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Individual Learning Packet

Teaching Unit

Beloved

by Toni Morrison

Copyright 2002 by Prestwick House Inc., P.O. Box 658, Clayton, DE 19938. 1-800-932-4593.
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ISBN 978-1-60389-712-9
Item No. 201014

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Beloved
Notes
Toni Morrison was born in 1931 in Lorain, Ohio. She attended Howard University with the
intention of pursuing a career in education, and following college, she enrolled in graduate
school at Cornell. She eventually returned to Howard as a professor and began work on her
own writing. After numerous rejections, her novel The Bluest Eye was published in 1970, and
Morrison began to be recognized as a promising writer. She followed with the novel Song of
Solomon, which won the 1978 National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. Her other novels
are Tar Baby, Sula, Jazz, Paradise, and Beloved. Morrison is now recognized as one of the best
authors of her generation, garnering both a Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the Nobel Prize in
Literature.
Beloved focuses on the physical and emotional scars of slavery, exemplified by the struggle of a
single mother, Sethe. Because of the ugly history of American slavery, there are many sensitive
topics touched on in Beloved, including violence, murder, sex, rape and the word nigger.
Students may find parts of the text unsettling, as Morrison is honest with the disturbing details
of her characters adjustments to life beyond slavery. Specifically, the novel deals with the
supernatural phenomenon of a ghost, Beloved, who is the physical incarnation of the mental
scars of slavery on Sethe, a guilt-ridden survivor of the system.
In addition, because there are no chapter titles in Beloved, this teaching unit divides the novel
by page numbers within the three major sections.
All references come from the Plume edition of Beloved, published 1998.

NOTES

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Beloved
Objectives
By the end of this Unit, the student will be able to:
1.

infer information about characters and events when the information is not explicitly stated.

2.

discuss Morrisons writing style, which is characterized by numerous descriptive phrases


and images.

3.

define the listed vocabulary terms from the story.

4.

define and cite examples from Beloved of the following literary terms:

irony
folklore
symbolism
simile
personification
theme
metaphor

5.

discuss the significance of names and nicknames in Beloved, both of people and places.

6.

recognize and discuss the lasting mental effects of slavery on former slaves and their
ancestors, as revealed in Beloved.

7.

identify and compare the two different time-frames in which Beloved occurs.

8.

explain the term objective correlative, and how it applies to Beloved.

9.

discuss the differences in the communication that takes place between black people and
between blacks and whites in Beloved.

10. discuss the notion of the individuals obligation to the community, as displayed by Stamp
Paid, Baby Suggs, and Ella.
11. discuss the progression of matriarchs through three generations of the Suggs family, from
Baby Suggs to Denver.
12. identify examples and justifications for retribution in Beloved, and how each applies to the
characters in the novel.
13. discuss the difference between religion and spirituality, as exemplified by Baby Suggs.

3

OBJECTIVES

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Beloved
Terms and Definitions
Alliteration the repetition of sounds at the beginning of words. Example: More Mischief and
Merriment.
Epitaph an inscription on a tombstone. Example: Edgar Lee Masters Spoon River Anthology is
written as a series of verse memories from dead citizens based on their epitaphs.
Flashback a scene that interrupts the ongoing action in a story to show an event that happened
earlier. Example: The movie, Citizen Kane, tells its story almost exclusively through the
memories of its characters, who all knew Kane before his death.
Folklore the traditions, beliefs, and customs of a people. Example: Elizabethan audiences
believed, accepted, and understood the folklore of fairies, which was essential to enjoy
many of Shakespeares plays.
Foreshadowing the use of hints or clues in a story to suggest what action is to come. Foreshadowing is frequently used to create interest and build suspense. Example: Two small
and seemingly inconsequential car accidents predict and hint at the upcoming, important
wreck in The Great Gatsby.
Free Verse poetry that has no formal rhyme or meter and depends on the rhythms of speech.
Example: Walt Whitmans Leaves of Grass.
Inference the act of drawing a conclusion that is not actually stated by the author. Example: In
The Pigman, John and Lorraine are writing a memorial epic about Mr. Pignati. Therefore,
the reader may logically assume that Mr. Pignati dies in the book.
Irony a perception of inconsistency, sometimes humorous, in which the significance and
understanding of a statement or event is changed by its context. Example: The firehouse
burned down.

Dramatic Irony the audience or reader knows more about a characters situation than
the character does and knows that the characters understanding is incorrect. Example:
In Medea, Creon asks, What atrocities could she commit in one day? The reader, however, knows Medea will destroy her family and Creons by days end.

Structural Irony the use of a nave hero, whose incorrect perceptions differ from the
readers correct ones. Example: Huck Finn.

Verbal Irony a discrepancy between what is said and what is really meant; sarcasm.
Example: A large man whose nickname is Tiny.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Juxtaposition the placement of two dissimilar items, people, thoughts, places, etc., next to one
another to emphasize the differences or heighten the similarities. Example: In The Pearl, the
main character instinctively touches the valuable pearl and his knife at the same time.
Metaphor a comparison of two things that are basically dissimilar in which one is described in
terms of the other. Example: The moon, a haunting lantern, shone through the clouds.
Narrator the one who tells the story. The narrator must not be confused with author, the
one who writes the story. If the narrator is a character in the book, the proper term is
first-person narration. Example: Moby Dick is narrated by Ishmael, a crewmember. If
the narrator is not a character in the book, the correct term is third-person narration.
Example: Sense and Sensibility.
Objective Correlative the external manifestation of a persons state of mind, which hints at or
mimics the characters thoughts, allowing the reader to view the internal from more than
one perspective. Example: Winston Smith, in 1984, has an ulcer on his leg, which represents
both his suffering because of the State and his internal infections, as viewed by the State.
Personification a figure of speech in which an object, abstract idea, or animal is given human
characteristics. Examples: The wall did its best to keep out the invaders.

Because I could not stop for Death,


He kindly stopped for me.

