Toni Morrison

I always looked upon the acts of racist exclusion, or insult, as pitiable, from the other person. I never absorbed that. I always thought that there was something deficient about such people.
Toni Morrison

I don't think a female running a house is a problem, a broken family. It's perceived as one because of the notion that a head is a man.
Toni Morrison



No one put the memo out that this is not a book to read before you go to sleep at night. Unfortunately that is the only time I have where someone will not be reading over my shoulder questioning my reading material. After reading the first fifty pages, I drifted off to sleep having some pretty wicked dreams.

So here is the memo : Read the book some time during the day so you have enough time to get the images out of your head before you go to sleep or you will have wicked dreams.

other than that the first fifty pages are interesting to say the least.

The next fifty pages were building up the four main characters mention in the story. Sethe a hard working ex slave that has been through hell to find her heaven in a hunted house she shares with her daughter, Paul D and Beloved. I learned more about Amy Denver in this section and I am not quite sure what her place in this story. She is almost like Sethe's angel in the woods, but she is a weird character. Beloved is another strange character I get a feeling later in the book I will learn she is something other than a beautiful girl making her way just so she can watch Sethe cook some rutabagas.

100-150
The book is beginning to become repetitive. I am not sure the purpose behind it, but I am slowly losing interest in the book. Sethe and Baby Suggss are my two favorite characters. Sethe is such a strong woman and Baby Suggs, even though she is dead, is continuing to be a strong moral character in the book. The Beloved is a twisted character I am quickly growing tired of her creepy ways of watching Sethe and seducing Paul D. I understand the book is named for this character, but I see no good use of the name or person in this book other than putting her out on the street.

150-200
Beloved is still a strange character. Pulling out a tooth like it nothing and being able love someone, but sleeping with her "man" is just shady. I still like Sethe even after I have learned she killed her own child. She did it out of fear. Fear her children would be taken back to Sweet Home and beat until nothing is left but shallow skeleton of human. When Sethe arrived at 124 that is all that was left of her and it is understandable she would do anything to keep that fate from her children. Even if sending them to heaven is the solution to having them go to Sweet Home.
I think it is ironic the one place everyone hates the most is called Sweet Home.

201-250
This section of the book is very confusing if not on the edge of being annoying. I can see why Sethe and Stamp Paid look back at the past because it helps tell the story of the present. I sometimes have to stop and think about what they are saying and then try to relate it to the earlier parts of the book.
One thing that really jumps out at me is on page 236 Sethe is talking about killing her baby and she says,"Why I did it. How if I hadn't killed her she would have died and that is something I could not bear to happen to her." What?! She kills her baby because she doesn't want her to die. Sethe character changes to into a completely different character after I read this line. School teacher was not after her children, he was after her. The question of did Sethe kill her child to save her own life comes into my mind. She is a loving mother, but people do crazy things when it comes to their own life.
We also find out why Denver never lives the house. She believes whatever caused her mother to kill her sister lives out in the yard. She also believes Beloved is her sister who has come back from the dead. Sethe and Denver both are turning into weird characters.

251- end
I am not sure I enjoyed the ending as much as the beginning. Beloved become so much more than just a ghost. She turned into a disease that plagued the house and everyone in it. The only good thing that came from Beloved living in the house was Dever finally got the courage to go and get help from the town's people. I am not sure Paul D. why he comes back to the house and then decides he wants to still be with Sethe.
The only part I didn't get was when I read the Beloved section. I didn't understand if she was talking about being in a coffin or seeing dead people. I thought when she was buried no one else was buried there.
It was a strange book. I am not sure I liked it. I was glad at the end Denver got out and made something of her life.