Beloved & Denver
The readers know Beloved is Sethe's lost child pretty much from the beginning - when a girl without a backstory shows up on Sethe's porch with the name written on the child's gravestone. Later Sethe realizes this fact - when Beloved sings a songs only Sethe's children know. When did Denver realize Beloved was her long lost sister?
Denver has had a relationship with Beloved even before her physical form appeared at 124. Growing up the baby's ghost was at times her only companionship.
Denver has a pretty fragile self-conception for most of the book. She's been isolated away from the outside world for years, and any world that doesn't include her scares and angers her. This is illustrated when Paul D shows up and she feels jealous at his relationship with Sethe, when Beloved shows up and she feels jealous of her relationship with Sethe, as well as even all the events at Sweet Home that she wasn't at but heard about all her life.
It's this jealousy at Sethe and Beloved's relationship that I want to talk about further. In class it was brought up that this emotion arises because Denver desires Sethe's attention and doesn't like it being diverted, whether at Paul D or Beloved. This would make sense; Sethe's one of the only and at times the only person Denver's ever had or even been around. Yet in a lot of cases it seems like Denver is more attached to Beloved, and doesn't like how obsessed Beloved is with Sethe instead of herself. Explaining Sethe's story is a way of trying to indirectly divert this attention to herself, with something she knows Beloved wants to hear. At one point she imagines a world devoid of her mother, with Halle her and Beloved living happily ever after.
At what point do these emotions change? It seems like while at first she's worried about Sethe hurting Beloved, later she feels that Beloved is sucking the life out of Sethe, and worries for her mother. We hardly see any of the same adoration Denver showed for Beloved earlier at this point. This could be because she was completely cut out of their relationship, and so she has no choice. Or she started seeing more of Beloved's true nature appearing as she asked more and more of Sethe.
I think that Denver's complex relationships derive from what you mention in you blog - a world without Denver scares Denver. Moreso, Denver is jealous of Beloved, Sethe, and Paul D because there relationship with one another 'excludes' her. Overall, I think that Denver is jealous of Beloved because she is 'taking' time away from her with Sethe. I don't think that Denver harbors any feelings of hate but she does want to be an inclusive member of her family so when someone comes out of nowhere and 'fills her shoes', Denver becomes envious.
ReplyDeleteI think Denver is upset at both Beloved and Sethe for where they put their focus. That's pretty important to Denver's character to me, because Denver was always in want of a friend and attention from anyone at all. I also felt that Denver being quick to discover who Beloved really is was sort of...uncomfortable to me? The way it was written somehow sounded like how family pets are said to sense when things are wrong or not as they seem before their owners. Like dogs and cats saving their owners from catastrophe because of some animalistic "sixth sense". And because this adds on to Denver being portrayed as pathetic for most of the book, it rubbed me the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteHowever we interpret it, it seems clear that Beloved is an obstacle to Denver's coming-of-age, her entry into the larger world, figured as "leaving the yard." Once the dynamic at 124 narrows down to Sethe and Beloved in a parasitic and toxic spiral, Denver takes the responsibility to set out on her own and deal with the situation (rather than moping and feeling jealous of Sethe's attention, as she might have done earlier in the novel). So moving *away* from Beloved's influence seems vital to Denver's own development as a character--she needs friends and relations who are "real," and this ghost (and all it signifies) has been isolating her from this town for her whole life.
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of that moment in class where we created a kind of feelings chart for Denver, Sethe, and Beloved. It was clear that Sethe and Beloved had lots of passion towards each other, but Denver longingly looked in adoration towards them without receiving much back. Denver goes back and forth from who to give her attention to, until she finally receives that she herself deserves some love at the end of the novel.
ReplyDeleteDenver and Beloved are both competing for Sethe's attention, but Denver is also competing with Sethe for Beloved's attention. The point you brought up of Denver and Beloved having a relationship before Beloved gained a physical form was really interesting. This deepens their relationship even further, and makes Beloved's relationship with Denver all the more interesting. While she cares for Denver, she definitely prioritizes Sethe over her. I feel like this is what hurts Denver the most, that both of the most important people in her life don't view her the same way she views them.
ReplyDeleteI think that Denver's change at the end definitely had to do with not getting support and attention from her mother anymore, as you suggested, and also from her just maturing as a person toward the end. As she found out more and more about her mother and also the world around her, I think she became more free from the grip that the past, such as ideas of Halle and Beloved, had on her. As well as that, seeing that her mother could be weak too probably made her sympathize with her more - its easier to be defensive and critical of a person who's always strong, than someone who can get affected by their emotions (or more so trauma) just like any normal person.
ReplyDeleteI;m really glad you chose to write about this topic! I think Denver is jealous of beloved and Sethe and their relationship with each other. When they cut Denver out of their play, I think Denver gains a new perspective. By the end of the book, she's not so jealous anymore. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteDenver's feelings on her mother and sister are definitely complicated throughout the novel, and they seem to flip around a lot. Like you pointed out, at first Denver seems very possessive of Sethe, not wanting Sethe to give attention to or talk about anything that's not related to Denver. But as soon as Beloved shows up, we see Denver immediately switch around to clinging onto Beloved, and like you said, seeming pretty ok with Sethe just no longer being there, even saying she's been afraid of her mother her entire life. It seems like Denver really just needs someone to be "hers" in a way - she's so excluded from the world and other people, she hangs onto what she does have. I think she almost feels threatened and scared that someone will try to take these people away from her. When she's able to separate herself from Beloved and Sethe, and function without needing their constant presence/attention/approval, it stands out to me as the shift in Denver to being truly mature and her own person who can now rejoin the rest of the town.
ReplyDeleteDenver's thoughts are very difficult to read, and I think it is partly because of how they are shown in a relatively subtle way. I found myself having to pick up on her mood based on her actions, and even though she is not in the limelight, she goes through a lot of growth throughout the novel, the most significant being from "unable to leave the yard" to going off and leaving home. Her jealousy and simultaneous love and care mix together and seem really human.
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