As we continue discussing Morrison's parallel between family and history, we move on to the next generation; Denver, Sethe's daughter. Here, we move forward on both the familial and historical timelines. Denver is the second generation, and also one of the children that survived Sethe's attempted murder. Denver represents a future, the next generation, and resilience.
For the historical timeline, she represents the next generation, the post-slavery generation. Denver's relationship to agency is very dynamic. Firstly, there is the repetition of Denver's birth throughout the novel. Every thing is focused on Denver's birth, and survival. In many ways, she can be perceived as hope for the future. However, it is this repetition that Denver is stuck in the past... Denver herself always defines her place in the world, and the family, through her relationship with her mother. in that sense, Morrison is commenting that although Denver is the start of creating a self identity, she is still rooted by the identity of the family's collective past identity. This idea is further proven through Denver's childlike obsession with Beloved, and her need for constant affirmation.
However, by the end of the novel, that notion is also drastically reversed. Denver ventures out into the real world be the end, and become a caretaker for her dying mother and Beloved. At first, it doesn't seem like she has changed much. When Sethe mistakes Mr. Bodwin for being her former, abusive, "Schoolteacher," she runs after him with an ice pick. Denver, in suit, chases after her mother. This is a layering of a metaphor for chasing the past... Sethe is chasing what she perceives to be hers, and Denver is chasing hers by chasing her mother.
Her growth however is exponential. Once she leaves home (her mother, and 124) she begins to find her own path. Working in the community, and close to Mrs. Bodwin, she realizes there is promise and a future by contemplating college. Her maturity is especially noted in Chapter 27, when she interacts with Paul D. Paul D questions Denver about Beloved, and the notion that Beloved is a spirit. While Denver believes it to be true, she also has her own opinions. These last few chapters are where Denver really begins to pull away from her past (Sethe, 124, Beloved) and begins to work on controlling her own future.
So what is the representation? To re-cap, Sethe (Denver's mother) represents the prescribed agency of the past. Denver (the next generation in the family) represents a transition period... At first, she represents a holding of the past, but then a shift into creating a new, self identity. This is evident when Denver leaves her past behind by leaving 124, to create her self. It is only when Denver is on her own, away from her binding past, that she truly grows up.
All of this could then also correlate with historical agency, as slavery ends, and Civil Rights begins. It makes a place in history where African Americans strive to create agency for themselves, while trying to leave the prescribed notions of slavery behind. So, as you see the parallel continues: Characters representing agency, agency representing a piece of time in history. But I must admit, curiosity has gotten the best of me. How could the old, cliche sayings of "We become our parents" and "History always repeats" fit in this intricate parallel? In this case, do they say the same thing?
Personally, I can relate to Denver in many ways... I think, in many ways Beloved could have a subset for a coming of age story. I think it is human nature to question what we've been labeled, to rally for or against those labels, and eventually create our own. I think that's what Denver was doing by the end... Creating her own image, becoming her own. I think culturally, we do this to create group agency, but there is also the identity we hold to ourselves.
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteYou have such an analytical gift! I absolutely love reading your posts. You challenge me to think of things in new ways! I love the idea that Denver's generation is a "transition" from slavery to freedom. I am interested to read your thoughts on Beloved and how her haunting disrupts the traditional lineage of time and family.
To add another point of evidence to your post, I think Denver's birth adds to the idea that she is a "transition" generation. Although Denver was born before her mother was able to cross the river into freedom, Denver's life is owed to Amy Denver, a white woman, physically pulling Denver from her mother. A white woman willing to help a colored really shows a transition in typical pre-civil war to new age thinking!
Jackie- I totally agree with Lori... Just wow!! Also I thought it was very interesting how you said that Denver was stuck in the past because of the repeating stories of her birth from different people. Once her entire story was told, we started to notice a clear change in Denver to a more womanly, caring role which is very interesting. Denver changed for the better I believe because she was living in the present at the end of the novel, taking care of her mother who was sick, in the present, and working at a job to better her life in the present. After reading the novel, I thought of Denver's story to have a happy ending compared to Sethe and the others. Also it is very important to note that Denver was born free. She never endured slavery so her agency was scupted by her mother and people in her community. Learning of her mother killing her older sister must have played a large role in her development as a young person post-Civil War. That would be something interesting to discuss.
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