Two Sisters

Jeremy Vandroff

Beloved: Two Sisters

In Toni Morrison's Beloved, Sethe's daughters Beloved and Denver are the force behind many of her thoughts and actions. Beloved and Denver are two very different characters who have equal of impact on the story and Sethe's life. They are both similar and different in many ways. The sisters pasts which affect how they act help to mold the plot.

Beloved is the daughter Sethe killed who has come back to life in an adult sized body but with the same thoughts and behavior as the day she died. Beloved has returned to get Sethe's attention and have her to herself. Although Beloved and Denver seem friendly at times, they are in constant competition for Sethe's attention.

Denver wants her mother to herself, yet is willing to keep Beloved around because she enjoys having a friend and sister. She does not want Beloved to have Sethe.

Beloved wants Sethe as well, but does not want anyone else around. She states "Sethe is the only one I need" and would be happy if Denver was not around

Their selfishness and their need for Sethe are the similarities that stand out the most in both characters. They both have no interest in sharing Sethe with each other or Paul D.

When Denver first meets Sethe's old friend Paul D she is very rude to him and resents that he makes her mother happy and comfortable, something she could never achieve. She continues to dislike towards Paul D until she realizes how important he is to Sethe and accepts him into their house.

Beloved, however, is extremely jealous of Paul D and is not willing to let anyone get in the way of the relationship she desires with her mother. She eventually drives Paul D out of the house.

One of the most obvious differences between Denver and Beloved is their behavior. Denver continually demonstrates maturity and sensibility in all her actions throughout the book. She deals with Beloved's outbursts calmly and is consistently trying to support her mother. Denver understands that things will not always go her way and accepts it. Beloved is the exact opposite. Because she is immature, Beloved does not have any patience or composure. When she does not get her way she does not understand why. Instead,