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 Scene - Paul D visiting Sethe at the end. Sethe confides to Paul D about how Beloved was “the best thing”. And now that the “best thing” has left her she feels lost.                                                                                      Analysis without mention of song: Sethe has become so accustomed to the idea of loving Beloved that she did not even realize it made her bleed more than she thought. The idea of being so attached to something of the past; being unable to move on from the past drains your life force and your growth in the present. Like a love that a person may hold onto throughout their life, holding onto past experiences not allowing oneself from experiencing new and happier moments with other people. Like how Sethe lets her past actions be detrimental instead of a lesson of healing and growth. Because of Sethe being so attached to this “cut” (being Beloved) that never brings her happiness, she is allowing for the damage to continue and escalate. Using the symbol of her maternal love, can be shown to exhibit her own lack of self love. In the end Sethe tries so desperately to control her “second chance” with Beloved by trying to please her and plead for forgiveness because of the lack of acceptance she has for herself. The more of herself she gave into her obsession with Beloved, the more she really lost herself. Losing oneself for the comfort of another.     -Erika R

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The cut that always bleeds = Sethe's lack of acceptance

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The cut that always bleeds = Sethe's lack of acceptance

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Conan Gray - The Cut That Always Bleeds (Lyric Video)

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Dried Flower - Stamp Paid's feelings of hopelessness

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Dried Flower - Stamp Paid's feelings of hopelessness

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Scene: Stamp Paid recalls when he picked up a red ribbon attached to his boat with strings of hair, and he mentions that his marrow grows weaker.

Stamp Paid is reliving the past. The red color represents blood, death, and possibly violence. This scene encapsulates a vision of the gruesome treatment to those who were enslaved, creating a sense of fear, sadness, and hopelessness in Stamp Paid, like Sethe, Paul D, and everyone affected by slavery. No matter where they were, whether in the sea or land, slavery never left them. Trauma due to slavery instilled endless scenes of terror replaying in Stamp’s mind.

Ribbons are also known to be worn usually by young girls, since it is red, it can be inferred that the ribbon represents the youth, innocence, and even motherhood rights the young girls were robbed of. -Thea

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Wave to Earth - dried flower [Visualiser]

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Scene - Sethe reflects on her past actions and the weight of guilt she carries.

The scene paraphrase is Sethe basically saying "I wake up and see the baby's ghost, crawling and crying. I know she's gone, but she's still here. I can't escape her. I feel like I'm dead right now, trapped in this guilt, this sorrow."

What I think Sethe means by "I wake up and see the baby's ghost, crawling and crying." is her haunting experience where she sees the ghost of her dead daughter. This imagery symbolizes Sethe's inability to escape the memories and trauma of her past. Despite the physical absence of her daughter, Sethe is still haunted by her presence, indicating the lasting impact of her actions. Also, when she says mentions not being able to escape her she feels trapped and suffocated by the guilt.

I think that "I feel like I'm dead right now, trapped in this guilt, this sorrow." means Sethe expresses a strong sense of emotional and spiritual death resulting from her guilt and sorrow. The weight of her actions, particularly the decision to kill her own child, has left her feeling spiritually and emotionally drained. This reflects the meaning of "DEAD RIGHT NOW" by Lil Nas X, where the he writes about his feelings of being figuratively dead inside due to past mistakes and regrets. - Edgar Guerrero

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Scene- Paul D had thought that after the war that freedom would be the only thing he would need, but it’s way deeper than that because he discovers the burdens of the past still remain, and stagnant memories of the past are always remembered.

Analysis- History in itself replays over and over, Paul D spent a majority of his life trying to fix things, trying to make things whole again. But he couldn’t do this when he didn’t come to terms with the past always being apart of you. He pushed the past away and ran away from it because he was too scared to face the idea history might repeat itself. In order for history to not repeat itself we need to remember but as we push that away like Paul D the past always came back just in different ways. Paul D strayed from the past and to him beloved was the past all resurfacing like all his memories pulled from Sweet Home that took him a lifetime to forget all came rushing back at the sight of beloved. That drove Paul D away, and maybe he got tired of running, maybe he’d realize that his idea of freedom would leave him lonely and what would his freedom really mean if he was still chained up by his past.

