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Chapter 16 begins with an allusion to the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, “When the four horsemen came…” (174). How does this reference help you to interpret the significance of the events recounted in the chapter?
Up until this chapter, the narrator has only provided the point of view of people who live in 123 (Sethe, Paul D,Denver
Chapter 16 begins with an allusion to the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, “When the four horsemen came…” (174). How does this reference help you to interpret the significance of the events recounted in the chapter?
Up until this chapter, the narrator has only provided the point of view of people who live in 123 (Sethe, Paul D,
The four horseman quote provides an ominous feeling going into the chapter. Looking back on it, it seems a very fitting opening for the end of Sethe's world. They were fresh off this big celebration, she had all the love in the world to give to her children, and her mother-in-law was there to help and support her in figuring out how to be free, but upon see the four horseman Sethe realized that her world was inevitably crashing and coming to an end (aka an Apocalypse). By killing her own daughter Sethe fulfilled the prophesy without the four horseman even having to do anything because it ruined the new happiness of her home, made her boys eventually flee, and her freedom was now lost because she is trapped in this house.
ReplyDeleteI was unfamiliar with the biblical allusion, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. In the Book of Revelations, the four horsemen “ride on white, red, black, and pale horses which each symbolize Conquest, War, Famine and Death, respectively.” Interestingly, in the story the four horsemen’s identities are explicitly stated in this particular order--the schoolteacher, the nephew, a slave catcher and the sheriff. I think Morrison is drawing a connection between the apocalypse, indicating the end of all human existence, and the life of slavery which Sethe’s children would have been bound to, were they to be taken back to Sweet Home. For Sethe at that time, murdering her own children (as horrific and terrible as that is) is better than letting them be suffer the life of a slave. Its interesting how Morrison focuses on the point of view of the schoolteacher, nephew, slave catcher and sheriff and how they interact with each other in this scene, because I think the there is a correlation between their roles and the different aspects of the apocalypse that the four horsemen represent.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding the reference to the four horsemen of the Apocalypse provides greater insight on Sethe’s feelings of imminent destruction as the four men approach. In the Bible, the horsemen are the bringers of the end of the world. The appearance of school teacher’s hat on the far horizon is, in Sethe’s eyes, comparable to the end of the world. So she “collected every bit of life she had made, all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried…[them]…where no one could hurt them” (192). As “the end” approaches, Sethe tries to outrun it to protect her children from destruction. Ironically, her intentions are still to end her childrens’ lives.
ReplyDeleteThe point of view in the beginning of the chapter is told from the view of the horseman, or the bringers of the Apocalypse of Sethe's newfound free world. "[T]he house on Bluestone Road was so quiet they thought they were too late," gives us the pronoun "they", telling us that this is not from the people already at 124 (174). This new view is so drastically different from the previous perspectives we've encountered throughout the book so far, and is particularly contrasted with the viewpoint of Baby Suggs later on in the chapter. Baby Suggs reacts in a methodical manner to Sethe's actions, and compared to the stark surprise of the horsemen, seems slightly out of place. Baby seems to take action and try to start mending the incident before she has time to contemplate what actually happens, and later on when they get Sethe into the house, she begins to ask forgiveness, which also seems peculiar. She asks forgiveness from god, which may tie back into the Apocalypse allusions aforementioned.
ReplyDeleteThe significance of beginning the Chapter with the four horseman quote is that this allusion sets the stage for what is going to play out in the chapter. It also tells the reader that the narrators “alliance” is switching again. This switch is evidenced by the way the narration is told, such as in “Although sometimes you could never tell, you’d find them folded up tight somewhere” (174). With Morrison using the words “you” and “them” in this context, the reader can infer that this chapter will be told from a dramatically different view than the previous chapters. I find Morrison’s flexibility very interesting. By using multiple perspectives, the book’s authenticity becomes enhanced. These different angles we see allow the reader to get a better feeling of Beloved’s world, more so than I feel a traditional narrator could supply. When Baby Suggs enters the scene we see another switch in Morrison’s narration style. She returns to the sympathetic view used mostly throughout the book. This view feels strange following such a violent scene. It might tie into the development of Baby Suggs character by displaying her in such a positive light, or it may revert to this narration style because the brutal horsemen have fled and the devastating aftermath is now what the characters are feeling.
ReplyDeleteThe horseman of the Apocalypse allusion on page 174 was a very important component of chapter 16. I agree with Julie with how she said by “killing her own daughter Sethe fulfilled the prophesy without the four horseman even haling to do anything because it ruined the new happiness of her home, boys eventually flee, and her freedom was now lost because she is trapped in this house.” This definitely adds to the story and is extremely interesting piece of the plot. The biblical allusion other’s mentioned was not something I that I did not get out of it but quotations such as “collected every bit of life she had made, all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried…[them]…where no one could hurt them” (192) can lead me to believe that, and adds even more to my reflection of the passage. This allusion of the horsemen definitely gave the reader insight into how the chapter was going to take place and unfold.
ReplyDeleteBaby Suggs's perspective leading up to the four horseman riding to 124, along with what the four horseman bring is all very biblical. Baby Suggs senses displeasure toward her excessive behavior the night before while gardening. She also senses something beyond the displeasure, a darkness coming. This can be seen as our current DAILY excess as humans that results in the four horseman riding in at the end of our world to wreak havoc on the excessive. Although, personally, I do not see the harm in ex-slaves getting together for one night of excess after their long and mistreated life before their freedom. But the apocalyptic horseman certainly do put an end to Baby's life of excess as well as the rest of the family's.
