Mother and Daughter Relationship FAIL

 

 

 

In one part of her article The Bonds of Love and Boundaries of Self in Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Barbara Schapiro speaks on the ways in which slavery affected Sethe’s ability to follow the typical role of a mother as well as the relationships between the characters. According to psychology, we need the company others in order to create our identities which is known as mutual recognition. Without the company of others, we fail to establish our own selves. Schapiro connects mutual recognition to the relationship between Sethe and her two daughters. They have failed to fully define their identities because of the walls they put up that blocks and disables them from being entirely connected with each other. Although they strive for connection, they fail to be open to because of the fear of their pasts. Because of this, Sethe and Beloved and Denver cannot have the relationship they long for. They cannot take the next step in establishing and strengthening their bond. I agree with Schapiro and it is exactly how I thought of the connections between these three women. It is ironic that they have this hunger for a mother and daughter relationship yet they choose to push each other and not fully allow each other in. Their love for each other is present, however, their efforts for making the relationships work are not present. If they want to have this strong bond between each other, they are going to need to put down their barriers.