Emily Dickinson

Simile a comparison between two different things using either like or as. Examples: I am as
hungry as a horse. The huge trees broke like twigs during the hurricane.
Stream of Consciousness the continuous flow of sense perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and
memories in the human mind; a literary method of representing such a blending of mental processes in fictional characters. Example: James Joyces Ulysses.
Symbol an object, person, or place that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something larger than itself, usually an idea or concept; some concrete thing which represents
an abstraction. Example: The sea could be symbolic for the unknown. Since the sea is
something that is physical and can be seen by the reader, and also has elements that cannot be understood, it can be used symbolically to stand for the abstraction of mystery,
obscurity, or the unknown.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Theme the central or dominant idea behind the story; the most important aspect that emerges
from how the book treats its subject. Sometimes theme is easy to see, but, at other times,
it may be more difficult. Theme is usually expressed indirectly, as an element the reader
must figure out. It is a universal statement about humanity, rather than a simple statement
dealing with plot or characters in the story. Themes are generally hinted at through different methods: a phrase or quotation that introduces the novel, a recurring element in the
book, or an observation made that is reinforced through plot, dialogue, or characters. It
must be emphasized that not all works of literature have themes in them. Example: In a
story about a man who is diagnosed with cancer and, through medicine and will-power,
returns to his former occupation, the theme might be: Real courage is demonstrated
through internal bravery and perseverance. In a poem about a flower that grows, blooms,
and dies, the theme might be: Youth fades, and death comes to all.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Beloved
Questions for Essay and Discussion
1.

Comment on the significance of the pictures denoting the three sections of the novel.

2.

Discuss the bonds between a mother and child. Comment on the difference between
mother/son and mother/daughter relationships in Beloved.

3.

Discuss the idea of manhood, and how it applies to all of the men of Sweet Home.

4.

Why is Sethe apparently indifferent when Howard and Buglar run away?

5.

Discuss the role of a mother; give your interpretation of Sethes performance as a mother.

6.

Comment on the significance of Morrisons dedication, to sixty million and more, in


relation to the overall theme of Beloved and specifically to the chapter.

7.

Discuss Morrisons portrayal of schoolteacher in contrast with the traditional representation


of a teacher (embodied by Lady Jones).

8.

Compare indentured servitude and slavery, as represented in Beloved by Amy Denver and
Sethe.

9.

Explain why it is ironic that Mr. Garner took such pleasure in calling his own niggers men.

10. Explain Morrisons idea of rememory, as she presents it.


11. List the evidence that Beloved is Sethes reincarnated daughter. What other possible explanations
are there for Beloveds identity?
12. Explain the progression of personification of the house at 124 Bluestone Road in the beginning
of each of the three major sections of the book.
13. Why do the residents of Lorain, Ohio, accept the supernatural explanation of Beloved so
readily? Explain your feelings about the supernatural.

QUESTIONS FOR ESSAY AND DISCUSSION

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Beloved
Test
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.

Amy Denver
white men
Lady Jones
preacher
Stamp Paid
Mister
Denver
Mr. Garner

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____

9.



The tree on Sethes back is actually


A. her guilty conscience.
B. a scar.
C. a tattoo.
D. her clothes.

The person from124 who did not directly experience slavery


Baby Suggs informal occupation
The original owner of Sweet Home
The handicapped rooster from Sweet Home
The white girl who helped Sethe give birth
The person who named Stamp Paid
White schoolteacher Denver turned to for help
Men without skin

10. And the wrought-iron maze he had explored in the kitchen like a gold miner pawing through
pay dirt was in fact a revolting clump of scars. Calling Sethes scars a wrought-iron maze
and comparing he with goldminer are examples of

A. alliteration and simile.

B. personification and metaphor.

C. a metaphor and a simile.

D. juxtaposition and personification.
11.



Sixos girlfriend was so named because


A. of the distance Sixo walked to see her.
B. of her height.
C. of the property she owned.
D. of her personality.

TEST

Beloved

12.



Sethes husband Halle never made it to 124 because


A. he thought he was being followed.
B. he went insane.
C. the police killed him.
D. he did not want a family.

13.



Sethe initially thinks Beloved is


A. a travelling salesperson.
B. an escaped member of the circus troupe.
C. an escaped slave that had been kept as a concubine.
D. her reincarnated daughter.

14.



The reaction of the town to Baby Suggs party was


A. celebration.
B. disapproval.
C. indifference.
D. jealousy.

15.



Sixo died by
A. gunshot.
B. starvation.
C. drowning.
D. hanging.

16.



Denvers brothers, Howard and Buglar, ran away because


A. they were afraid of their mother and the ghost.
B. they wanted to get jobs.
C. Sethe kicked them out.
D. Baby Suggs died.

17.



What sound ended Denvers temporary deafness?


A. the sound of her brothers running away
B. the dog scratching on the porch
C. the sound of a book falling off a shelf
D. the sounds of her baby sisters ghost climbing the stairs

18.



Paul Ds punishment for his attempted escape from Sweet Home was
A. the bit.
B. hanging.
C. whipping.
D. jail time.

TEACHING UNIT

TEST

Beloved

19.



Baby Suggs was freed because


A. of the Emancipation Proclamation.
B. her son bought her freedom.
C. Mr. Garner thought she was too old.
D. she ran away from Sweet Home.

20.



Paul D moves out of 124 because


A. Sethe kicks him out.
B. Denver hates him.
C. he moves in with Stamp Paid
D. Beloved moves him out.


10

TEACHING UNIT

TEST

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Beloved
Essay (Answer any two)
1.

Any of the women of 124 could be considered the main character. Who do you think is
the focus of Beloved? Support your position with evidence from the text.

2.

Why is Beloveds not a story to pass on?

3.

Explain the relationship between Sethe and Paul D. Why does he come back at the end?

4.

Who was Beloved? Provide evidence from the novel to support your response.

5.

Why did Beloved come back? What did she hope to accomplish?


11

ESSAY

Beloved

TEACHING UNIT

Beloved
Test Answer Key
1.

6.

11.

16.

2.

7.

12.

17.

3.

8.

13.

18.

4.

9.

14.

19.

5.

10.

15.

20.


12

TEST ANSWER KEY

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

Beloved
Book One (Pages 4 49)
Vocabulary
deprivation prevention from using or enjoying something
devious underhanded, deceitful; indirect
exorcise to expel an evil spirit
glittering sparkling
intolerable unbearable
luminous glowing, emitting light
palsied paralyzed, made helpless
perfunctory indifferent
pike a long-snouted fish
pondering thinking deeply
rebuked reprimanded, scolded
revulsion disgust, aversion
spiteful full of ill will or malice
studded embedded with
untethered untied, unrestrained
venom spite, malice, anger

1.

The first line of the book is 124 was spiteful. Why do you suppose Morrison describes
the house and not the ghost residing in it as spiteful?

Answers may vary. Example: Because supernatural phenomena, like ghosts, are hard for some
readers to understand, Morrison begins her novel by associating the odd occurrences with the
house, a more familiar connection for her readers to make.

2.

What is the significance of the house number 124?

Answers may vary. Example: The number 124 is a morbid reminder to Sethe of her lost child,
her third. The number 3 is missing from the sequence of the house number, just as Sethes
third child is missing from her house.

3.

Both Sethe and Paul D remember their time at Sweet Home with relative contentment.
Why does Sethe not look back on her enslavement with more anger?

Sethe does not directly associate the actual farm with what happened to her there, making it possible
to look back fondly on the physical structures of Sweet Home, including the sycamore trees. It
never looked as terrible as it was and it made her wonder if hell was a pretty place too.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

4.

Why did Mr. Garner draw pleasure from calling his own niggers men?

As a slave owner, Mr. Garner was obviously in control of his slaves, but by allowing them
the freedom to carry weapons, etc., he was displaying his own prowess as a man. Because he
trusted his slaves not to revolt, it was implied that he commanded such respect that the idea of
a revolt was ridiculous. Because men were his slaves, it made Mr. Garner a bigger man.

5.

After Paul D exorcised the ghost from 124, why was Denver sad?

Denver was sad because the ghost was her only companion beyond Sethe in 124. With Baby
Suggs dead, Paul D upstairs with Sethe, and the ghost scared away, Denver was left alone.

6.

What color is the pool of light in 124? Why is it there and why is it that color?

The light is red, and it represents the ghost living in 124. The color red is normally associated
with anger, however Sethe, Paul D and Denver agree that the ghost is sad, not angry.

7.

Why do Sethe and Denver continue living in 124 Bluestone Road?

Sethe has decided that after running away from slavery, she is not going to run away anymore.
In addition, Baby Suggs claimed that leaving 124 would not mean an escape from haunting, as
there is not a house in the country aint packed to its rafters with some dead Negros grief.

8.

Why does Amy Denver, a white girl, help out the pregnant Sethe, an admittedly escaped
slave?

Like Sethe, Amy Denver is running away from a life of forced service (she is an indentured
servant), and can, therefore, commiserate with the miserable circumstances from which Sethe
is escaping. Also, despite her young age, Amy could probably identify with Sethe and her
impending childbirth, a desperate situation for any woman to face alone.

9.

When did Sethe become aware of the colors around her? Why?

Sethe became more aware of color (like the orange squares on her quilt) after Paul D came to
124. For the first time since her daughters death, Sethe slowed her life down enough to appreciate
the little things, including the colors she had been purposely ignoring. Her recognition of the
colors can be seen as a step in her healing process, as the last color she remembered prior to
Paul Ds re-entry to her life was the pink of her babys gravestone.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

10. Why does Paul D think Sethes attachment to Denver is risky?


Because Paul D is a survivor of the system of slavery, he is familiar with how easily a mother
and child can be separated. Echoing the statements made by Baby Suggs earlier in the novel,
Paul D feels that people should love everything a little, instead of loving one thing with all they
have. Based in self-preservation, this logic defends the psyche from crumbling when a loved
one is taken away (often without warning), or worse, killed. Baby Suggs relied heavily on this
belief, as more than one of her children were sold without the chance to say goodbye.

11. What purpose does the circus serve in the story?


The circus serves as a break from reality for Sethe, Denver and Paul D. Surrounded by freaks
and oddities, the circus was an alien environment, a place where blacks were entertained by
performing whites, and where the residents of 124 were not the main attraction.

12. What do the linked arms of the shadows represent?


Spending the day at the circus soothed some of the tension between Denver and Paul D, as
symbolized by the linked arms of the shadows cast ahead of them on their walk home.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

Book One (Pages 50 85)


Vocabulary
bit torturous restraining device which keeps the wearer from being able to speak
cadence rhythm
cholera a severe, infectious intestinal disease
configuration arrangement of parts; external shape
enunciate to pronounce clearly
flawless perfect
gaiety happiness, liveliness
gilded given a deceptively attractive appearance
haint slang for a poor person
hosiery stockings, socks
infuriated angered
redundant unnecessary, excessive
scrounge desperately seek for something
sorghum type of cereal grass
voided emptied, evacuated
zealot an extreme partisan, fanatic

1.

Who is the first character to suspect Beloveds true identity?

While Paul D is suspicious of Beloved, Denver is the first person to recognize her actual
significance. Denver implies that she had visions of playing with Beloved in the forest prior to
her return to 124.

2.

Paul D claimed that the bit did not make him go crazy. What did he claim was responsible,
and why?

Paul D blamed his temporary insanity on the hens watching him wear the bit. Seeing the
birds free while he was enslaved was more than he could handle. In addition, the physically
handicapped rooster, Mister, was a further insult, as Paul D knew he would never be called by
a proper name, but he was forced to refer to the bird in a deferential manner.

3.

When Sethe learns that her husband witnessed her rape, she is obviously upset that he did
not come to her rescue. How does Paul D rationalize Halles inaction?

Paul D does not defend Halles inaction, but he does offer the explanation that what Halle
witnessed was too much for him to handle: All I knew was that something broke him. Not a
one of them years of Saturdays, Sundays and nighttime extra never touched him. But whatever
he saw go on in that barn that day broke him like a twig.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

4.

