In Beloved, Toni Morrison typically discusses the importance of not loving things too much. Although slavery can displace and ruin families, this passage explains the importance of loving. Baby Suggs, someone who has truly experienced and witnessed the horrors of slavery says that “you got to love it…my people, out yonder, hear me, they do not love your neck unnoosed and straight” (108). In order to speak out and get people to fight slavery, Baby Suggs projects that everyone must love himself or herself to oppose it. She suggests that if Sethe believes in herself, than people who run the slave trade will have a harder time. If Sethe can learn to value herself, then she will not seem as vulnerable. Additionally, Suggs states “Love your heart. For this is the prize” (108). Biologically, the heart is inside the body and therefor cannot be accessed easily by others. Also, the idea is that every humans’ heart is always protected, no matter how many lashes or hanging are dealt out. If Sethe can stick to her beliefs and realize that her heart is safe from chaos, then maybe she herself will be saved from the horrors of slavery. Baby Suggs mentions that “all your baby parts they’d just as soon slop for hogs” implying that the inside of Sethe is not loved by others. Morrison compares Sethe’s inside to “slop for hogs” to dehumanize her and describe how slave owners view their slaves.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Hate it or Love it: Sethe’s changed attitude toward herself
In Beloved, Toni Morrison typically discusses the importance of not loving things too much. Although slavery can displace and ruin families, this passage explains the importance of loving. Baby Suggs, someone who has truly experienced and witnessed the horrors of slavery says that “you got to love it…my people, out yonder, hear me, they do not love your neck unnoosed and straight” (108). In order to speak out and get people to fight slavery, Baby Suggs projects that everyone must love himself or herself to oppose it. She suggests that if Sethe believes in herself, than people who run the slave trade will have a harder time. If Sethe can learn to value herself, then she will not seem as vulnerable. Additionally, Suggs states “Love your heart. For this is the prize” (108). Biologically, the heart is inside the body and therefor cannot be accessed easily by others. Also, the idea is that every humans’ heart is always protected, no matter how many lashes or hanging are dealt out. If Sethe can stick to her beliefs and realize that her heart is safe from chaos, then maybe she herself will be saved from the horrors of slavery. Baby Suggs mentions that “all your baby parts they’d just as soon slop for hogs” implying that the inside of Sethe is not loved by others. Morrison compares Sethe’s inside to “slop for hogs” to dehumanize her and describe how slave owners view their slaves.
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Bryce–
ReplyDeleteYour first sentence makes an observation, which is fair, yet with these analyses, the first sentence should typically set up the context, and or summary, for the passage in which you will analyze. Furthermore, I would encourage you to make a concrete topic sentence wherein you deconstruct language and or devices that Morrison employs to craft such a scene. I like your analysis of "self-love," and what it means for a broken slave to learn to self-love, but you could dig deeper and push for understanding. I like your idea about the heart as something trapped inside our bodies, unable to gain facile access to. Then, a concluding sentence towards the end where you push or further make a justified leap would be great. Overall, you have good ideas and nice insights; however, examining how Morrison utilizes language would greatly benefit this analysis.
I'd like you to see deep analysis, analyzing literary devices. However, your analysis of the connotation of the heart was fantastic. I'd encourage analyzing more of the strategies that the author uses!
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