This segment of Beloved seemed to be broken up into two different sections for me. The first section was certainly the more confusing of the two, because of the blending of narrators. I understood that the first “chapter” where this began was Sethe speaking (“Beloved, she my daughter.”), the second was Denver (“Beloved is my sister.”), but the third was not so clear. I honestly have no idea who is speaking. The fourth “chapter” was definitely a blending of Sethe and Denver (and possibly that third mysterious speaker?), but I had trouble keeping up with who was speaking when. I kept having to retrace my steps to find a definable moment. For example, “They tried that once, but I stopped them,” is definitely Sethe speaking.
I wish I understood Morrison’s motivation for putting in this section, for doing it the way that she did.
The second section that I identified was all plot and I was extremely grateful for it. A lot of loose ends were tied and I had a whole new understanding. We FINALLY went back to the beginning and learned how and why they all left Sweet Home. We know what happened to Sixo and the other Paul’s. Again, coming to this better understanding of things was a relief.
I do wonder, though, if learning about the beginning of the story near the end of the book was so unsettling to me because a chronological order is logical and simply easier to follow, or if because, as a reader, I’m just used to the beginning at the beginning. It’s something to continue to consider.