Newton's Principle in Toni Morrison's Beloved

Isaac Newton, the famous 18th century physicist, wrote, “To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction” (Brainy Quote). Newton was explaining physics, but the principle functions throughout the evolving world that we live in and is a fundamental theme in Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved. Morrison depicts the helplessness of a mother, Sethe, who commits an act of homicide, an act that leads to her living in a world consisting of a strained relationship with her children—that strained relationship being the “reaction” to her horrific act. At the time she commits the crime, Sethe believes that it will provide a safe haven for herself and her children, but that turns out to be far from the reality. In the novel, Sethe’s act of infanticide

damages her daughter, Denver, because Sethe causes Denver to be afraid of her, and isolates her from the world outside of 124; however, Sethe’s act harms herself mentally to a much greater degree because she clings to the tragic events of the past and can’t move on.
Sethe’s act of infanticide results in her damaging her remaining daughter, Denver mentally, who now fears her mother rather than feeling for her. The girl feels desolate and often disconnected from her loved ones, especially as she feels troubled by her mother’s actions even though she values her mother’s motherly behavior. The young girl asserts that “I love my mother but I know she killed one of her own daughters, and as tender as she is with me, I’m scared of her because of it. She missed killing my brothers and they knew it. They told me die-witch stories…” (242) Denver loves her mother very dearly, even though she has taken the life of Beloved and also tries to slay her; however, Denver also asserts the fact that she is also afraid of Sethe. Even though Sethe is “tender” towards Beloved or in other words, motherly, the “but” used by Morrison suggests that Denver still has the urge of fearing her. Morrison’s use of the ambiguous pronoun “it” points to Sethe’s act of infanticide, which points to Denver feeling that Sethe has the power to murder again and as a result, she never really feels secure. In essence, the “it” has caused Denver to yearn and fear her mother simultaneously. Similarly to Denver’s uneasiness, the “die witch” stories Denver refers to portray the fear of Sethe’s offspring. The “die-witch” repeats a passage in Chapter 1, where Sethe’s children play the game together, making up stories to kill the witch. This “die witch” is a symbol, which presents Sethe as a wicked, “witch.” Like Denver, Sethe’s sons, Howard and Buglar, believe their mother is a “witch,” and yearn for her death, fear that in her ambition, she wants to kill them too. Perhaps the comparison of two seemingly contradictory words suggests that Denver herself is conflicted in the way she pictures her mother, a conflict, which ultimately causes in her apprehension as well as affection for her.
Even though, Denver has developed ambivalent feelings towards her mother, she also does not understand the motives behind her mother’s actions.

Likewise, Denver indicates that she cannot grasp why her mother would pour the blood out of someone, especially her own daughter. The young girl contends that “All the time, I’m afraid the thing that happened that made it all right for my mother to kill my sister could happen again. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know who it is, but maybe there is something else terrible enough to make her do it again.” (242-243) Though Denver tells of her fears of the memories, she also speaks of her desire to know what the memories truly do hold. Morrison’s use of the nebulous word “thing” points to the reason behind Sethe’s motive of committing infanticide, which Denver can’t name. Chiefly, the “thing” is what causes Denver to be in a state of distraught. Denver believes this “thing” may motivate her mother to act the same way once again. Furthermore, Morrison’s use of repetition “I don’t know” twice—emphasizes Denver’s need to know what that “thing” might be and wants to know not only the objective facts of the past, but to understand the underlying motives that can cause her mother to perform such an act again without a clear understanding of why. Denver does not wish to be confined within boundaries where her “freedom” to live is taken away. One can see the internal struggle in Denver, which raises questions about Sethe’s inexplicable

act.