d be to end her life, and she did through her daughter, Beloved. Beloved wasSethe. This nameless child, who was buried under the headstone Beloved, waschristened on her burial. Sethe had heard the preacher say the words dearly beloved, inhis prayer, and thus derived her name. (5) However, the preacher in saying these words istalking to the spectators. Sethe was the dearly beloved, and thus Beloved was named afterSethe. Not only was Sethe and Beloved connected by blood, they were connected inname. And Beloved became the embodiment of Sethe. So it could be felt that Sethe hadkilled herself when escaping from School Teacher. Sethe said clearly that she would notgo back to him, or to slavery, and in fright and hysteria, Sethe killed herself. Sethe doesnot in effect die in a physical sense but she dies in an emotional sense. She since detachesherself, and lives once again as though she were hollow. Like in childhood, she has onceagain lost her bond. Sethe, therefore, feels she does not have to justify her actions. Setheescaped. With Beloveds return, Sethe can release all the guilt her conscious has laid uponher. And effect repent for her sin. Ill explain to her, even though I dont have to. Why Idid it. How if I hadnt killed her she would have died and that something I could not bearto happen to her. When I explain it shell understand, because she understands everythingalready. Ill tend to her as no mother ever tended a child, a daughter. Nobody will ever etmy milk no more except my own childrenNow I can look at things again because sheshere to see them too. (201) Beloved provides Sethe with an outlet for her guilt. Byabsorbing all her love, which should have been rightly directed at herself, Beloved isSethes denial of freedom. (Malle 216) Sethes guilt will not allow her to love herself, orlet herself be loved. Sethes conscience is the ghost that plagues her house. When Paul Dfirst enters the house, Sethe almost lets the responsibility of h...