Kaya Landry

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Scene/Quote "BELOVED, she my daughter. She mine. See. She come back to me of her own free will and I don't have to explain a thing. I didn't have time to explain before because it had to be done quick. Quick. She had to be safe and I put her where she would be. But my love was tough and she back now. I knew she would be."

This quote clearly shows Sethe's emotional state such as her maternal love , her guilt and justification, and her general conufsion and truma. it goes back when sethe murdered her child saying she had to kill her to save her children. but the guilt remains and beloved being here is supposedly a second chance

The song "Fix You" explores themes of support, healing, and redemption in the face of emotional pain and hardship. It reflects sethes needienes for beloved to come to conclusion but it is shown otherwise.

nikko

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Part III - A Martyr for My Love for You = Denver

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Part III - A Martyr for My Love for You = Denver

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Scene: Denver holds what she knows to be love for both her mother and Beloved. After living a short period of a gluttonous lifestyle, food becomes scarce and tires the women to utter exhaustion. Denver believes removing herself from the equation would save Sethe and Denver's lives, and fix the silent and dire situation.

Analysis: Unbeknownst to Denver, and unnoticed by Sethe, history seems to corrolate almost directly; In the past, when there was a surpluss amount of food on the table, - supplied by a dedicated man - 124 was anything but quiet and full of people - even outside of the immediate former slave flamily. This is completely opposite of the situation Sethe and Denver find themselves in during the present. Denver is soon to face a choice between choosing her mother or Beloved over the other. However, she has not yet fully grasped the situation they find themselves in and who is truthfully at fault for it. There comes a time that Denver believes that the quickest and perhaps the easiest way to solve the problem at hand is her death and absence in the household. She is willing to give her life in order to keep Sethe and Beloved happy and comfortable. She blames herself for the present problems as she thinks of Beloved and Sethe as much wiser and important than her. She plans to sacrifice her future and happiness for their present enjoyment. She'd change so many things for the betterment of their lives, but not hers. She'd see herself as a martyr for their own good.

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The White Stripes - A Martyr For My Love For You

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Scene: Sethe takes in Beloved after she appears on the shore.

When Sethe begins to take in Beloved after she appears at 124, she immediately starts to show hospitality towards her, providing her food, and warmth. Paul D was against the idea of this yet Sethe shows her determination in wanting to take care of her. For Sethe, this is an opportunity of redemption for her after killing her baby "Beloved" beforehand. Sethe does not simply see Beloved as someone that needs someone to be cared for, and her hospitality isn't solely out of kindness. She sees comfort in the idea of taking care of Beloved, taking care of Beloved is like living through what it could have been like to raise the baby she killed; to have a baby to care for.

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Scene : Sethe , Denver and Beloved are laughing on the ground after falling while ice-skating. Sethe kneels on all fours and laughter turns into tears.  (Krishna Inzunza)

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Scene : Sethe , Denver and Beloved are laughing on the ground after falling while ice-skating. Sethe kneels on all fours and laughter turns into tears.  (Krishna Inzunza)

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Sethe reconnects with her motherhood, previously she had said "motherhood was a killer", but she is now healing (or so she believes). Allowing herself to touch that side after deeming herself unworthy due to the murder of beloved and driving her kids away. The detail used of Sethe being on all fours contrasts Paul D telling her "you got 2 feet, Sethe not four " in this case Sethe is seen through a more an empathetic lense , its comparing two opposite situations the shed scene with this family moment. Someone considered a Beast for her past actions is given a chance to redeem herself. Yet this moment is quickly dismantled when the thought poses, which is the truth, Beloved is still dead and in reality Sethe internally struggles with accepting her past .The the demons inside of one can be so powerful, but we can learn to fight them and overcome them. Yet in this case although this scenes seems heartwarming , truly this is just a reflection of Sethe living in the past.

