Beloved TEACHERS COPY

Beloved
Part 1: Chapter 1
1. How does Morrisons personification of the house help reveal both plot and
characterization?

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2. Explain the literal and figurative significance of milk and the chokecherry tree in this
chapter.

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3. What is the nature of the relationship between Sethe and Denver?

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Beloved STUDENTS COPY

Part 1: Chapter 2
1. Explain the point of view used by Morrison in Beloved. What purpose does it seem to serve?

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Part 1: Chapter 3
1. What, according to the text is rememory? How has this concept already defined and
influenced the novel?

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2. Why is this chaptereven though it recounts Sethes escape from Sweet Homelargely told
from Denvers perspective?

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Part 1: Chapters 4 6

1. In light of Beloveds appearance at the start of Chapter 5, what is the thematic significance
of the carnival scene that immediately precedes it?

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2. What is ironic about Sethes and Denvers initial reactions to Beloveds presence?

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3. After relating Sethes fragmented memories of her mother in Chapter Six, the text notes
that Sethe was angry, but not certain at what. What is the likely reason for this anger?

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Part 1: Chapters 7 8
1. What does Paul D mean when he describes his inner self as having a tobacco tin
buried in his chest where its heart used to beits tin rusted shut, and what were the
primary reasons for the development of this state of mind?

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2. Explain the significance of the fifth paragraph from the end of the chapter, which starts with
Spores of bluefern, and ends with longer, perhaps, than the spore itself, to the chapter
as a whole.

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Part 1: Chapters 9 11
1. Compare and contrast Baby Suggs before and after Sethes arrival at 124 Bluestone.

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2. What, according to the chapter, has caused 124 Bluestone to have a presence full of
spite?

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3. How does Paul Ds experience at the prison camp transform him?

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4. What is the symbolic significance of turtles in this portion of the text?

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5. Morrison ends Chapter 11 with Beloveds seduction of Paul D. and his screams of red
heart. How is this phrase symbolic of Paul Ds present emotional state?

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Part 1: Chapters 12 14
1. What is the significance of Denvers retreating so often to the secret field behind the
house?
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2. Why are learning to read and write so important to Denver?

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3. What is Denvers original hunger?

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Part 1: Chapters 15 18
1. The description of Sethes murder of Beloved is told over the course of three chapters and
from three different perspectives. From whose perspective is each chapter told, and what is
each characters response to Sethes killing her child?

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2. What might be the authors purpose for presenting this single act from multiple
viewpoints?

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3. What does Paul D. mean when he thinks that more important than what Sethe had done
was what she claimed?

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Part 2: Chapter 1
1. How does what Stamp Paid hears outside of 124 Bluestone differ from what is taking
place inside of the house?

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2. How does guilt shape how Sethe and Stamp Paid are characterized in this chapter?

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Part 2: Chapters 2 5
1. Who is speaking in each of these chapters? To whom?
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2. How does milk function as a symbol throughout this sequence?

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3. Why does Morrison have all three women invoke the refrain she is mine?

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4. What does Beloveds monologue describe? What is the hot thing? How does this
description connect to Sethe?

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5. Explain the stylistic elements of Beloveds monologue and Morrisons purpose in

constructing the chapter this way.

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Part 2: Chapters 6 & 7

1. Why, at this point in the novel, does Morrison choose to focus on Paul D.s failure to
escape Sweet Home?

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2. What does Paul Ds designation of Beloved as reminding me of somethingsomething,
look like, Im supposed to remember suggest about her symbolic role in the novel?

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Part 3: Chapter 1
1. How have Beloveds, Sethes, and Denvers roles changed in the months following their
retreat from the outside world?

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2. What is ironic about the communitys confrontation with Beloved at the end of the chapter?

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Part 3: Chapters 2 3
1. How has Paul D.s narrative changed from earlier chapters?
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2. In what ways is the novels ending ambiguous?

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