Why does Beloved get angry when Denver asks her not to tell Sethe who she [Beloved] is?

Because she is consumed with Sethe, Beloved is angered by Denvers interference in their
relationship. Despite their playful mood only moments before, Beloveds obsession with dominating
Sethes life quickly becomes apparent as Beloved explains the order of her allegiances.

5.

Why does Denver want to keep Sethe ignorant of Beloveds identity?

Answers will vary. Example: Denver is lonely and wants to keep Beloved to herself, because
she enjoys the company of a girl her age. Denver is also afraid of how Sethe will react if she
figures out Beloveds identity, because Denver is terrified of losing her friend.

6.

Why does Paul D distrust Beloved?

Beloved confuses Paul D. First, her past remains a mystery despite five months at 124. Secondly,
she appears to Paul D to be sexually aroused, though for no one in particular. Because of his
uncertainty, Paul D is wary of her intentions, whatever they may be.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

Book One (Pages 86 126)


Vocabulary
chamois soft, pliable leather made from sheep, goats and deer
chastise to punish; to beat
dissipated scattered, wasted
eddy movement within a body of air or water
hillock a small hill
impregnable secure against attack, unyielding
indolent idle, lazy
poled pushed by a stick or pole
roused awakened, provoked
smoldering burning slowly; having secret feeling of anger or jealousy
spry vigorous, agile
sullen moody and silent
surreptitiously done by stealth, secretly
thrashing beating or flogging; punishment
uninquisitive not eager for knowledge, uninterested
yearn to desire or long for

1.

What do we learn about Baby Suggs in this section? How does it affect your interpretation
of the way she died?

In this section, we learn that Baby Suggs was a non-denominational preacher. She focused on
spirituality more than religion and on healing the psychological scars left by slavery. This
new information makes the manner of her death confusing, as it is surprising that a person of
such internal strength died as a tired, broken woman.

2.

What were the different reactions to Sethe being choked in the Clearing?

Sethe was confused by the choking, first suspecting Baby Suggs ghost of being responsible. After
Beloveds odd behavior, however, Sethe begins suspecting her daughters true identity, though
not necessarily Beloveds part in the choking. As for Denver, the attack on Sethe caused her to
realize Beloveds capability to harm Sethe, signaling a dangerous step in the mother/daughter
relationship. Beloved, however, denied her participation in the assault, blaming it instead on the
circle of iron, an allusion to the torturous restraints used on slaves.

3.

Explain the irony of Paul Ds escape from Alfred, Georgia.

Forty-six slaves were chained together for the purpose of keeping them in place. The irony
of the chains is that because all of the men were chained together, they were able to help one
another escape. Instead of keeping all of the men in Georgia, the chain actually allowed all
forty-six men to escape as a group.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

4.

Beloved does not so much seduce Paul D as she does overwhelm him. It is obvious she
does not love Paul D, and she does not seem attracted to him. Why would she want to
have sex with him?

Answers may vary. Examples: Beloved has sex with Paul D because she sees him as a threat in
her relationship with Sethe. By experiencing the same sensations as Sethe, Beloved is hoping
to draw closer to her mother, while simultaneously driving a wedge between Paul D and Sethe.
Also, Beloved may sleep with Paul D as revenge for driving her out of 124 when he first arrived.
Initially, she moved him from room to room in the house before finally seducing him against his
will, proving her dominance in their interaction.

5.

What is the significance of the odd interaction between Denver and Beloved in the woodshed?

Denver begins to panic because Beloved was killed in the woodshed, and Denver is afraid that she
will choose the same place to leave Sethe and Denver again. For her part, Beloved has a strange
episode in the shed because she sees a vision of her own death, from the third-person perspective.

Book One (Pages 127 165)


Vocabulary
anointed blessed, extremely lucky
desolated barren, lifeless
inaccessible impossible to approach
insistent firm
melancholy sadness
parcel group
repulsion disgust
scrutiny careful looking

1.

What does Paul D propose to Sethe? Why?

Paul D asks Sethe to have a baby with him, because he is afraid to lose her. He is confused by
Beloveds strange hold on him, but he is too frightened to broach the subject with Sethe. With
the hope that having a child will focus his energy on Sethe, he thinks that the problem with
Beloved will be overshadowed.

2.

When does Sethe finally admit to herself who Beloved is?

After she and Paul D begin sharing a bed again, Sethe begins thinking about the motivation
for Paul Ds desire to have a baby. Sethe rationalizes her own distaste for the idea by admitting
she already has two children in the house, and further by analyzing her first encounter with
Beloved as associated with childbirth.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

3.

What does Beloveds reaction to her lost tooth reveal?

Answers may vary. Example: First, it shows that Beloved has feelings. Prior, she was presented
as a sort of parasite, surviving on bits of Sethe, and the revelation of her worried conscience
evokes sympathy for Beloved. Her concern over flying apart shows that, at least in part, her
reincarnation is fueled not by selfish control over the residents of 124, but rather a daughters
desire to be near her mother and to be part of a complete unit.

4.

Why were the townspeople mad at Baby Suggs after her party?

The townspeople were mad at Baby Suggs because they felt she was rubbing their noses in her
good fortune. Neglecting the idea she had been a slave, and qualifying the time she had spent
in bondage, they were infuriated by the reckless generosity on display at 124.

5.

What explanation does Baby Suggs give Mr. Garner for her real name?

Although her papers stated her name was Jenny Whitlow, Baby explained to Mr. Garner that
her chosen name was Baby Suggs, from a slave she had married years before. He had escaped,
and she kept his name so that he could eventually come back to find her.

6.

Why does Morrison describe the men who came to retrieve Sethe as the four horsemen?

The term four horsemen is an allusion to the Biblical story of Armageddon, or the end of the
world. In the story, the world will come to an end when the four horsemen of the Apocalypse
ride, and Morrison is making the connection between the end of the world and the end of Sethes
comfortable freedom from slavery.

7.

Why did Sethe kill her daughter?

