Revised Essay - Beloved

Beloved, a novel about an African American slave who murders her own daughter to keep her from the horrors of slavery, examines the idea of a character emerging from the projected African American mold. In 19th century America, black women hardly had a place in society other than slavery. They were expected to care for their children in a way that would allow them to grow up to be another generation of slaves. The cycle would continue over time, and African American women would be expected to continue their social roles. However, as the main character, Sethe, demonstrates, some women refused to conform. Sethe wished to break the cycle of slavery in her family, so she kills her daughter to prevent her from suffering the way Sethe did. In removing herself from the umbrella of characteristics that African American women were supposed to fulfill during that time period, Sethe shows herself as an independent woman in society, who, although guilty of her actions, is proactive in being a changing force in the world.
Sethe possesses two separate roles that she must constantly fulfill the expectations of. Her slave masters expect her to be a viable servant. As a mother, she must also provide and do well for her family. Because of her two opposing roles, Sethe has trouble fulfilling the expectations of both of them at the same time. Being a good slave, for her, also means not carrying out her duties as a mother to the best of her abilities. The fact that Sethe must succeed as a slave in order to keep her and her family alive results in a major conflict. While Sethe wants to be the best mother she can be, it is virtually impossible for her to fulfill her duties as a slave while taking care of her family. Sethe believes that in being a good mother, she must save her children from a life of slavery. As a result, Sethe slits her own daughter’s throat, killing her, in order to keep her from another generation of slavery on the Sweet Home plantation.
The guilt that Sethe feels for killing her daughter is reflected by the appearance of Beloved in the novel. Beloved, a young girl who would be the same age of Sethe’s daughter if she had lived, whose breath smells like milk, also possesses the same name that was written on Sethe’s daughter’s tombstone. Sethe sees Beloved as the reincarnation of her dead daughter, and her existence reminds Sethe of the guilt and uncertainty that she feels regarding the act she committed. She struggles with the idea of whether or not her act of “love,” as she originally saw it, could really be classified as a murder. The way Sethe views Beloved is the manner in which Sethe may have seen her daughter if she had lived. The effect that the killing has on Sethe’s character makes her a completely different person. The changes that Sethe undergoes after her daughter’s death result in guilt that pervades throughout the rest of the novel.
Beloved displays a major role conflict existing in a woman accurate to the trials and tribulations of the time period in which she lived. The novel serves to express the meaning of motherly love as compared to the loyalty of one’s occupation. It also shows the strains that one sociologically viewed master status can put on another. For example, an outside may view Sethe’s master status in society to be that of a slave. Sethe, however, sees her own master status as being a mother. In order to fulfill her duties as a mother, she felt that she must kill her daughter in order to protect her. This prevented her from being an adequate servant as she forced her masters to lose a generation of potential slaves.
The way in which Sethe breaks out of the mold that is common to African American women of her time speaks volumes for her character. Although she seems to have committed a senseless act of murder against her daughter, it is obvious that she does so out of desperation, and ultimately, love. Beloved shows that the bond between a mother and daughter is strengthened by hardship and is not eradicated after death or disaster, regardless of who is at fault. Beloved treats Sethe with respect, just as her daughter would, showing Sethe that although she feels guilt for taking her daughter’s life, her daughter knows that she did so out of love. This bond between mother and daughter is key to understanding the novel, and ultimately serves as the underlying thread of the force that allowed Sethe to break from the typical mold of an African American slave during the 19th century.