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Imagine Dragons - Demons (Official Music Video)

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Scene: Denver has came to a realization that her mother is crazy and has a plan of saving Beloved from her.

Analysis: Denver's admiration towards her sister Beloved continuously grows since her arrival. Denver is quick to say Beloved had been waiting for her. She is aware that her mother is crazy and is capable of once more commiting what she has already done, murder. With that, Denver finds it with obligation to protect Beloved. "Beloved...ready to be taken care of; ready for me to protect her". Denver later reveals that it is Beloved who she needs to feel whole, as she is deeply affected by her appearance so early on. She fears her mother and sees how certain Sethe believes that Beloved is hers. Yet, this does not interfere with Denver being convinced Beloved belongs to her. "She's mine, Beloved. She's mine." Instead, rather than actually being protective, The obsession begins to grow towards Beloved.

In the end, Denver's loneliness is fulfilled by Beloved. Even if it was for a short time, Denver was able to show her unconditional love for Beloved. Denver's willingness to help Beloved move past move traumas is what shows the power of sisterhood and true love.

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Scene: (Pg 173) Sethe takes Denver and Beloved ice skating to gain some sort of semblance back into her life after Paul D finds out about her ugly past. Whilst this, Sethe reminisces "28 happy days" she was surrounded by women friends, a mother-in-law, her children, their neighborhood, and genuinely happy. Since Paul D came into their life again, Sethe had a taste of that normalcy again only for Stamp Paid to expose the truth of her past to Paul D. 

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Welcome and Goodbye = Sethe to Paul (Cheska)

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Welcome and Goodbye = Sethe to Paul (Cheska)

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Through the absence of Paul D after finding out Sethe's murderous past, Sethe loses her only companion besides Denver causing her to spiral, holding onto her last bits of sanity. Paul D was someone she trusted yet knew she shouldn't because he was "just like anyone else in the neighborhood." Paul D brought the warmth within his skin, both literally as they've been physically intimate, and figuratively, as he became Sethe's rock in place of Halle. Hence, Sethe's sanity is constantly tested because she needs to hold everything together for her daughters in the midst of her own personal heartbreak. There is nothing Sethe can do but leave him be since her past cannot be changed anymore. It is later revealed that Sethe eventually seeps through the cracks as she loses her job and becomes desperate for Beloved's validation.

Conclusively, Sethe still doesn't feel that she has her freedom in these scenes despite being free because no matter what decisions or future she tries to build, her past actions - some being out of her control, will always return to punish her in any way. Whether it be through the embodiment of Beloved's return or Paul D's departure, Sethe is punished in some way, somehow.

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What she hoped would be impossible: Jocelyn.L

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What she hoped would be impossible: Jocelyn.L

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Song: Impossible

Lyrics: I remember, years ago
Someone told me I should take
Caution when it comes to love, I did
And you were strong and I was not
My illusion, my mistake
I was careless, I forgot, I did

And now
When all is done, there is nothing to say
You have gone and so effortlessly
You have won, you can go ahead, tell them

Tell them all I know now
Shout it from the rooftops
Write it on the skyline
All we had is gone now
Tell them I was happy
And my heart is broken
All my scars are open
Tell them what I hoped would be impossible
Impossible
Impossible
Impossible

Scene: Sethe tells Denver and Beloved about her mother. Saying how her mother could not have been trying to run off without her, because what mom would leave their daughter. Then repeatedly asked Beloved and Denver if her mom could have actually been trying to leave her.

