she forgets to take care of herself, causing a decline in her morale as well as an increase in personal stress. Unlike Paul D, who was able to break the seal on his rusted-over, tin can of a heart and rely on the community to help lift himself back onto his feet, Sethe’s actions in the...