The Important Role of Water in Toni Morrison’s Beloved

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Recommended: Comment on the significance of the water symbol in Toni Morrison's Beloved

Water has always been a source of life but many do not take into account it's strength and ability to kill. From its cleansing nature, it washes away dirt; from its’ powerful potency it holds total destruction. With its flowing characteristic, water is able to form to any shape and make its’ way around any object. The multiple possibilities water possesses, engages, while takes away the mystery. In Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved, water manipulates many factors causing destruction in the community. The direction it leads Beloved in, takes her from the past into the life of society while altering the notions of the future. The water creates a portal for Beloved taking her through death and life to a sense of belonging because it holds life-giving vitality as well as the ability to take life allowing her to move back and forth through worlds as the past gives possibility to the future.

The water yields a home for Beloved as she finds herself lost and confused. As Beloved emerges from the water, she searches for a place of belonging in the life she left behind. “I come out of the blue water… I need to find a place to be (213).” Because she has been lost inside the spiritual world, she searches for a “home” after being reborn. Once she finds this home, she is able to accept herself and can begin taking revenge on Sethe for what she did to her. Her simple beginnings of praising and worshiping her mother, captures Sethe’s complete devotion and love. “Rainwater held on to pine needles for dear life and Beloved could not take her eyes off Sethe (57).” With Beloved constant flattering nature, Sethe handed herself over to Beloved and she became part of the family. Beloved’s evil ways of manipulating Sethe into caring more about her than Den...

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...returns to help Sethe. “Stay there. Don’t move. Let me heat up some water. Is it all right, Sethe, if I heat up some water?” (272). Paul D gets rid of the frozen water in Sethe’s life. This paves the road for different possibilities in her and the rest of the townspeople’s lives. Although Sethe is devastated from Beloved’s disappearance, the melting of ice lets her change and focus on the future instead of the past.

Beloved finds a sense of belonging in returning to life after searching through death as she moves through the portal created by water. Its soft nature cleanses and washes away the bad but also holds the capability to destroy life. Water eases Beloved’s transportation between worlds. It has always been a source of wonder and continues to amaze people. The passion of water alters anything in its path paving its own path regardless of its surroundings.

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