Beloved

Beloved tells the story of exactly what becomes of a person who lives directly through their memories. It is the story of "past errors taking possession of the present" (Morrison 302). The past, present, and future are big focuses within the novel, but it definitely outlines the idea that though one can move forward, they will always carry the weight of the past. The people they become may or may not be better people. Morrison outlines both the beneficial effects of knowing how and why things occurred in the past through Denver's character. She is able to start her own life, take care of her mother, and become an independent person because she knows that she can have better than she once did. The negative side of living too much through the past is revealed through Sethe's character. She dwells upon the murder she committed and her past experiences as a slave and can never be free. Because of this portrayal of both the positive and negative sides of living through the past, it creates a few even bigger question: though memories shape the people we become, are some people better apt to move on from bad experiences, or are there experiences that it is impossible to move away from or become changed for the better? Or do we lose aspirations to become better people if we have lived through immense troubles? Is there ever a point where we just give up and don't let ourselves transform into better or different people?