Beloved | Themes
Despite having killed her own child, Sethe is presented as an admirable character, for Morrison's emphasis is on the no-exit choices slavery imposed on people. Sethe acted out of love and years later defends her action: "But she had to be safe and I put her where she could be." One of the central themes Morrison treats has to do with the dehumanizing effects of slavery on moral choice. When Schoolteacher comes to recover Sethe and her family under the Fugitive Slave Law, she has no viable option. If she permits this to happen, she and her children will return to conditions that have...
[The entire page is 1648 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Tell a friend about Beloved at eNotes.
