Saturday, October 31, 2009
"What kind of evil you got in here?"
How appropriate that we begin our ghost story the weekend of Halloween. But Beloved is not a traditional ghost story, not scary in the manner of Stephen King or Edgar Allan Poe horror tales, but scary in untraditional ways. Of the three main characters, only Paul D. reacts with some shock to the otherworldly presence at 124 Bluestone Rd. Sethe and Denver have lived with it too long to be horrified at all. "It's not evil, just sad," says Sethe in reaction to Paul D.'s condemnation. And Denver---her view of the presence is even weirder. Recount the attitudes of these three characters to the ghost's presence in the house as shown in the opening few chapters of Beloved. In your view, what is Morrison's intention in painting us a ghost who, on the one hand, can hurl a little dog across a room and scare two teenage boys out of their own home, but on the other provide company and comfort to a lonely and isolated girl? Scary...or what?
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It is a little scary that the ghost in Beloved can take on so many different forms and behave differently toward different people. While the ghost does seem to be sad, it can also be extremely scary when it does things like throwing stuff across a room. On the other hand, it is one of the only comforts to the little girl. I think Morrison shows the different sides of the ghost to illustrate the point that people encounter experiences differently depending on how they act themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think that Morrison is building on a different type of scary. She doesn't feature fear of the unknown, because Sethe and Denver seem to know exactly what the ghost is. I thought that the ghost was just Sethe's baby until I read about the white dress. So far, the book (and the ghost) seems a little feminist to me. The girl-ghost scares away the boys and freaks out Paul D, but she likes Denver and Sethe. The dress-ghost was obviously a woman supporting Sethe. The ghosts are fairly gentle; the only really destructive thing they've done is hurt the dogs. Because we generally know who they are and that they aren't particularly violent, I think Morrison is going for "chills" rather than "scary."
ReplyDeleteWell because of technical difficulties I am adding another comment. I agree with Andrea when she says that the ghost seems feminist. The ghost is Denver's only friend because no one will come to her mother's house and she finds comfort in it, while she does not seem to be comfortable around Paul D., who is a man. Denver may have such a bond with the ghost because she feels a kindred feminine spirit. Also, the way the ghost chases out Paul D. after he moves on Sethe may solidify the supposition that the ghost is feminine.
ReplyDeleteI think that the way Morrison depicts the ghost gives it a personality. Like Andrea and Jordan have pointed out, it shows feminist qualities, adding to its personality. The way that Denver and Sethe talk about the ghost also shows that they see it more as a person, rather than a creepy poltergeist.
ReplyDeleteI want to focus on the relationship Denver seems to have with the ghost. Mrs. Knox said it was weird -- Denver seems to see the ghost as her only friend. It is something to rely on and keep her company when she feels alone in the house. Morrison states a couple times that she does't have any friends, so I see the ghost as her only interaction other than her mother. This is why Denver gets so pissed when Paul D moves in. Paul D is clearly not an adequate substitute for the ghost, and it seems that they can't occupy the house at the same time. I think Morrison created this relatonship to show that Denver is extremely isolated and unusual for a child. The relationship helps explain her personality and how strongly she dislikes Paul D.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the specter of the dead baby gives the story a whole new, paranormal, dimension. I believe that Beloved is a manifestation of the ghost, and this manifestation incorporates all the intense emotions the characters have. The reason Beloved drinks so much water could be symbolic of the cleansing of the baby's soul, so it can leave its imprisonment on Earth, and finally move on to the afterlife.............im sorry if that sounds ridiculously stupid.
ReplyDeleteMorrison clearly states, as many of you have, that Denver has no friends other than the ghost. This would be hard on anyone, but for Denver this is especially hard because she was so much younger than her brothers. I think the ghost was able to scare both boys because they were old enough to know that something strange was going on and young enough to still be scared by it. Sethe wasn't scared of the ghost because she had seen enough hardship and misery in her life by that point to be desensitized to the antics of the ghost. Denver is not scared by it because she would have grown up with the ghost because she is so young. Also, her mother and grandmother, both of who seemed to have been unphased by the ghost, were her female models so she would have thought the ghost normal. It is her only friend because it is the only "young" female presence in her life so she is very attached to it. I would say that Morrison's reason for making such a ghost is to assist with the development of the characters. It shows what kind of lives Sethe and Denver have had until this point and shows that Paul D. wants to help, which is one of the reasons he rids the house of the ghost in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jordan on how the ghost seems to respond to different people based on how they themselves act. This is reinforced by the fact that ghost acts out because Paul D is afraid of it and that it is calm around Sethe and Denver because they accept its existence and don't really bother it. I also agree that the ghost is feminist. It seems that the ghost is trying to protect Sethe and Denver.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the ghost reflects the feelings of those around, like what Nick said. Around Sethe, it is a sad and depressing presence. To Denver, it takes the role of a close friend. Both these characters also accept the ghost as normal and do not let it affect their lives. When Paul D comes to visit, he is scared of the ghost. In turn, the ghost is also scared of Paul, either because he is a stranger, or because it views Paul as a threat. Paul wishes to form a family with Sethe and Denver, and this family would take away Sethe and Denver's dependence on the ghost's involvement in their lives. I also think that Andrea brings up some good points about the ghost being a feminist.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading, I came across a passage that is referring to Denver, but portrays the ghost's character perfectly. The passage, found on page 28 reads, "It began as a little girl's horseplay, but as her desires changed, so did the play." It goes on to say that the room served both as a playroom and a place of safety from the "hurt of the hurt world". Denver needed her space because it allowed her to escape and imagine. She fed off of her imagination "because loneliness wore her out." I think part of the reason the ghost is so bi-polar is because 1. she's young and doesn't know how to control her emotions 2. she doesn't like change and Paul D. brought nothing but change into the house 3. becuase she's lonely. For this little ghost, the house is her multi-purpose "playroom" and when the balance of the house is disrupted, it reveals to her the "hurt of the world" and she cannot bear it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the only reason Denver and Sethe aren't terrified of the ghost is because they think they know who it is. There's none of that "fear of the unknown" or anything because they've been able to accept that there is an afterlife and Sethe's baby is a part of it. Also, a reason Denver may not be scared is because she was introduced to the ghost so young and was probably just able to adapt to it being around. Paul D's lack of knowledge about the ghost and lack of experience with it is why it bothers him so much.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily that because Denver and Sethe have been around the ghost a long time and are familiar with it, the thought no longer bothers them in a scary way. Denver has obviously been affected by the ghost, but her concentration is taken off of it and she seems more normal after Paul D and Beloved show up. I think Sethe almost say the ghost as just an annoyance and it did not frighten her. The commment that Andrea made about the feminism present in the story is interesting, the ghost does seem to be comfortable with female figures and the house is not big enough for both Paul D and the ghost.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with Nick S. and Nick K.'s thoughts on the baby being a feminist. I believe the only reason she is protective of the women is because they were protective of her when she was alive. Because the residents of 124 believe that the ghost is that of Sethe's baby, it would be easy to say that she would be protective of her mother, who was her most important caretaker. The presence of Baby Suggs and her care during her short life might have also given her a fondness to women. Although she did have two brothers (who probably weren't her primary caretakers), her father was never present, so the baby never really experienced a "typical" family life. The appearance of Paul D. might just frighten her because she feels he is messing up her family's chemistry.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie in that the ghost acts the way it does to protect the little family that she had while she was alive. I believe it is also a little weirder than that. I think the ghost might be trying to keep the attention of the residents of 124 focused on herself and trying to keep her memory alive. Also, the ghost might be trying to keep the family the way she remembered it by trying to scare off Paul D.
ReplyDeleteI think that Sethe and Denver want inner peace whereas Paul D and the two brothers are more nomadic in their search for themselves. Sethe just wants to try and live with her past while Paul D wanders away from his. In that sense the ghost feels wanted by Denver and by Sethe, because they don't run away from her and from the specter of slavery like the men of the story. The men, starting with Halle, are portrayed as cowards who don't want to confront anything in their past so the baby feels more comfortable as a figment of the past with the people who want her more.
ReplyDeleteI think Breanna brought up a good point about the ghost's youthfulness. It is important to realize that the ghost has the mind of a child, and has not developed social skills, or a sense of "how far is too far." Therefore, when it gets scared, like when Paul D. started yelling and going crazy, it in turn goes crazy itself and shakes the house. When the ghost is lonely or angry, it makes itself known--sometimes a little bit too known--by throwing dogs at walls and chasing Sethe's sons from her home. The ghost is just a baby with no moral standards!
ReplyDeleteAs with what Connor said, the ghost is a figment of the past. Although Beloved is around the age of twenty, she is still stuck with a two year-old's mind set, coming back to 124 to relive her past. Paul D. and the men, however, want nothing to do with the past and so they shun the ghost, attempting to rid themselves of all aspects and memories of it, while Sethe and Denver are always reminiscing, Sethe of her past life with Baby Suggs and Halle, and Denver of her brothers, so the ghost feels welcome in their presence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nick K. that Beloved reflects the feelings of those around her, but she reflects the attitudes that they have towards her back at them. For example, towards Paul D she is resentful and she throws him out of the house, just as he did to her. Towards Denver, she shows kindness and compassion because Denver is kind to her. Morrison is trying to show that one's actions and feelings can be felt by others and it shows a great lesson in empathy for Paul D is made to feel how he is treating Beloved.
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