part 2 Analysis

What Happens:
Part two starts with Stamp Paid and how he goes about his life and his job of helping people. That is what he does for a living, he doesn’t save anyone but he helps a lot of people. Then the story advances to his interaction with 124. His history and relationship with Baby Suggs is covered as well as their big argument. Then the story switches to Sethe and the daughters and their first happy “family” time ice-skating. However, it is reinforced that seethe is still a freed slave not a free person. Babies life and all the times that she has been abandoned are covered. Stamp contemplates Babies life choices. The story returns to Sethe again where the idea of family is reinforced. Stamp sees Beloved and is shocked so he goes and finds Paul D and asks him about her. Sethe has a flashback to sixo’s philosophy about stealing and how sixo was a bad slave. But he was a happy person. She recounts her daily routine in slave life. This reinforces how slavery still affects her. They start to cover the plan for escaping from Sweet Home and Stamp ends the first chapter of section 2 talking about the weird voices around 124.
The next three chapters are each of the woman’s individual tales involving each other and their feelings. They are a reflection on the life of the family and the individual. Both Denver and Sethe sound obsessed with Beloved in theirs.
The next chapter is in the dialect of all three characters in conversation. This could be to show their unity as a family. This chapter explains A LOT about the characters and their goals.
The final chapter in this section is Stamp Paid finding Paul D on the steps of the Church and talking with him. This is the first part where Stamp really opens up on his own. His heart was broken open Beloved but now he opens it and actually speaks his piece to Stamp. He explains in detail the plan to break free from sweet home and how it went wrong and sixo’s death. This is his acknowledgement and releasing of the past. I am guessing that he will now no longer be held by slavery because he has let go.
How it Happens:
This section is largely told as a story by one person. A lot of it is reflection. Even if it is spoken to another character it is reflected in a story or thoughts. The only part where this is not true is where Stamp is speaking to Ella about where Paul could be and when Beloved, Sethe, and Denver have their own chapter where they tell stories. This could show progression. Especially for Paul who is finally letting slavery go. Beloved is maturing and Sethe is on the road to letting slavery go. Something that Baby Suggs couldn’t do.
How it relates to part 1:
Part two relates to part one because it shows the change in characters. Part 1 is all about the characters travels. This part gets deeper into the characters motivations and very meaningful aspects of their lives. Most importantly it shows their growth.