In Beloved, Toni Morrison portrays Baby
Suggs as a giver of both healing and comfort to those who have suffered
enslavement. Morrison models Baby Suggs’ selflessness by first listing the
physical and emotional abuse she endured on “her legs, back, head, eyes, hands,
kidneys, womb, and tongue” while in slavery (102). By using connotative words
within the list such as, “eyes,” “womb,” and “tongue,” one can imply several
meanings such as that Baby Suggs was forced to witness gruesome events, was
raped, and unable to speak her mind. In addition, Morrison employs asyndeton to
create a feeling of endlessness of her abuse. These exhaustions, although
leaving her with “nothing,” are all outweighed with Baby Sugg’s ability to overcome
her hardships and start fresh by “mak[ing] a living with… her heart”
spiritually. Morrison illustrates Baby Suggs compassion by stating how she
“opened her great heart to those who could use it”(102). Baby Suggs’ ignorance
towards her own needs elucidates the enduring nature of her character and why
she is not only important in providing reassurance within the community, but
specifically to Sethe who seems to associate happier memories with Baby Suggs.
I like the ideas that you talked about in this, perhaps you could elaborate on Baby Suggs' ignorance of her own needs, as that could lead to a better argument. You could point out that although the text never specifically states that Baby Suggs places the needs of others before her own, there are many factors that point to this being true such as her heart, compassion, comforting persona.
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