Sethe and Beloved's Relationship

            In Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, the seemingly apparitional arrival of Beloved creates a relationship between Sethe and Beloved that closely resembles that of a mother and infant child. Morrison characterizes Beloved by using dehumanizing language and metaphors in order to turn her into a ghostlike presence. Morrison describes Beloved by saying, “Rainwater held on to pine needles for dear life and Beloved could not take her eyes off Sethe” (68). This description immediately creates a sense of dependency that Beloved has on Sethe even after a short time of knowing each other. The phrase “for dear life” also calls to attention the way in which families were repeatedly torn apart in slavery, such as how Sethe lost her baby (also named Beloved). Sethe is described as being “licked, tasted, eaten by Beloved’s eyes” (68). Morrison uses asyndeton in this sentence to make the list of actions more rhythmic, which emphasizes the inhumanness of Beloved’s eyes, making them seem animalistic. With this characterization, Morrison constructs Beloved’s character as being aggressively attached to Sethe, much like an infant child. Morrison later describes Beloved as being “Like a familiar” (68). Morrison uses intentional ambiguity in the word “familiar,” which can either refer to a demon who follows a witch (sometimes in the form of an animal), or it can refer to a close friend. This ambiguity allows Morrison to show the familial effects of slavery on Sethe’s family, and it also suggests that Beloved represents more than just the ghost of a dead child.