Instead of allowing her children to be subjected to the horrors she experienced as a slave, she
chose to sacrifice their lives rather than their freedom. Her daughter happened to be the first,
and had Stamp Paid not intercepted her further attempts, all of her children would probably
have been killed.

8.

Why does Paul D refuse to acknowledge that the picture in the newspaper is of Sethe?

Because of the terrible details Paul D does not want to hear, he denies that the story involves
Sethe. He cannot read, so if he does not believe that the picture is associated with Sethe, he can
continue denying her awful past.

9.

When Sethe explains her actions to Paul D, what is his response, and what are the consequences
of his reaction?

Paul D believes that there were other options for Sethe, suggesting that her murderous response
was primitive and animalistic. His viewpoint opens a chasm between the two, described by
Morrison as a forest, but exemplified by Paul Ds immediate exit from the house.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

Book Two (Pages 169 199)


Vocabulary
bereaved in mourning
cipher understand
conflagration a large destructive fire
contentious desiring confrontation
contraband illegal substances
dispensing giving out
dropsy a disease
exhorted urged by argument
jostled shaken
manumission freeing from slavery
moorings items to hold something in place, anchors
pilfer to steal
ravenous starving, hungry
revelation disclosure of information
riled angered, excited
trudging difficult walking
vexed confused

1.

Why does Stamp Paid feel guilty about having shared a well-known, public piece of information
with Paul D?

Stamp Paid feels guilty because Paul D left 124 the same day he was informed of Sethes past.
Stamp, however, feels worse for Denver than for Sethe, because he feels that Paul D might have
been the recluses last chance for exposure to someone other than her mother. In addition, Stamp
was a good friend of Baby Suggs and feels bad for the way they grew apart close to her death.

2.

Why did Baby Suggs stop preaching?

Baby Suggs stopped preaching because she felt her lifes work had been in vain. Despite all
the sacrifices she had made in her life, white men stormed into her yard and interrupted the
tranquility of her freedom. Exhausted by the guilt of both her daughter-in-law and the white
men ultimately responsible, she gave up on God, and, therefore, preaching.

3.

Where did Stamp Paid get his name? What does it have to do with his current benevolence?

Stamp Paid gave himself that name because he feels that he made a sacrifice that exempted him
from all future debt. By allowing his wife to be taken by his masters son (without killing the
son or himself), he believed that he had fulfilled any possible obligation. In addition, it makes
his current kindness ironic, as he assumed his freedom would leave him a renegade. Instead, he
helps other people pay off their debts, sharing their misery to lighten the load.

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

4.

What was the lesson Sethe heard schoolteacher conducting?

Schoolteacher was conducting a lesson for his nephews on the animal and human attributes
of slaves, but specifically Sethe, making evident the purpose of the measurement schoolteacher
had taken of each slave. Schoolteachers calculating demeanor made clear that the slaves were
literally animals to him, and he encouraged the same thinking in his nephews.

5.

Where did Stamp Paid get his ribbon, and why does he still carry it?

Stamp Paid found the ribbon caught on the bottom of his boat, and it had a piece of human hair
and scalp attached, meaning it came from the head of a lynched little girl. He still carries it
with him to keep him motivated, a morbid reminder of the horrors white people have inflicted
on blacks.

Book Two (Pages 200 217)


1.

How does Morrisons story shift stylistically in this section?

Morrison begins alternating narrators, allowing Sethe, then Denver, then Beloved to address
the reader. In addition, she introduces an element of stream-of-consciousness to the narrative.

2.

An important person is largely missing from Sethes section. Who is it and why?

Denver is the person missing from Sethes section. Because Sethe is so focused on Beloved, she
neglects her other daughter. Sethe mentions Denver only in connection with her daughters
aversion to stories about Sweet Home, a place that Sethe shared with Beloved, and, therefore,
one she holds sacred.

3.

In Denvers section, what does the reader learn about her allegiances to her family members?

In her section, Denver reveals that she is frightened of Sethe. Despite the fear that Sethe would
kill her, the young Denver outlasted her runaway brothers, surviving with the companionship of
her sisters ghost. Though Beloved is obviously obsessed with Sethe, Denver tries to turn Beloveds
attention to herself, perhaps fearing a repeat fate for her sister, the reincarnated ghost. Because
she cannot understand Sethes justification, Denver views her mother as a traitor of sorts, the
violator of an unspoken family pact, and her allegiance, therefore, lies with her sister.

4.

When Denver was young, she claimed her mother would cut her head off. What does her
metaphor represent?

Answers may vary. Example: Because of the fear of her mother literally cutting her head off,
Denver uses the action as a symbol for her mothers indifference to murder, comparing the violent
act to pulling out a splinter. In addition, the dream probably reflects Denvers nightly worry
over exposing her throat while Sethe was braiding her hair, not sure if Sethe was trustworthy.


10

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

5.

Why is there no punctuation in Beloveds section?

Answers may vary. Example: Because the information provided by Beloved is in stream-ofconsciousness, the section already gave the perception of confusion, and the lack of punctuation
further exaggerates the frustration. The visions overwhelming Beloved make it impossible for
her to adhere to literary rules on what filters through to the reader.

6.

Beloveds section is extremely confusing. What is she describing?

Answers may vary. Example: Beloved seems to be describing her time aboard a ship on the
Middle Passage from Africa to America. That story is mirrored by what seems to be the story
of her spirit self regaining human form, as Beloved.

7.

Discuss the poems on pages 215 217. Who is speaking in each poem?

Each of the sections has different voices, sometimes one, but more often a combination of Sethe,
Beloved and Denver. Answers on the meaning of each poem will vary.

Book Two (Pages 218 238)


Vocabulary
cogitation thing one is thinking about
dissuade discourage
hominy ground corn meal
juba an African dance

1.

Why did the Pauls have to think about whether to run away from Sweet Home?

Raised as slaves and treated comparatively well, they knew that the chances of successfully
escaping Sweet Home and evading future capture were slim. Essentially, they rationalized that it
might be better to stay in a softer style of slavery than to risk being recaptured and broken.

