Feminist Lens: Analyzing Text #2

In this section of the book, Morrison shows that women can be just as aggressive and protective as men. They are capable of any good or bad act they want and gender does not matter. Gender roles are clearly switched in Beloved because She portrays an aggressive women capable of murder to getting her way, and this was not common in that time period.

A male’s common role in a household is to protect and work for their families. While a woman's role is to cook, clean, and take care of their children. In the novel, Beloved by Toni Morrison the female role is swapped with the male role.The novel takes place at a time where the male role is by far more superior than the female role. It was believed that women needed a male to survive. The main character Sethe is a former slave and a loving mother who is determined to keep her children safe from the world. Since she suffered as an enslaved child, she is extremely protective over her children.

In this novel, Sethe is both the male and female role combined.Before, Paul D formed a relationship with Sethe, she proved she didn’t need a man in her life to survive on her own. Sethe decided to isolate herself from the people in her community because she felt like she can support her family on her own.

Towards the end of Beloved, Sethe’s protective skills go over board. Her past experiences as a slave that was sexually abused,forced her to do the unthinkable to her child, kill.

“I did it. I got us all out. Without Hale too. Up till then it was the only thing I ever did on my own. Decided. And it came off right.” (190).  In this phrase Sethe refers to the murder of Beloved. Sethe slits the throat of her eldest daughter proving women were capable of violent acts.