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Beloved Motherhood

In: English and Literature

Submitted By bbeaton75
Words 807
Pages 4
Maternal figues in beloved

Baby suggs and Sethe are both the Mother figues in beloved and despite their suffering from slavery they both cared for their children greatly. Baby Suggs and Sethe connected through Motherhood to develop a close bond. They shared the love for their children a bond that all mothers can relate with. Sethe has four children that she loves very much but she could not deal with her past of sweet home. Sethe could not bare for that to happen to her children so she had to save them from the schoolteacher and slavery by trying to kill them. She kills one child whom is referred to as beloved for what is written on her tomb stone, but fails to kill howard buglar, and Denver. Sethe motherly natural instincts caused her to try to save her children from a place like sweet home by any means necessary including death. Sethe being the loving mother she is tries to save her children because she wants a better life and for her children to not suffer like she did.

Baby suggs is not only a mother to her specific children but also serves as a mother to slave runaways showing her motherly role in the novel.
Baby suggs was "followed by every black man, woman and child who could make it through, took her great heart to the clearing" (Morrison 102). Baby suggs would care for the runaways and preach in her own spiritual way for the runaways, Morrison uses suggs to compare and contrast the mothering style of the two woman by comparing old and new motherhood. Baby suggs certainly does not agree with Sethe mothering style but is still caring and understanding of her motherhood but still cant accept what sethe did nor can she understand that way of mothering. Baby suggs also serves the role of motherly wisdom. Sethe meets stamp paid and goes to baby suggs home and seethe is taken care of and also her baby as well. Baby suggs gave mother nurturing advice to

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