2.

Before he was killed, Sixo yelled, Seven-O! while laughing at his white captors. What do
his words mean, and why is he laughing?

Sixo laughed to show his lack of fear. As a captured escapee, he was aware of the punishment
awaiting him, and he was also aware of the sadistic pleasure often drawn from the masters
power over their slaves. By laughing in the face of his captors, Sixo contradicted the usual
reaction of a condemned slave. In addition, by yelling Seven-O, he was announcing himself
as simply one step in a progression of slaves fighting the system; one could assume he was
preceded by Five-O.


11

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

3.

When Paul D was drinking outside the church, what was ironic about the horseback rider
asking him to stop?

The rider noticed that Paul D was drinking outside of a church and felt that action was disrespectful.
What makes his observation ironic, however, is that the rider originally stopped because he was
looking for directions to a prostitute.

4.

How does Stamp Paid justify Sethes murderous actions to Paul D?

Stamp Paid validates Sethes decision to sacrifice her children as outhurting the hurter. Sethe
knew the financial stake in both her children and herself, and by diminishing the crop brought
back to Sweet Home, she knew she would be hurting schoolteachers wallet. Her own pain was
inevitable, but she also intended to spread pain to the men responsible.

5.

When Paul D asked Stamp Paid how much a man is supposed to take, what was Stamps reply?
Why?

Stamp Paid suggested a man should take all he can. Answers may vary. Example: Stamp
realized that oppression was not going to end immediately, and to keep fighting, black men
would need patience, even in the face of abuse.


12

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

Book Three (Pages 239 273)


Vocabulary
braced strengthened
cajoling persuading by flattery
calamity disaster
chastised punished
cowered frightened hiding
dispensed gave out
doomsday a dreaded day of judgement
inaugurated started
indiscriminately without reason or intent
listless without motivation or energy
protruding poking out
rancor bitter resentment
snarl growl, sneer
tentative hesitant, nervous
vulnerability weakness

1.

How did the family dynamic change after the night of ice-skating?

After Sethe saw the scar on Beloveds neck (from the sawblade), she became consumed with
explaining her decision to Beloved. As Beloved had longed for Sethes undivided attention,
Sethes shift fueled a mutual obsession that left Denver as an outsider. Eventually, Denver was
forced to assume the role of mother for the other two women.

2.

Beloved grew fatter because of eating sweets, but is there another possible explanation for
her growth?

Answers may vary. Example: The easiest explanation for Beloveds increasing waistline is her
food consumption, but it is possible her sexual encounter with Paul D could have made her
pregnant. In a figurative sense, Beloveds increase in size could be attributed to her parasitic
hold on Sethe, who is simultaneously losing weight. Beloved is obviously draining Sethes spirit,
and it is manifested in their respective weight changes.

3.

Denver was terrified to take the first steps out of her yard. What finally made her go?

Denver was primarily motivated by the need to help her family, because she saw her mother
wasting away while Beloved took advantage of her guilt. To take the first steps off her porch,
though, Baby Suggs spirit urged her on. A ghost had kept Denver inside 124 for years, and,
ironically, a ghost also drove her to seek out help beyond 124.


13

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

4.

On page 255, Morrison describes a small change dish at the Bodwins. Why?

Morrison includes a description of the change dish as a reminder of the danger of trusting
even the kindest white people. Despite an earned reputation of benevolence towards the black
community, the Bodwins have a racist decoration displayed on a shelf in their home. Baby
Suggs warned Denver not to trust white people, and the change dish supported her declaration,
even regarding people who had helped the Suggs family in the past.

5.

When Sethe attacked Mr. Bodwin, what did she think was happening?

Seeing Mr. Bodwins hat, Sethe confused him for schoolteacher. Thinking that Beloved was
going to be taken from her again, Sethe attacked Mr. Bodwin with the ice pick.

6.

Where does Beloved go?

Answers will vary. Example: When Sethe was confronted with a situation closely resembling
the approach of schoolteacher 18 years before, she chose to defend (instead of sacrificing)
Beloved. Seeing this, Beloved may have finally gotten the confirmation she needed to rest in
peace, and then she vanished.

7.

What is the significance of the poem on page 263?

The poem is a complete version of the one Paul D was singing when he first moved into 124.
When Paul D first sang the song, he was worried because he was not sure he wanted to stay at
124. Now, at the end, it is sung in its entirety, and it shows that he still loves Sethe, despite her
weakened state.

8.

What more is Denver referring to in the following quote? You think she sure nough
your sister? Denver looked at her shoes. At times. At times I think she wasmore.

Answers may vary. Example: Despite the overwhelming evidence to suggest she was Sethes
slain daughter, there is also evidence that Beloved may have had some influence from Sethes
mother. Obviously, Sethes daughter was born on Sweet Home and, as a crawling already
baby, was too young to do manual labor. Beloved, however, made reference to the horrors of the
Middle Passage and also to incidents shared between Sethe and her mother, but not Beloved.

9.

What changes occur in Denver through the course of the novel? Cite examples from the text.

Answers may vary. Example: Denver matures over the course of the novel, moving from the
introvert interested only in stories involving herself, to the independent and self-assured young
woman evident by the time of Beloveds disappearance.


14

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

TEACHER COPY

Book Three (Pages 274 275)


1.

Why did people choose to forget Beloved?

People choose to ignore things they cannot explain, and while Beloveds appearance was
disturbing, her disappearance was unexplainable.

2.

Why do Beloveds footprints fit everyone who steps in them?

Answers may vary. Examples: Because Beloved is the physical manifestation of Sethes mental
scars from slavery, Morrison is suggesting that each of us bears a little scarring from a terrible
time in Americas history. In addition, like Beloved, much of our involvement in the legacy of
unequal race relations has been purposely forgotten.


