Possession: Beloved Analysis the Third

In her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison explores the character of Beloved and the strange hold she possesses over the inhabitants of 124. Ever since her arrival, Beloved has grown gradually more possessive in her attitude towards Sethe. After returning from the clearing to find Sethe with Paul D, Beloved laments that “she had been so close…it was so much better than the anger that ruled when Sethe did or thought anything that excluded herself” (118). At first glance, this excerpt seems to refer to Beloved’s fury when Sethe does not pay attention to her. However, the ambiguous pronoun “herself” lends itself to a second interpretation. As previously seen in the first portion of the novel, Sethe pours her stories out to Beloved, who in turn listens with rapt attention. Instead, the word “herself” could instead refer to Sethe, and that Beloved feels angry when Sethe does not pay attention to herself and her own memories, because it is the memories that seem to satisfy Beloved and allow her to form a strange bond to Sethe. In addition, Morrison shows Beloved’s possessive nature over Sethe by referring to Sethe and Paul D in Beloved’s inner monologue. After reflecting on Sethe’s divided time, Beloved says that it was occupied by “Him mostly. Him who said something to her that made her run…him who kept her hidden at night behind doors” (118). Morrison uses Beloved’s unacknowledgement of Paul D’s name to show that he means nothing to her. The anaphora lends a spiteful, almost bitter tone to the words, underscoring her adamant refusal to mention him by name. However, like much of Morrison’s book, two meanings can be gleaned from this passage. If Beloved is indeed a revenant, the use of “him” could underscore the fact that Paul D usurped her original position in the house. Beloved’s disregard of Paul D’s name in favor of an impersonal pronoun echoes how Sethe and Denver referred to her as simply “the baby ghost,” not Beloved. Finally, the pronoun of “her” in the same passage underscores Beloved’s possession of Sethe. Both of the impersonal pronouns dehumanize Sethe and Paul D, but in Sethe’s case, the word “her” classifies her as more of a possession, as if she is an item only one of them (Beloved or Paul D) can have. Morrison reveals Beloved’s growing possessive attitude towards Sethe to foreshadow further events.