Analysis: This shows me the denial that Sethe is in, that she truly doesn't want to believe that her mother could have left her. Although deep down inside she knows what the truth is, she knows what happened even though it's something she hoped would not be possible. She doesn't understand how a mother could leave their child, unprotected, unloved, out in this world alone. Sethe believed that her love was so strong for her children, for her daughter that she would kill them so they didn't have to feel pain or go through suffering. Therefore Sethe could not possibly fathom a mother leaving their daughter be hide, especially the fact that the daughter was her. She was the one left be hide she was the one left with the scars, left with the broken heart. Her heart was broken by an action that should be impossible from a mother to do.

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Scene: When Sethe lets go of Beloved's hand and runs into the crowd of women singing because she mistakes Mr.Bodwin for Schoolteacher and runs after him with an ice pick, Denver runs after Sethe in the crowd too

Analysis:

Beloved has strained Sethe mentally for so long that she can't distinguish her past and the present. She has so many reoccurring trauma that she believes the Schoolteacher has come back to 124 to reclaim Sethe and her children. There has also been many instances where Beloved is manipulates Sethe into thinking she was a bad mother which is why the women are symbolic in the crowd because of how collectively they all know Sethe's pain as a mother under slavery. Once Beloved's "hand is empty", her power is broken by being abandoned and left alone. In other words, as a baby, as a memory, guilt. She needs attention to survive but since Sethe has detached herself from her she doesn't have her main source that feeds into her soul to terrorize 124 of their past.

-Camila M

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Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Lyric Video)

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Scene: Sethe begins to feel relief that Beloved had come back into her life. She almost immediately felt a weight off her shoulder despite the wrongdoings.

Analysis:

Sethe has come to a conclusion that Beloved is what she needs in her life. But with doing so she reflects on the past events that had led her to that point. The way she felt when she killed her baby was that of "I'm doing what's best for you". It's a feeling that she thought would alter her life for the better. A feeling most people get when they feel they need to break a pattern or systemically made lifestyle. In this case she strongly believes that what she did was justified and Beloved should forgive. It's a mindset that comes after spiraling and not knowing what to do other than act quickly upon the situation.

salvador

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Scene: Sethe prepares a drink for them in order for them to go to bed. Later in the night, Sethe overhears a familiar tune and finds out that Beloved was singing a song that only Sethe and her children knew. Beloved responds to her by saying "I know it"

This is turn is a big hint to Sethe that Beloved is her daughter that she murdered many years ago.

After Sethe murders her daughter Beloved as a child, she lives the rest of her days feeling an immense amount of guilt and regret. Every day that her daughter isn't there is a reminder of her actions that she committed. As a result, she lives in pain. Sethe isn't able to enjoy the simple act of laughter due to this. Her tears of joy easily turn into those of guilt, causing those around her to be concerned for her. After she finds out that Beloved was the daughter that she murdered all of those years ago, Sethe feels that weight of guilt lifted off. That pain however is replaced with another one that Beloved herself imposes onto Sethe. When they aren't together, the absence hurts Sethe's soul however, when they are together, Beloved herself is the one who damages Sethe's vulnerable soul. Sethe's past relationship with Beloved allows herself to be easily manipulated as she feels she's nothing without her daughter.

In the end, Seth's vulnerability causes her to be easily manipulated by Beloved. No amount of nostalgia she feels will be enough to make up for the pain that her daughter is causing her. Their relationship is very toxic and unhealthy since one believes that she's nothing without the other while the other abuses her emotions to take advantage and gain whatever she wants.

Hector Solano

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Part 2 Chapter 20

Scene; Denver says how grandma baby says “Slaves not supposed to have pleasurable feelings on their own; their bodies not supposed to be like that, but they have to have as many children as they can to please whoever owned them.”

Analysis;

When Baby Suggs states “Slaves not supposed to have pleasurable feelings of their own” it reflects the deeply ingrained beliefs and societal expectations that permeated the institution of slavery. The statement encapsulates the dehumanizing nature of slavery, where enslaved individuals were not regarded as fully human beings deserving of their own autonomy, emotions, or agency.

