Beloved Structure (Part 2)

Part 2 reflects the passage of a person from slavery to freed slave. We see the transition that many of the characters are trying to make to free person. Morrison begins this section with the presence of Stamp Paid to show the reader that the people in 124 are making the voyage across the river to true freedom. Stamp's connection to the ferryman, Charon, on the River Styx reflects how he ferries the dead across to the freedom of the world of the dead. Another important element of Part 2 for the reader to consider is that this is the first time that Sethe finally decides to accept that Beloved is her dead daughter (and dead memories) come back to life. The ablility to make this realization shows the reader that Sethe is finally beginning to make the transition from freed slave to free person. Love is something that the slaves can't accept because it is something that can cause heartbreak even more easily. Each chapter has its significance, but perhaps the most important is the one where the voices of Sethe, Denver and Beloved all come together. The almost poetic harmony of their voices together becomes a transition for the three of them: each begins to accept the love that they have and are able to give. It can be argued that this is Beloved's whole purpose in coming back from the dead. Her main goal is to help Sethe to learn how to love again. The section ends, once again with the ferryman, suggesting that this is the passage of a slave to a free person. At this point, each slave is still too close to their past and the river that they have had to cross to truely be a part of the free society.