After Sethe discovers that Beloved is her daughter, the relationship between Sethe, Beloved, and Denver becomes incredibly unhealthy. Sethe and Beloved become addicted to each other, and ignore Denver completely. Sethe and Beloved walk together, switch beds, exchange clothes, and even garden together. Then the relationship takes a turn and Beloved becomes emotionally abusive towards her mother. Beloved makes Sethe feel guilty for killing her, depriving Sethe of food and ordering Sethe to do things for her. The whole time Denver is watching her mother get tortured by Beloved. Finally Denver decides that she need to leave to get help. Based off what I have read in Beloved, it is the role of the child to leave unhealthy child and parent situations.
For instance, after describing how her mother is getting increasingly skinner because she is deprived of food, she describes how the job went from protect Beloved from her mother, to protecting Sethe from Beloved. Denver describes how she knew “She would have to leave the yard; step of the edge of the world, leave the two behind and go ask someone for help”(pg. 286). Denver showed incredible strength in leaving that relationship and getting help. By saying “She would have to leave the yard” Denver shows incredible strength. Furthermore, Denver shows incredibly amounts of responsibility in knowing that the situation that she is living in is not healthy and going to get help.
Denver has taught me, that when their is an unhealthy relationship between a parent and child, it is the job of the child to leave the situation. It was incredibly difficult for Denver to leave that situation and get help, but she did it. Denver is an incredibly strong and responsible person, who, I feel is very modern for the time. Denver does not fit the role of a woman during that time period. The strength and responsibility that Denver shows by leaving the relationship makes her more of a 21st century woman. She is able to identify when something is wrong, and knows that it is okay to ask for help.
I enjoyed reading your analysis on the relationship Sethe, Denver, and Beloved had. Beloved just wanted Sethe all to her self and lucky for her she was able to accomplish that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Denver did the right thing and that what she did was highly courageous. I would challenge you to look into if the child is really responsible to leave the situation or if it is an adults job to get them out.
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