Sethe is an Existentialist
In Beloved , we are slowly exposed to Sethe’s dark past of her time as a slave, and her desperate attempt to save her family from experiencing the same fate. As a result of her actions, she experiences isolation among the townspeople and becomes haunted by her disturbing actions. However, all of these actions and consequences instigate questions about life and purpose which directly correlate with existentialism. After Toni Morrison reveals Sethe’s ethically questionable actions of killing her baby and attempting to kill her other three children to “save them” from becoming slaves. This horrific scene is ultimately a result of the slavery laws of the time: forcing runaway slaves to be returned to their slave owners. However, Toni Morrison indirectly forces the reader to question what the value of life is. Would returning to slavery, this harsh time where brutal acts were imposed on slaves, be w...
