Reading Beloved through the Feminist Lens, I came across many typical stereotypes affiliated with the two genders, so it was no surprise when a certain character displayed a certain characteristic. It was no surprise because I see many of these stereotypes in my own life.
For example, with Sethe’s character, her strong, independent single mother figure does not come as a shock to me. In our society, there is a great number of single mothers who take on both the mother and father figure so this is not something new to me as a reader. Not only that, the sacrifices she makes as a mother for her children are incredible. Connecting that to my own life, my mother makes countless sacrifices for my siblings and I. Many of our mothers do this!
One thing that stuck out to me was Denver’s character, more specifically her desire for a mother and daughter relationship with Sethe and a sister relationship with Beloved. I found her need for love and attention somewhat relatable. As a child, growing up, I was given plenty of attention and love from my mother. If I was not given that, I would not have the close mother and daughter relationship I have with her today. I love the relationship we have, and I cannot imagine how it would be like if our relationship did not exist. So I can understand her desire for Sethe’s affection. Denver grew up with little affection from her mother and she now longs for it because her mother is the only person she has around. She has no friends, so a mother and daughter relationship is all that is in store for Denver. She also desires a relationship Beloved. I understand this because my sisters are a big part of me and our relationship is very strong. You can never get rid of your sister; she is stuck with you for life. The bond between sisters is incomparable to the relationships of others. It is understandable why Denver would want a sister relationship with Beloved. Having Beloved as a sister would give Denver the love she desires and that is all she longs for.
So, if there is one thing I can connect to in the book Beloved through the Feminist Lens, it is the daughter/sister role that Denver takes on.
I agree with the point you are trying to get across Maria, we live in a society where single moms play both roles on being parents. Sethe for example is a a single mother who plays the role of a father fore her family before Paul D joined the family.
ReplyDeleteInteresting connection highlighting the single mother aspect within Sethe. I would consider looking into the external vs internal variables within Sethe's life more. Also it was interesting how you called Sethe and Beloved's relationship a sibling like relationship.
ReplyDeleteI like how you incorporate your personal stories while reading Beloved. It makes the experience of reading the book more meaningful and passionate.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you put single mothers into the picture and bring up personal stories, it makes a really good connection to the point you bring up.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really amazing how you are able to connect yourself to the chracters in a relatable way even the time periods are so different.
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