Baby Suggs speaks about her own experiences from being a former slave herself, she grapples with the legacy of slavery and its lasting impact on their lives, relationships, and identities. The statement underscores the psychological and emotional toll of slavery, which not only robbed individuals of their physical freedom but also attempted to strip them of their humanity and capacity for joy.

- natalie m

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Scene: Denver is mentioning how Beloved is her sister and since she knew what her mother did she has this fear of her mother. Denver will now have this trauma as her burden.

Analysis: Denver is having this fear and she feels like she has this burden with her because it's her mom and Denver is this emotional reck who feels as she has to find because this nightmare is what she never imagined and this was this heartbreak from someone that she truly loved. Getting heartbroken was like this tournament to Denver as if the past experiences are coming back to taunt Denver's future. This torment that Denver is going through is this hurt but knows she has to move forward life won't be the same but moving on is that burden because of how hard it will be for Denver but that was that cost of love.

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Hablemos - Ariel Camacho - (Video Oficial) | DEL Records

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Scene: Denver reaches out for help from the community to help her mother from her madness.

Analysis: Denver becomes aware of all of Sethe's past she realizes she needs a life of her own without her mother's past haunting her and affecting her life. Sethe and Denver used to be perfect then beloved came and all the truth and past came rushing to her. Denver felt she had to protect Beloved from Sethe. Denver feels fooled by Sethe after she finds Sethe tried to kill her brothers too so she takes the role of protector. When she realizes her family needs help that was her step to womenhood as well as maturing. Sethe was so far into her past she was never really a mother to Denver when Beloved came Sethe gave her complete attention to her leaving Denver to fend for herself pushing her into adulting.

In the end, Denver doesn't allow Sethe's past to affect her anymore she grows and nurishes to a woman. She starts to put herself first something she has never done.

Emily Jimenez

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Billie Eilish - No Time To Die (Official Audio)

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Scene: The morning after Sethe, Denver, and Beloved spent the day ice skating, Sethe was cooking breakfast and placing more wood. It was the very first time she would be late to work.

Analysis: Sethe finally feels somewhat of peace after feeling stuck because she feels like she got her other daughter back. She kept reminiscing about the past and felt the guilt in her daily life for only having one daughter left out of four children. Sethe felt like she would feel even more guilty for treating Denver good after killing one of her children so once she felt like she had her other daughter back, she felt her motherhood come back in a way. In doing so, she didn't realize that centering herself onto this caused her to become stuck once more into 124, it just becomes a cycle for her. Sethe doesn't realize that this cycle is there and that it will cause her to be stuck and haunted by her past.

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Scene: Sethe came to the realization that Beloved indeed is her daughter and there is a love and possession triangle between Beloved, Denver and Sethe.

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-Pamela Gonzalez

Powerful connection between mother and daughters. There is a strong love and need for each other. Sethe expresses great possessiveness towards Beloved the way mothers "own" their daughters. Their love is powerful and passionate but it's also contaminated with their obsessions with the past and obsessions for each other. Now that Sethe has realized that her baby Beloved has reincarnated she begins to reminisce on the past and how she was stripped away from maternity and now that the opportunity to redeem herself to Beloved has presented itself she doesn't want Beloved to be taken away from her again for she is hers.

To finalize, Sethe has strong Love for her children that many consider to be too extreme but for years Sethe had to live with the guilt of killing her baby but was missing love herself and was also missing self love specially with all the guilt she carried.

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Scene: Denver rallies the community to come and save Sethe from Beloved. Beloved was a parasite for Sethe and used her. Beloved mysteriously disappeared after.

