On a more personal level, Beloved delves into the healing power of love. Haunted by the memory of infanticide, Denver turns inward, finding comfort only in the spirit of her sister, whom she vows to protect from their mother. She is resistant to Paul D's presence in their home, longing for her father's return instead. As Denver observes Sethe losing her job, her savings, and her willpower in an attempt to atone for taking Beloved's life, she realizes she must take action. Denver becomes the family's beacon of hope by confronting the outside world she dreads, securing work to support her mother, and alerting the community to the damage Beloved is causing. This sets in motion the exorcism that ultimately liberates Sethe.

In a similar vein, Paul D, the last of the Sweet Home men, offers Sethe healing love on two occasions. When he arrives at 124, Paul is broken by his past and tries to bury his painful memories in a tobacco tin he carries. Upon seeing the scars on Sethe's back, left by Schoolteacher's nephews, he feels a deep urge to address her suffering. By touching her scars, he shares in her pain, "learning that way her sorrow," and temporarily lifts her burden of guilt. Together, they create a family and attend a carnival, during which Paul D successfully drives away the "spiteful ghost." However, he is eventually overpowered by the ghost made flesh, who insists he introduce her to the sexuality she was denied in death. After leaving 124 and coming to terms with the full extent of Sethe's suffering, Paul D returns to support her as she faces life without Beloved or her spirit. Recalling Pilate's powerful words in Song of Solomon, Paul offers a simple yet moving vision of hope: "me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow."