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In literature, numbers are used to communicate important messages to the reader. The author uses references to numbers to strengthen the important ideas of the novel. In many cultures numbers carry an important or significant meaning to them. These numbers can carry a meaning more efficiently than using only words. In Beloved, Toni Morrison uses references to numbers to emphasize the significant ideas of the novel. Morrison uses these numbers to represent the persistence of slavery brought upon in Sethe's life, her childrens life, Paul D.
s life, and Baby Suggs life, after slavery has ended. These references to numbers are important because they show how these characters are affected after it has ended. Through physical means, through the actions of these characters, and through psychological means of these characters, Morrison shows the haunting continuation and aftereffects of slavery. In many novels the first sentence is the most important sentence in the novel.
The first sentence can set the way for the remainder of the novel. In Beloved the first sentence, and first word of the entire novel uses numbers. Because numbers are used first, before any words, I find that the references to numbers are very important. 124 is in the first sentence on the first page. The sentence states, 124 WAS SPITEFUL (Morrison 3). This sentence is in all capital letters and also bold print. This shows an importance that this reference to numbers has on the novel.
This number used on the page sets up the haunting story of slavery in one particular black household. The number refers to the house number in which the main characters live in. This house, 124, is haunted by the ghost of the baby of the main character, Sethe, who is learned to be named Beloved. 124 is barely referred to as there home, instead just simply referred to as 124. This number 124 plays a bigger meaning in the novel than simply a house number. When taking a look at Sethe's children: Howard, Buglar, Beloved and Denver, a relationship is brought upon between her four children and 124. Howard and Buglar left 124, Sethe killed Beloved, and that leaves only Denver to take care of.
Sethe killed Beloved in order to escape slavery for herself and for her children. Howard and Buglar, the two eldest children, then left when they became a little older because they could not stand the haunted house. This leaves only the fourth child with Sethe. The first, second, and fourth children are alive. 1, 2, and 4. Beloved is the dead third child. It seems as if Beloved is left out, and this feeling of being left out is very evident in Beloveds personality when we meet her later in the novel.
The actual house 124 symbolizes the continuation of slavery brought upon through physical means. It cannot be called home to these characters because the haunting by the dead third child, Beloved, is directly related to the past of slavery, which seems to haunt these characters continuously. The character of Beloved is physical mean to represent the after effects of slavery. Her haunting causes the characters feel enslaved and isolated in 124. Morrison also portrays Beloved to be important to the house of 124 in another way. When adding up the numbers in 124 the amount is seven.
That is also the amount of letters in the name Beloved. Morrison does this to put an emphasis on the importance of Beloved and how her ghost represents the past of slavery Through the actions of the characters a revival of the evils of slavery are evident in 124. Sethe flees from Sweet Home, where she is enslaved, in order to lead a life as a free woman. She wanted the best for her children and for herself. When Sethe arrived at 124, Howard, Buglar, Denver and Baby Suggs were already there.
Sethe delivered Denver on her journey to 124 to reunite with the rest of her family. The life at 124, with Sethe, her children and Baby Suggs seems to be a recreation of life as slaves. Death, running away, loneliness, and not being free are all issues that slaves deal with. These issues of slavery are continued in life at 124, even though none of the characters there are slaves. The first death is the murder of Beloved by her mother. Because of this death, Baby Suggs soon dies, and Howard and Buglar run away.
They can not handle feeling enslaved in 124 any longer. This leaves only Denver and Sethe to live in 124. Because of the feeling of enslavement that Beloveds ghost brings up them while living in 124 they both isolate themselves from the rest of the community. They feel complete loneliness. These actions by the characters at 124 are a complete replay of the roles that many slaves played. Three is also an important reference to number in this novel as well as a psychological means to show the continuation of slavery on these characters.
I recently learned in drama class about the use of the Holy Trinity with the ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks. The trinity is powerful and carries strength. Morrison in Beloved uses the three as a trinity. The first trinity is the actual book itself. The novel is made up of three numbered parts, instead of numbered chapters. The emphasis is on the three numbered parts rather then individual chapters.
