Beloved Chapter 9

The past plays a major role in this novel. Throughout the book there are many flash backs that allow the reader to put together the pieces of the present. In chapter 9 one important memory Sethe addresses is of the Clearing. Sethe wants to go back to the clearing to bring back the happiness and memories of that time. When she is there her memory is so strong she believes she can even feel Baby Suggs's presence. On page 113 Sethe explains, "The fingers touching the back of her neck were stronger now- the strokes bolder as though Baby Suggs' fingers were gathering strength...Somebody chocked me...Grandma Baby, I reckon. I just asked her to rub my neck, like she used to and she was doing fine and then just got crazy with it, I guess." This quote shows the power of memory, Sethe was remembering the past and imaging that Baby Suggs was rubbing her neck like she used to and in the end she had physical and real effects from her memory. Also in this chapter rememory is talked about. Rememory is something that is not something you remember easily or normally it is something that was called back by someone talking about,etc. In this chapter rememory is seen after Paul D starts talking about Halle, these conversations bring back memories and thoughts of Halle, which shows rememory. This is seen on page 116 when Sethe says, "Trust and rememory, yes, the way she believed it could be when he cradled her before the cooking stove. The weight and angle of him; the true-to-life bear hair on him." This little details of her time with Halle are things she wouldn't normally think about but because Paul D was talking about Halle these memories come back and cause pain for Sethe. For Denver many challenges and issues occur when Nelson Lord asks Denver about her mom being arrested in the past. This happens on page 123, "Would she let that happen? Murder, Nelson Lord has said. "Didn't your mother get locked away for murder? Wasn't you in there with her when she went." After Nelson brought up this question of the past it caused many issues for Denver. She struggled for a long time with the question and waited along time to ask her mom about it. It made her skeptical but she avoided the question of the past because it was a serious subject that was hard to address her mom about. This shows that when the past is brought up it can be hard to face it or to approach others about it.