Beloved entries 1-15

1. "Time never worked the way Sixo thought..." (pg. 25). Here, we see the idea that time and fate never like people think it should. They try to plan by it and try to make it work for them, but in the end the way time is changed never works out in a beneficial way.
2. "...the 'tree' lying next to him didn't compare" (pg. 26). To Paul D, the tree is something that should remind him of good times and companionship. Sethe's tree only makes him regret. Where trees are usually symbols of something that is living and growing, Sethe's scars are only a reminder of pain and the death of her happiness. If it represented true death, the tree would be a kind of release from her memories, but it only reminds her of the terrible things she has seen and experienced.
3. "...while the whitegirl talked, the baby slept" (pg. 40). The peace that the baby in the womb feels when Amy is talking parallels the contentment Denver feels when Sethe tells her the story of her birth. Thinking about Amy makes Denver feel less lonely. The author uses this part of the story to show the reader just how different Denver is. Where most slaves would be horrified at the thought of white people and reminded of everything they suffered at their hands, Denver feels a kind of peace and kinship with one of them.
4. "Anything dead coming back to life hurts" (pg. 42). The fact that the ghost is caught in between the spirit world and the world of the living shows the reader how there must be a lot of pain there. In a sense, the ghost is always in a state of coming back to life. This parallels the pain that the baby must be feeling at being murdered by her own mother and not being able to be near her and love her as she should.
5. "...the kind who know Jesus by his first name..." (pg. 44). This is ironic because the ability to talk to Jesus through prayer is supposed to be the one thing that keeps all people equal despite any situation they might be in. All are supposed to be equal in God's eyes, but the life of serving is so ingrained in the slaves that they actually believe that they aren't worthy to call him by his name.
6. "None could appreciate the safety of ghost company" (pg. 45). This is one of the first moments that shows us the extent of Denver's loneliness. The fact that she has to rely on the ghost for company because no one else will really pay attention to her makes the reader feel sympathetic to her. So far, Denver is the only one who is comforted by the presence of the ghost, even when there's the red light and the feelings that come with it.
7. "Would it be all right?...Go ahead and count on something" (pg. 46). This is the first we see of any guilty feelings in Sethe. She regrets that she hasn't already started making plans, but at the same time she doesn't want to depend on something that won't always be there. This moment also reflects the uncertainty of her life. It seems that the ghost baby is the only thing that she can count on since the rest of her family (except Denver) left her.
8. "They were not holding hands, but their shadows were" (pg. 56). This hints at the trouble that all of them have with forming any kind of attachments. Shadows may represent a kind of dream life where they can all be together and happy. This serves to make the reality of the situation more harsh to both the characters and the reader.
9. "Arabian Nights Dancer cut her performance...Abu Snake Charmer, who followed her" (pg. 58). There is a huge contrast her between the adults and the children. Where the adults feel the stinging insult of the dancer's leaving the stage, the kids feel that it is something to be glad for because what is coming next is better. This symbolizes in their real lives how the children find it easier to pick up and move on and find adventure in what they do. By the time they reach their adult lives, they become jaded and unable to look at things for the benefits rather than the problems that are developed.
10. "...but because amid all that she was smiling" (pg. 64). This is a huge contrast to almost all of the other characters in this book. Most are made bitter or sad because of the hardships that they suffer, but this woman is able to push through it. It is possible that this is because she has accomplished her goal where so many of the other characters have failed at theirs or even forgot to set goals for themselves.
11. "She's not sick!" (pg. 64). Denver has always felt a close kinship with the ghost. She has figured out quite quickly that this is her sister. She knows that Beloved is tired because she has returned from death and that experience weakened her. It is perhaps because of her connection and love for the ghost that Denver is able to believe the unexplainable that her sister has been resurrected.
12. "This place is heavy" (pg. 65). This is the only suggestion the reader has at how difficult it was for Beloved to return to life. The heaviness may stem from the freedom that she was used to having in death, but doesn't exist in life. It's possible that she doesn't mean that the real world is literally heavy, but that the atmosphere at 124 is heavy. There are so many things going on that weigh the people who live there down (Sethe's memories, Paul D's past and future, Denver's lonliness).
13. "...holding on to furniture...neck alone" (pg. 67). Beloved was murdered when she was around 2 years old. She never got the chance to use her muscles properly while she was living, so now she has to learn what she never knew before. It is odd that Sethe doesn't make any kind of connection between Beloved and herself. Perhaps she's blocking out what she doesn't want to know.
14. "I want you and Halle to be happy" (pg. 71). It was rare in the times of slavery for a white person to care for their slaves like Mrs. Garner does for Sethe. She not only doesn't beat her for stealing, but she gives her a gift. Mrs. Garner's caring is perhaps a better gift for Sethe than the earrings because of the rarity of it. On the other hand, it's possible that this is just a tactic employed by some of the better slave owners: the happier you keep the slaves, the less danger you are in.
15. "The rest was a gleaming powerful world, made more so by Denver's absence from it" (pg. 74). Before, it was mentioned that Denver is very lucky. Perhaps that is why the world without her is so powerful. Her luck is strong enough that it seems to keep certain things from happening. She doesn't like to hear about things without her because it makes her feel even more lonely, like no one would care and she would be abandoned.