Beloved Suffering

The story of Beloved captures the question of suffering so poignantly, and with so many various resulting destinations on the journey and transformation of suffering, that at times it appears that Toni Morrison has no concrete platform on the issue. Her character, Sethe, as a result of suffering manifests her wounds and pain into Beloved. She packages her suffering and incarnates that suffering into something she could pardon, hug, hold and love. However, that suffering ultimately seeks to threaten Sethe's very existence- and paradoxically Sethe must conquer herself- the memory she cannot let go of, that is the beast. Paul D is another illustration of an individual who dismisses his pain, rejecting his human nature to mourn and chooses rather to glean what was left of his masculinity and embrace callousness. Again, Morrison reveals that such inabilities to pardon our past suffering becomes a bigger monster than the horror that we once faced. The suffering that accompanies slavery appears to distort and destroy the tender nature of humanity, but if one examines the character portrayed by Stamp Paid, one finds that suffering can allow the individual to discover a new identity and refine one's character. For some, it made them stronger, more appreciative of the little joys in life, but for others it spurred a continual defeatist attitude that dictated their future. Baby Suggs had her moment of triumph when she "preached" to her black community and created a name for herself. But it when she was reacquainted with schoolteacher and the past that she fell back into apathy and surrendered to her bed. But perhaps Baby Suggs was not surrendering to defeat but rather, seized her moment to finally rest. It may not be fair to condemn Baby Suggs for retiring to her bed to contemplate colors and the minute details of life. Who is to say whether she was allotted such sweet surrender or throwing in the towel? Never having experienced such trauma, I am not sure I am qualified.