ReplyDeleteThe four horsemen allusion makes the reader immediately think of death, with the context of the bible the horsemen wipeout large amounts of life. The killing of Sethe's children has the possibility of wiping out the majority of her family. Even though only one of Sethe's children actually dies all of them have separated themselves from her, either by physically leaving or being emotionally distant from her. Both events are tragic and leave drastic consequences.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this section makes the reading so much easier, the flow of the passage is clear and you know when the events are occuring. Baby Suggs version of the story also flowed but was more informal because it included how she was feeling and what she was thinking during the event.
The four horseman allusion frames the events in this chapter perfectly because it attaches meaning to the significance of what is about to happen (since the four horseman come during the apocalypse which is the end of the world). While the murder of Sethe's children is indeed heinous, it is justified by Sethe as the better alternative to a life of slavery. Obviously the allusion presented a less than happy ending or unfolding of events. The brutal murder of her children can often be seen as apocalyptic- the end of their lives. Though, Sethe didn't see it that way. To her she was collecting " all the parts of her that were precious and fine and beautiful, and carried, pushed, dragged them through the veil, out, away, over there where no one could hurt them..." (192). The four horseman allusion definitely was appropriate in showing what was about to happen and how drastic the actions by Sethe were.
ReplyDeleteThe four horsemen represent famine, plague, war and death, or in other words, an end to peace and humanity. This imagery helps usher the dark turn the book took as Sethe's actions are revealed, and the story of Sethe's past are revealed. The horsemen's arrival signaled the end of the peace and celebration of 124 as Sethe tore not only her family apart, but also the community. The horsemen could also be seen as ushering in the uneasiness of the reader as he or she uncovers that Sethe, a character that has before been seen as somewhat heroic, has a darker side to her.
ReplyDeleteThe point of view changes drastically to that of the "four horsemen" at the point that the climax of the story is being revealed. I think the switch in perspective indicates that this is the part of the story that Sethe still can't quite "rememory". The "four horsemen" despicably view Sethe and her family like livestock that have been spoiled by abuse. They are not horrified by the humanity of what happens, they are just disappointed that a product was ruined. "you can't mistreat a creature and expect success" (176). When the perspective turns to Baby Suggs the element of humanity is immediately restored as she does everything she can to take care of things. In a way, Sethe has lost touch with humanity at this point, or at least did in a moment of panic. When Baby Suggs loses touch and dies later, Sethe is even further removed, but represses all this pain and tries to push forward.
ReplyDeleteThe change in point of view is interesting because it gives us a different perspective for the first time in the book. Up until this point in time, we have only seen through the eyes of the main characters, all of whom are the previously enslaved or those related to them. By providing perspective from another characters point of view, we really get to see the hatred and the way that other people think of Baby Suggs etc. The transition in narration was what made me notice the difference. We see schoolteacher reference to the "nigger with the flower in her hat," and go on to realize that it is Baby Suggs. The insensitivity of the school teacher is then countered by a humane and sensitive narration of the events by Baby Suggs. These points of view are very contradictory.
ReplyDeleteI feel the four-horsemen anology serves as a mile-marker, refrencing a specific chronological point. Here, it reflects the oncoming despair Sethe is to eventually endure, and is supported by the infant's death (perhaps a symbol for the loss of innocence or purity. Additionally,this metaphor works to underline the novel's racial hostilities, and allows the reader to connect to Sethe's own fears.
ReplyDeleteAs for the change in the point of view, there is a considerable change in the tone. Suggs, while 'coarse,' is less critical of Sethe, as compared to Stamp's. It is important to note that it is this point of view which begins to take away from the sympathy of Sethe's character and causes a shift in the reader's overall understanding of Sethe. It is arguably the most objective point of view thus far.
In the Bible, the four horsemen brings an image of death. Thus, when the allusion finds its way into the beginning of chapter 16 one can draw a parallel and understand another deeper level into the plot. The action of Sethe taking her child's life sets the wheels of destruction in motion for her family and ends with the lose of her loved ones. One might even see Sethe as a puppet or even manifestation of the four horsemen because her action brings about the destruction and loss of hope for a new fresh beginning as a free person out of slavery. I believe this calls into question the idea of fate and whether or not Sethe was destined to never actually be free.
ReplyDeleteApocalypse: Several of you mentioned some of the important symbolism associated with the four horsemen and the apocalypse. This reference alludes to the end of time, to a final break with all of the events that happened before the apocalypse. It also alludes the unveiling of a more true sense of reality; the excess of the celebration at Baby Suggs’ the night before may have been out of place, but only because it celebrated an illusion. The freedom it celebrated turned out to be false in a system of power that allows something like the Fugitive Slave Law to occur. In such a system of power, the “other side” that Sethe wants to send her children to might actually be an attractive alternative system of relation.
ReplyDeleteNarration: Some of you brought out how the omniscient narration from the point of view of the slave hunters gave it a sense of distance. Others commented on how alienated and inhuman the characters we are already so familiar with become when presented from the point of view of those whose perspective is shaped by a logic than enables slavery – one involving racism, and one that denies full or equal humanity to people of African descent. The distance of omniscient narration that does not allow for ‘rememory’/flashback/changing perspective may sometimes mimic the violence that the slave hunter’s distance enables.