Analysis:

Sethe has completely lost herself in the pursuit of being a mother. Beloved has pulled her, taken advantage of her, mistreated her, and used her like a puppet. Only when Denver and the entire community interfered is when the strings were cut and Sethe was freed. Only then did she come to her senses. Beloved mysteriously disappeared. The unhealthy obsession of wanting to atone for her past mistakes has led Sethe to allow Beloved to use her. Denver had to go out and find help within the community to even save Sethe from beloved. The breaking away from Beloved at the end of the chapter is so crucial. Now as Denver is sane and in the right mind she wants to help her mother which she does. Sethe can now live without the constant torment that Beloved brought her. The strings were cut and Sethe began to live her life to an extent. The damage that Beloved had caused will stay with her but now she can begin to fix herself.

In summation, Sethe can now live freely even after her constant battle for freedom from not only the racial injustices she suffered but the strings of the past that wrap around her. In the end Denver was the one that saved her own mother from herself.

-Diego R

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Scene: Paul D comes back to start over with Sethe and be together for real this time.

Paul D was remembering Sethe and how she made him feel, how she looked, and how it was like when they were together. He missed it after being away from her for so long. He couldn’t replace the emotions he felt when Sethe was by his side. It was ultimately shown when he away and when he had intercourse with another woman which was Beloved. When they first met, even though they were lovers, Paul D had fear whenever he was with her and he was afraid of her aura. When he got away from that aura, he saw what it truly was and that it wasn’t a burden but ultimately a comfort. So when he started venturing out to get back at 124. When he finally reached it and saw that Sethe was down in the dumps. He couldn’t bear to see her like that. All that fear and hostility was gone and all he wanted to was to see and feel that aura that was once feared.

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Miguel - All I Want Is You (Official Video) ft. J. Cole

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PART 2 - Stamp Paid - “Spirit willing; fleshing weak"

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PART 2 - Stamp Paid - “Spirit willing; fleshing weak"

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Spirit = Someone/Person

willing = wanting to do something/change

Fleshing weak = lack of strength/faith/energy

Stamp Paid in this line is having an internal conflict in whether or not to knock while his physical actions signal that he is too overwhelmed to step up and make a move. A person like Stamp Paid who is willing to commit an action cannot by the lack of courage. By having a willing spirit , we are able to do whatever we propose to ourselves, the only obstacle is our flesh=body where it is not as strong as our spirit becoming a challenge to our spirit & mentality. Stamp Paid as Sethe represent Guilt & the horror of Slavery, such as it can connect with it stopping the spirit from overcome its damage done by the haunting past. At the end, Stamp Paid knows your keep your spirit, but not your body, emphasizing the how strong and important the spirit is over the body.

This phrase connects with the bible as well as described in Matthew 26: 40-41, Christ, in his agony in Gethsemane, the night when he is betrayed, chastises Peter because the disciples have fallen asleep.

-Victor Baez

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The Spirit Is Willing (But The Flesh Is Weak)

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Scene: Denver becomes concerned for her mother. Sethe has lost complete control of herself as she is catering to Beloved, giving her everything she has, losing her job, and asking Beloved for forgiveness.

Analysis using the song as a lens (Without mentioning the song):

Sethe is surrendering the little peace she had to Beloved who in this case serves as her master; Beloved represents Sethe's addiction to motherhood, then reliving her guilt and her past. Sethe was gaining strength to move forward without Halle and the rest of her family, but her obsession over "Beloved" is what completely took over her. Her guilt is deeply rooted with her obsession over motherhood; Her obsession over Motherhood is deeply rooted in the absence of her own "Ma'am." The excessive nurturing she was providing her daughters in the scene, was her feeding her addiction that then lead to self destruction. Her overbearing nature as a mother in this specific scene blinded her and made her believe lies: that her life could be perfectly normal, and that now that she is free, she could have Beloved again. Instead, Sethe overdid her role as a mother to the point where she lost full control of herself and her ability to love and nurture her daughters. Beloved caused her to lose her control and the balance she was already trying to maintain.

In the end, Sethe was born to be a loving mother; her murdering her own child was her way of being a great mother: one that protected her child from a life lacking guidance, nurturing, love and thrown in a world of pain, suffering, and anguish. These actions would forever control her life and destroy her peace and sense of normalcy.