15

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Beloved
Book One (Pages 4 49)
Vocabulary
deprivation prevention from using or enjoying something
devious underhanded, deceitful; indirect
exorcise to expel an evil spirit
glittering sparkling
intolerable unbearable
luminous glowing, emitting light
palsied paralyzed, made helpless
perfunctory indifferent
pike a long-snouted fish
pondering thinking deeply
rebuked reprimanded, scolded
revulsion disgust, aversion
spiteful full of ill will or malice
studded embedded with
untethered untied, unrestrained
venom spite, malice, anger

1.

2.

The first line of the book is 124 was spiteful. Why do you suppose Morrison describes
the house and not the ghost residing in it as spiteful?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What is the significance of the house number 124?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

3.

STUDENTS COPY

Both Sethe and Paul D remember their time at Sweet Home with relative contentment.
Why does Sethe not look back on her enslavement with more anger?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.

Why did Mr. Garner draw pleasure from calling his own niggers men?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

5.

After Paul D exorcised the ghost from 124, why was Denver sad?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

6.

What color is the pool of light in 124? Why is it there and why is it that color?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

7.

Why do Sethe and Denver continue living in 124 Bluestone Road?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

8.

9.

STUDENTS COPY

Why does Amy Denver, a white girl, help out the pregnant Sethe, an admittedly escaped
slave?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
When did Sethe become aware of the colors around her? Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

10. Why does Paul D think Sethes attachment to Denver is risky?



_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
11. What purpose does the circus serve in the story?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
12. What do the linked arms of the shadows represent?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

3

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Book One (Pages 50 85)


Vocabulary
bit torturous restraining device which keeps the wearer from being able to speak
cadence rhythm
cholera a severe, infectious intestinal disease
configuration arrangement of parts; external shape
enunciate to pronounce clearly
flawless perfect
gaiety happiness, liveliness
gilded given a deceptively attractive appearance
haint slang for a poor person
hosiery stockings, socks
infuriated angered
redundant unnecessary, excessive
scrounge desperately seek for something
sorghum type of cereal grass
voided emptied, evacuated
zealot an extreme partisan, fanatic

1.

Who is the first character to suspect Beloveds true identity?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

2.

Paul D claimed that the bit did not make him go crazy. What did he claim was responsible,
and why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

3.

STUDENTS COPY

When Sethe learns that her husband witnessed her rape, she is obviously upset that he did
not come to her rescue. How does Paul D rationalize Halles inaction?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.

Why does Beloved get angry when Denver asks her not to tell Sethe who she [Beloved] is?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

5.

Why does Denver want to keep Sethe ignorant of Beloveds identity?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

6.

Why does Paul D distrust Beloved?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Book One (Pages 86 126)


Vocabulary
chamois soft, pliable leather made from sheep, goats and deer
chastise to punish; to beat
dissipated scattered, wasted
eddy movement within a body of air or water
hillock a small hill
impregnable secure against attack, unyielding
indolent idle, lazy
poled pushed by a stick or pole
roused awakened, provoked
smoldering burning slowly; having secret feeling of anger or jealousy
spry vigorous, agile
sullen moody and silent
surreptitiously done by stealth, secretly
thrashing beating or flogging; punishment
uninquisitive not eager for knowledge, uninterested
yearn to desire or long for

1.

2.

What do we learn about Baby Suggs in this section? How does it affect your interpretation
of the way she died?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
What were the different reactions to Sethe being choked in the Clearing?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

3.

Explain the irony of Paul Ds escape from Alfred, Georgia.


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.

Beloved does not so much seduce Paul D as she does overwhelm him. It is obvious she
does not love Paul D, and she does not seem attracted to him. Why would she want to
have sex with him?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

5.

What is the significance of the odd interaction between Denver and Beloved in the woodshed?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Book One (Pages 127 165)


Vocabulary
anointed blessed, extremely lucky
desolated barren, lifeless
inaccessible impossible to approach
insistent firm
melancholy sadness
parcel group
repulsion disgust
scrutiny careful looking

1.

What does Paul D propose to Sethe? Why?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

2.

When does Sethe finally admit to herself who Beloved is?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

3.

What does Beloveds reaction to her lost tooth reveal?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.

Why were the townspeople mad at Baby Suggs after her party?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

5.

What explanation does Baby Suggs give Mr. Garner for her real name?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

6.

Why does Morrison describe the men who came to retrieve Sethe as the four horsemen?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

7.

Why did Sethe kill her daughter?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

8.

Why does Paul D refuse to acknowledge that the picture in the newspaper is of Sethe?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

9.

When Sethe explains her actions to Paul D, what is his response, and what are the consequences
of his reaction?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Book Two (Pages 169 199)


Vocabulary
bereaved in mourning
cipher understand
conflagration a large destructive fire
contentious desiring confrontation
contraband illegal substances
dispensing giving out
dropsy a disease
exhorted urged by argument
jostled shaken
manumission freeing from slavery
moorings items to hold something in place, anchors
pilfer to steal
ravenous starving, hungry
revelation disclosure of information
riled angered, excited
trudging difficult walking
vexed confused

1.

2.

Why does Stamp Paid feel guilty about having shared a well-known, public piece of information
with Paul D?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
Why did Baby Suggs stop preaching?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________


10

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

3.

Where did Stamp Paid get his name? What does it have to do with his current benevolence?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.

What was the lesson Sethe heard schoolteacher conducting?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

5.

Where did Stamp Paid get his ribbon, and why does he still carry it?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________


11

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Book Two (Pages 200 217)


1.

How does Morrisons story shift stylistically in this section?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

2.

An important person is largely missing from Sethes section. Who is it and why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

3.

In Denvers section, what does the reader learn about her allegiances to her family members?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.

When Denver was young, she claimed her mother would cut her head off. What does her
metaphor represent?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

5.

Why is there no punctuation in Beloveds section?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

6.

Beloveds section is extremely confusing. What is she describing?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

7.

Discuss the poems on pages 215 217. Who is speaking in each poem?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________


12

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Book Two (Pages 218 238)


Vocabulary
cogitation thing one is thinking about
dissuade discourage
hominy ground corn meal
juba an African dance

1.

Why did the Pauls have to think about whether to run away from Sweet Home?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

2.