The next trinity that Morrison uses is the human trinity. The trinity is used very much in this novel to show relationships between people and also the mentality behind the relationships. Each human trinity shows unequal relationships between the people. It is as if there is one person in complete control and the other two people follow the leaders actions. An example of this from slavery would be a slave obeying a master. These human trinities represented in the novel use the psychology as if they are still slaves looking up to their masters.
Each time a human trinity collapses, a new person replaces the leader position. The first human trinity represented is Baby Suggs, Sethe and Denver. In this trinity Baby Suggs receives most attention, while Sethe and Denver are only in the background. Baby Suggs is liked in the community, and no bad attention was brought to her. When Baby Suggs dies, Paul D soon replaces this trinity.
This trinity is very important because it represents the trinity of a family. Father, Mother and Child: Paul D, Sethe and Denver. This trinity is emphasized in the novel as the three of them walk back to 124 from the carnival; three shadows that held hands. A life. Could be (Morrison 47). The trinity of the family is important because throughout the entire novel these three characters struggle to finally become a family.
In this trinity both Denver and Paul D. look up to Sethe; they both fight to be hers only. Psychologically these people feel as if they have to look up to somebody in a higher position. Because of the dead third child these three people struggle. As soon as Sethe realizes that there may be a family between these three, Beloved breaks into this trinity by very dreadfully and evilly replacing Paul D. making a new trinity of Beloved, Sethe and Denver.
Now Beloved is not a ghost, she is flesh and bone. She becomes the leader of the trinity. Beloved only feels in control when she is part of this trinity. This goes back to a representation of replaying of slavery.
The masters feel power and strength when they have complete control of their slaves lives. Beloved acts as if she is the master. She is in complete control, and she is in complete control of Sethe's life as well as Denver's life. These characters do not want equality in the relationship simply because they do not know how it is to have equality between the members of a relationship. Because of this inability to act equal these characters are still enslaved, mentally and psychologically. The trinity of Beloved, Sethe and Denver there is another form of continuation of slavery through psychological means.
It is a replay of ownership of the slave by the master. Beloved acts and speaks as if she owns Sethe. Beloved says at one point to Sethe, You are mine, You are mine, You are mine (Morrison 216). Again the emphasis on repeated three times shows the use of threes that Morrison uses. This shows how Sethe is still treated like a slave and therefore acts like a slave to Beloved. For a little while Beloved had this control over Denver, but she finally realized that what Beloved does is not right, so she goes for help.
Beloved never allows Sethe to be free or never gives her anytime to realize she is being controlled. Psychologically Sethe does not realize that she is free because first the ghost of Beloved caused enslavement in 124 and now the flesh and bone of Beloved causes psychological enslavement. A last reference to numbers is used by Morrison to show the continuation of slavery. When Paul D. finds out that Sethe killed Beloved he makes a comment to Sethe that involves numbers, You got two feet, Sethe, not four (Morrison 165).
He tells her to act not like an animal or piece of property, but like a woman. Paul D. tells her that she is not a slave and she should not act like one anymore. He uses that sentence to end the relationship because he cannot stand being physically enslaved by 124 or psychologically enslaved by Beloved. When Beloved is gone, both in ghost and flesh and bone, there is no physical or mental enslavement felt by these characters. It is only until Beloved is gone for good that Paul D.
joins Sethe and Denver, in an equal relationship. Morrison uses the references to numbers to show the continuation and aftereffects of slavery through actions of characters, through physical aspects and through psychological aspects. 124 and the two different representations of Beloved is the physical aspect of enslavement. The different actions of the characters that live in 124 represent the replay of roles of slavery. And the trinity represents a psychological aspect to show these characters still think, mentally, that they are slaves.
The references to numbers also let the characters realize that they should not feel enslaved anymore. Because of the numbers that Morrison it both ties the characters directly back to act and think as a slave, and the numbers let the characters know that they should not be enslaved any longer. Morrison uses the references to numbers to strengthen the idea that the haunting continuation of slavery persisted even after slavery ended. Morrison, Toni. Beloved.
New York: Plume, 1988 Bibliography:
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