The Underlying Meaning of the Confusion and the Corn

The first thing I noticed about this passage from Beloved, written by Toni Morrison, was the overall confusion of the writing and layout of the novel.  The book begins by saying, "124 was spiteful"(3), an extremely confusing way to start.  As I read on, I found myself asking questions about the identity of "124", if it was a character or something more.  When I found out it was the house in which Sethe, the main character, lives, I was even more confused.  Why does Morrison start the novel out this way by personifying the house?  I feel like the true answer will only reveal itself upon completing the novel.  The level of confusion only heightened for me upon reading more, as the narrator passes seamlessly from the present day in Ohio back to her days on the Sweet Home plantation in Kentucky.  This puzzling organization could symbolize the confusion Sethe feels as a former slave living in a world where slavery is prohibited yet African Americans are still ostracized and or persecuted.  This discriminatory treatment is first highlighted in a scene when Sethe says, "Outside a driver whipped his horse into the gallop local people felt necessary when they passed 124"(5).  To live in the U.S. at this period in time as a former slave must have been extremely trying and it most definitely accounts for the confusing design of the novel.  Sethe is trying to live her life after slavery as a free human yet, because of the constant victimization, her thoughts of her days spent on the plantation are brought up from the depth of her memory and are interfering with her daily life, justifying the confusing storyline.

Another aspect of this passage which I found to be interesting is the scene in which Sethe and Halle have sex in the cornfield.  The scene is full of sexual imagery represented by the cornfield in which they lay, which Sethe highlights when she says, "No matter what all your teeth and wet fingers anticipated, there was no accounting for the way that simple joy could shake you"(33).  The imagery associated with the sexual relations that are going on is represented by the corn, described as "fine and loose and free"(33) and also the "juice" from the husks.  While this imagery is no doubt referring to intercourse between Sethe and Halle, I believe it could also be referring to freedom from slavery.  The narrator uses repetition with the words "loose" and "free" when describing the corn and also mentions the "jailed-up flavor ran free"(33).  These allusions point to the pleasure one would feel after being set free from slavery as well as the obvious sexual overtones.  Sethe is yearning for her freedom and, once attained, feels a pleasure she describes earlier as the "simple joy".  Therefore, while the imagery in this scene between Sethe and Halle is referring to their sexual relations, I believe it is also alluding to the future freeing of the slaves and the happiness they will feel at that point.