Before he was killed, Sixo yelled, Seven-O! while laughing at his white captors. What do
his words mean, and why is he laughing?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

3.

When Paul D was drinking outside the church, what was ironic about the horseback rider
asking him to stop?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.

How does Stamp Paid justify Sethes murderous actions to Paul D?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

5.

When Paul D asked Stamp Paid how much a man is supposed to take, what was Stamps reply?
Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________


13

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Book Three (Pages 239 273)


Vocabulary
braced strengthened
cajoling persuading by flattery
calamity disaster
chastised punished
cowered frightened hiding
dispensed gave out
doomsday a dreaded day of judgement
inaugurated started
indiscriminately without reason or intent
listless without motivation or energy
protruding poking out
rancor bitter resentment
snarl growl, sneer
tentative hesitant, nervous
vulnerability weakness

1.

How did the family dynamic change after the night of ice-skating?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

2.

Beloved grew fatter because of eating sweets, but is there another possible explanation for
her growth?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

3.

Denver was terrified to take the first steps out of her yard. What finally made her go?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

4.

On page 255, Morrison describes a small change dish at the Bodwins. Why?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________


14

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

5.

When Sethe attacked Mr. Bodwin, what did she think was happening?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

6.

Where does Beloved go?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

7.

What is the significance of the poem on page 263?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

8.

What more is Denver referring to in the following quote? You think she sure nough
your sister? Denver looked at her shoes. At times. At times I think she wasmore.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

9.

What changes occur in Denver through the course of the novel? Cite examples from the text.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________


15

STUDY GUIDE

Beloved

STUDENTS COPY

Book Three (Pages 274 275)


1.

Why did people choose to forget Beloved?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

2.

Why do Beloveds footprints fit everyone who steps in them?


_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________


16

STUDY GUIDE

R E S T W I C K

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Shakespeare Literary Touchstone Classic contains line
numbers, margin notes, and a guide to understanding
Shakespeares language, as well as key strategies for
getting the most from the plays.
TU
R J ........................................................................................ $5.99............ $2.99
202113 .......Dracula - Stoker

TU
RJ
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200166 .......Ethan Frome - Wharton

TU
RJ
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AP ..................................................................... $4.99............ $1.99
200054 .......Frankenstein - Shelley

TU
RJ
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AP .......................................................... $5.99............ $2.99
202112 .......Great Expectations - Dickens

TU ............................................................................... $4.99............ $2.49


202108 .......Gullivers Travels - Swift
TU
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200091 .......Hamlet - Shakespeare

TU
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200074 .......Heart of Darkness - Conrad

TU
RJ
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202117 .......Hound of the Baskervilles, The - Doyle

TU
RJ
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200147 .......Importance of Being Earnest, The - Wilde

TU
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301414 .......Invisible Man, The - Wells

TU
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202115 .......Jane Eyre - Bront

TU
RJ
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200146 .......Julius Caesar - Shakespeare

TU
RJ
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201817 .......Jungle, The - Sinclair

TU
RJ
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200125 .......Macbeth - Shakespeare

TU ......................................................................................... $3.99............ $1.99


204864 .......Medea - Euripides
TU
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200133 .......Metamorphosis, The - Kafka

TU
RJ
AT ........................................ $3.99............ $1.99
200081 .......Midsummer
Midsummer Nights Dream, A - Shakespeare

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New titles are constantly being added; call or visit our


website for current listing.

TU
RJ
AT ............................................... $3.99............ $1.99
202123 .......Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare

TU
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301391 .......My Antonia - Cather

200079 .......Narrative of the Life of


TU
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Frederick Douglass - Douglass

TU
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301269 .......Odyssey, The - Butler (trans.)

TU ............................................................................... $3.99............ $1.99


200564 .......Oedipus
Oedipus Rex - Sophocles
TU
RJ
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AP ...................................................................... $3.99............ $1.99
200095 .......Othello - Shakespeare

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TU
RJ
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AP ........................................ $4.99 ........... $2.49
200053 .......Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Twain

TU
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200473 .......Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The - Twain

TU
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202121 .......Picture of Dorian Gray, The - Wilde

TU
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200368 .......Pride and Prejudice - Austen

TU ............................................................................... $3.99............ $1.99


202114 .......Prince, The - Machavelli

TU
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202116 .......Alices Adventure in Wonderland - Carroll

TU ......................................................................................... $3.99............ $1.99


200791 .......Pygmalion - Shaw

TU
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202118 .......Antigone - Sophocles

TU
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200102 .......Red Badge of Courage, The - Crane

TU
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200141 .......Awakening, The - Chopin

TU
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200193 .......Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare

$3.99 ........... $1.99

TU
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200132 .......Scarlet Letter, The - Hawthorne

202111 .......Beowulf - Roberts (ed.)

TU ..................................................................................

204866 .......Best of Poe, The: The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven,

TU
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202119 .......Siddhartha - Hesse

The Cask of Amontillado, and 30 Others - Poe .................................................. $4.99 ........... $2.49
TU
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200150 .......Call of the Wild, The - London

TU
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204863 .......Silas Marner - Eliot

TU .......................................................................... $3.99 ........... $1.99


200348 .......Canterbury Tales - Chaucer

TU
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200231 .......Taming of the Shrew, The - Shakespeare

TU
RJ
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200179 .......Christmas
Christmas Carol, A - Dickens

TU
RJ
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204865 .......Time Machine, The - Wells

TU .......................................................... $6.99 ........... $3.49


201198 .......Crime and Punishment - Dostoyevsky

TU
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202120 .......Treasure Island - Stevenson

200694 .......Dolls
Dolls House, A - Ibsen

.......................................................................... $3.99 ........... $1.99

TU
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301420 .......War of the Worlds - Wells

TU
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200190 .......Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Stevenson

TU
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202122 .......Wuthering Heights - Bront

TU R J AT

TU

Teaching Units R Response Journals


TU

RJ

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AP .................................................................. $5.99............ $2.99
200251 .......Tale
Tale of Two Cities, A - DickensJ

AT Activity Pack
AP AP Teaching Units

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