Blog Post #3 - Psychoanalytical Analysis

Psychoanalytical Analysis - Critical Lens Expert

Chris Herndon

In "The Bonds of Love and The Boundaries of Self in Toni Morrison’s Beloved" by Barbara Schapiro she talks about how every human being needs love and how they all desire it in their daily lives. She calls them "fundamentally social human beings" and how that we need recognition from family and friends to keep us going. I think this brings up a good point because Toni Morrison includes a lot of social interaction between the main characters. Sethe needs a lot of personal attention from those around the house, and explains why she needs Paul D and Denver to stay motivated. Schapiro then went to address how Denver and the baby were able to keep Sethe mentally sane and motivated. She then brings up the part about how Sethe gives up herself to Beloved and how the characters in the book wish to just be recognized by what they do in the present and not in the past. Lastly she addresses how Sigmund Freud's theories can explain for humans' actions/desires for attention.

I feel this author touched on quite a few good points regarding the basic human desire for attention from others. The need for Paul D and Denver in the house is required for Sethe to actually stay sane. Barbara Schapiro mentions that Beloved requires a lot of attention, shown through Sethe's actions to "give herself up" for Beloved. This is interesting because Sethe is probably feeling guilty for murdering the baby and probably realizes that she should have spent more time with her, so she is giving Beloved as much attention as possible. The murdering of the baby could have been a grasp for attention that she was lacking by others. Lastly, Schapiro's point that characters want to be judged in the present and not in the past is going to be hard to tackle because the past for all of them is engraved into their minds.