Explore how Morrison presents power in Beloved

Morrison explores power through relationships between different characters including the superior whites and
Beloved who represents the supernatural, as well as exploring those characters who appear to lack power such as
Paul D and at times Sethe. Morrison presents power as she explores the social hierarchy, including how blacks were
perceived in the 17th century, as well as the role of supernatural.

Beloved: supernatural power

p148/ch13 ‘he had come to be a rag doll - picked up and put down any where any time by a girl young enough to be
his daughter’
Metaphor, Paul D is just like an object to Beloved, she is powerful and controlling, can move him where she wants
him as if she owns him. Paul knows it is wrong and unnatural because he should be more powerful as older but he
cannot stop it which shows he is weak and Beloved has all power over him at this point. The ‘rag doll’ makes Beloved
sound quite childish but also shows her manipulation as a rag doll is small and she feels superior.
Continued ‘it was being moved. Placed where she wanted him, and there was nothing he was able to do about it’
‘nothing’ is as if he had no control or choice, he didn’t even object. Like a consuming supernatural power because he
is vulnerable and it is the supernatural which enables her to control him. Only a supernatural power but acts as an
authority over others. Her goal to get to Sethe is enhanced through the supernatural power, here she removes Paul
D and he is helpless.

Supernatural: 1860’s when Beloved is set was a time when there was a new interest for mystery and an increasing
investment in supernatural discovery, particularly after the civil war when there was a growing interest for
contacting those who had been lost. The supernatural therefore was regarded as a significant idea and many
believed supernatural spirits to be real. — Beloved as supernatural therefore influential and her power is important
at the time .. this section reflects her control over Paul D due to her supernatural nature

Whites power over slaves

Schoolteachers power over Sethe - causes her to kill beloved
-p174 (ch16) ‘the four horsemen came’ Biblical allusion to the apocalypse. Their arrival signifies the end of the world
but for Sethe their power is so great she fears they would end her 28 days of happiness and freedom. This
foreshadows killing the baby - end of a life.
-p175 ‘holding a blood soaked child to her chest’ despite slave owners power causing her to kill Beloved, slavery had
such an impact, feared her child being put through slavery, would lose all power, ‘to her chest’ shows strong
motherly duty, the murder itself is a powerful statement against slavery. Arguable that Sethe is a powerful character
as she defies stereotypes of women as weak, been through a lot. ST thinks she’s gone mad and doesn’t understand,
despite whites physical power and control over slaves there is a power struggle as they both show determination,
Sethe shows death is preferable to life a slave where the whites have too much power, actually resists their power in
a metaphorically protective way.

Mister the Rooster has more power, demonstrates slaves/particularly Paul D’s lack of power.
Paul D sees mister as an authority figure even though he’s only a rooster.
p85/ch7 ‘he come down off the fence post there and sat on the two … like a throne’
-simile shows how to Paul D mister is authoritative and has more control he feels he is like a monarch in comparison
to Paul D who is deprived of any kind of control or power (AO1). Reflects how slaves were viewed by society (AO3)
even below animals, behaviour is vicious and they can be dangerous.
Tub & fence are physically higher positions than where Paul D is - as if he doesn’t have access to that type of
authority or status, represents Misters power.

The theme of power which runs throughout the novel outlines the social hierarchy from a typically white
perspective. Those including Sethe and Paul D who experienced slavery are subjected to the power of those who are
only equal or actually inferior to them, however the social structure displayed in the novel reflects how slaves were
treated and regarded. Therefore …