After reading the ending of "Beloved," I wanted to think back more on the character of Denver, because she plays a large role in the final part of the book, but is more of a side character during the start and middle. To me, this was a very intentional choice by Morrison, because it contributes to the way that the reader sees Denver, and our understanding of her dynamic with both Sethe and Beloved.
When she is first introduced in the story, Denver in the only child of Sethe's remaining at 124 (at least, alive). Her connection to her mother and to Paul D is strained, as she struggles with understanding her place in the world. Her knowledge of Beloved, both as a ghost and as a woman, is not often mentioned, even though it's very important for the plot of the book and you'd think she would have told her mother about what was going on. I think this part was especially intentional, because a main theme of the book and for Denver specifically is the special bond she feels with Beloved, but that Beloved does not really reciprocate. So as Denver is being pushed away by her mother and sister, she has already been pushed out of the story in the mind of the reader.
Denver's decisions at the end of the book to face her huge fear of leaving the house re-cements the strength of her character, and her bond with her mother. For the moment of her birth, Denver was fighting for her life. She survives the shed (although this is not completely her efforts), and Stamp Paid remakes at how strong she is. She has had to live her life knowing what her mother did, and in the end, she also has the strength to reach some sort of understanding with Sethe.
I think it's definitely key that you highlighted the Denver is a strong character. I feel like we often see her as desperate throughout the novel, yearning from attention from her mother and Beloved (but they are more obsessed with each other). This seeming desperation makes her look weak and she becomes easy to overlook. But despite her attachment to her mother, she still has the strength to leave her.
ReplyDeleteAgreed - and the characteristics you pointed out always made Denver to seem like a hopeless case, which was heartbreaking as she was Sethe's last remaining child (with her that is). Denver becomes a shining beacon symbolizing better things to come by the end and we have to root for her because she's a #girlboss!
DeleteI think Denver is kind of overlooked in many discussions, when she has a case to being the most important character in the novel. She shows the most development in my opinion, and I agree that her finally leaving the house represents that development. I'm glad someone made I post highlighting Denver, as this is my last comment for the semester, and I had not read one about Denver thus far. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI also think it was especially intentional because we only find out officially what Sethe did closer to the end, and then we begin to understand why their relationship is so strained. I think what you said about how she kind of gets some closure with Sethe and that's a sign of her strength is a really great point.
ReplyDeleteI mentioned this in class, but Part 3 is almost a miniature coming-of-age narrative, with Denver "stepping off the edge of the world" and leaving 124 for the first time in years. She goes through a number of key milestones in a fairly short space, and we can see her rising from the chaos of 124 and becoming her own person. One of the most important of these markers of her development, for me, is when she is friendly to Paul D, and compassionate toward her mother, telling him he needs to go see her, but warning him to go easy with her. She shows so much emotional maturity in this exchange, and Paul (who used to resent her deeply, in addition to being weirded-out by her) wants to continue the conversation. But Denver has made a friend (Nelson Lord?), appropriate for a young woman her age, and she is eager to go hang out with him instead.
ReplyDeleteHey eve, great post! I find Denver's character really fascinating, because initially I felt like she didn't appreciate Sethe enough, and I just generally paid more attention to Sethe's arc. However, as soon as I read the lines about Denver being scared of 'the thing that makes her mother ok with killing her children' coming into the front yard, it made me realize the intense fear and confusion Denver's been living with throughout her entire life. All of Denver's past trauma makes it all the more impressive when she steps our of her shell in the last act of the book and saves her mother, quickly maturing into an assertive young woman. Denver is a really interesting character, and I'm glad we're talking about her. Great job!
ReplyDeleteSuper awesome blog post! I love how you explore Denver in more depth, especially how you discuss the intention with which Morrison frames her character throughout the book-- from more of a “side” character to one who feels left out of a relationship, to a strong and independent one at the end who takes a bigger role and responsibility. I really loved Denver’s character development and how in the end, she seems to be sort of the “hero” in the book. The amount that Sethe fought to keep her alive and well while bringing her to freedom is perhaps reflected back on Sethe by Denver when she tries to save and “free” her from Beloved’s influence in the end. I also loved the idea that we discussed in class about Denver representing the future: she was born on the way to freedom, and perhaps her character development and where she ends up at the end represent growth and a new and potentially better or more hopeful future.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Great blog post once again!
Yeah Denver's story was really the only concretely happy one. Of course horrible things happened to her, but she's still young, and she's showed really promising signs that she's going to be able to move on and make a good life for herself.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Beloved seems to grow into a larger role as the book goes on. At first her character has a lot to do with Beloved - she's obsessed with her and jealous of the attention she gives Sethe, and thats the way the readers see her most of the time. She becomes more than that when she realizes she needs to help her mother, and leaves 124 by herself.
ReplyDeleteYes I really like this post. At the beginning of the novel, I really didn't like Denver as a character. She just seemed very weak and didn't really have a point in the novel. She just seemed to be causing problems. She would get upset with Sethe, be angry at Paul D, and hide the weird stuff that Beloved was doing. However, Morrison gives us more and more information on Denver's character that reveal her as an increasingly strong and complex character. At the beginning of the novel, Denver's insistence on forgetting the past is annoying. It's just because she wasn't a part of that past, however, she truly is an embodiment of Sethe's future and allows her to move on from the past (Beloved).
ReplyDeleteI love Denver's character development because it shows just how much outside factors can affect someone. At 124, she didn't really go out and she was always just by herself with her mother. Even when Beloved arrived, she opened up but not that much. We see the most growth when she has to stand up for her family, suggesting family really is the driving point for the novel.
ReplyDeleteI think Denver is the true Hero of this story. She saves her mother, brings her community together, and helps her mother and Paul D. Overall, I think Denver shows a lot of compassion and kindness towards her mother. She only leaves her side to help her and she clearly cares for both her sister and her mother. I only wish she could meet her father. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI really like the point you make at the end about Denver's strength. I think since Denver is often cast to the side in this novel, and for a large part of the novel her main character trait is that she is terrified of leaving the house, it is easy to read her as being rather meek. But, as you say, Denver has been fighting her whole life. Not only is she fighting in the beginning, but she spends her whole life fighting to protect her people--herself, Beloved, and then her mother. Denver also endures a lot of trauma, and despite it, grows into a seemingly well-adjusted person by the end of the novel.
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