The Appetite of Beloved

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In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, when Beloved becomes particularly fond of Sethe, she prompts Sethe to explore times of her past, which she rarely visits, with unusually specific questions. Morrison’s description of Sethe and Denver’s desire to fulfill Beloved’s appetite reveals a level of eagerness. With Beloved’s request for background on Sethe’s diamonds, “it became a way to feed her. Just as Denver discovered and relied on the delightful effect sweet things had on Beloved, Sethe learned the profound satisfaction Beloved got from storytelling. It amazed Sethe (as much as it pleased Beloved) because every mention of her past life hurt” (69). The ambiguous pronoun “her” serves the purpose of giving double meaning as the storytelling can be interpreted to feed both Beloved who is curious about Sethe’s past and Sethe who comes to find pleasure in it. The synesthesia in describing storytelling as “a way to feed” implies it is essential when equated to food, whether it is for Sethe or Beloved who are both in their own state of recovery. For Denver who “relied” on indulging Beloved, the juxtaposition of Denver’s use of “sweet things” to satisfy Beloved with Sethe’s storytelling presents their efforts as competitive as if both contend to please her. The contrasting ideas of pleasure for Beloved and pain for Sethe display her level of commitment, as Sethe is willing to explore distressing memories for Beloved.