Beloved
...n states and return them into captivity. 28 days after arriving at Baby Suggs’ house, Sethe sees her former master, Schoolteacher, coming down Bluestone Road. Sethe “flew” into action, determined to prevent her children from living the life of slaves. She gathers her four children into the shed and takes a handsaw to kill them. By the time she is restrained, Sethe has only managed to kill one child: Beloved, slitting her neck. Sethe intended to kill her children and herself but only the one child is killed. Schoolteacher has no interest in returning any of them to Sweet Home as they are irremediable and Sethe spends some time in jail. Eighteen years later, Stamp Paid gives Paul D a news-clipping of the story and because Paul D cannot read, Stamp simply reads the story of Sethe’s act of infanticide. This is to warn Paul D that Sethe’s love is intense, and when Paul D confronts Sethe he insults her and tells her that her “love is too thick.” Paul D soon leaves the house and in the quiet time that Sethe spends with Denver and Beloved, it does not take her long to discover Beloved’s genuine identity. Sethe is overjoyed because she thinks that she will now be able to explain the “Misery” to Beloved. If Sethe recounts the horrors of slavery, her child will understand the magnitude of Sethe’s love. Beloved is greedy for Sethe’s love but she is increasingly demanding and she intends to punish Sethe with guilt and humiliation. Sethe loses her job to spend more time with Beloved and as the family starves and Denver is completely ignored, Beloved only grows happier and fatter. Denver has to get help for the family and she returns to Lady Jones’ house –where she once went to school. Lady Jones sends word of the dire circumstances and the community offers charity to Denver. Denver ...