Just like a ghost, Sethe from Beloved is caught in a limbo between her past and her future. She constantly struggles between the memories triggered by Beloved and the opportunities provided by Paul D. Having never matured in the present, Sethe finds comfort in Beloved, who personifies both the good and evil of her past. With Paul D returning to her life, Sethe becomes aware of the future, but resists moving forward. The constant tension between Beloved and Paul D for control of Sethe heightens Sethe's tension between the past and the future. Only when Sethe overcomes her past can she move forward into the future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay For Sethe, the clutter of her past is comforting. Beloved, as spirit and human, is always with Sethe. As Sethe prays, Denver sees "a white robe kneeling beside her mother and...and her sleeve around her mother's waist" (29). Prayer is an activity in which one finds peace within oneself, but it is not from within that one's comfort comes, but rather from the presence of the Beloved. Even in Sethe's most private and lonely moments, Beloved soothes her, while refusing to let go, as revealed by the arched arm. Sethe, although hesitant, is aware of her ever-present past. As she discusses the appearance of the white dress with Denver, she admits that "Some things disappear. Pass away. Some things stay. I thought those were my memories. You know. Some things you forget. D' other things you never do. But that's not the case... it will happen again; he will be there for you, waiting for you... he will always be there waiting for you" (36). at 124, reincarnated in human form, Sethe "can't place it" (67), but the "feeling" (67) within her recognizes Beloved as the same haunting past and knowing this, she "had always left her" in "(66), to his house, to his life. As the physical embodiment of Sethe's past, Beloved prevents her from defeating the ghosts of the past in which she dwells. After she mercifully kills Beloved, Sethe's dress dries "stiff, like rigor mortis" (153); it is not the dress that suffers partial mortality, but rather Sethe. When her daughter dies, a part of Sethe dies, suspending her in the past. Having become accustomed to Sethe's habits, Beloved begins to "take Bluestone Road farther and farther each day to meet Sethe and accompany her back to 124... as if every afternoon she doubts anew the woman's return more old” (57). Beloved is afraid that Sethe will leave her past, and she reclaims her in this way, striving to hold her back. She continually pushes Sethe back into the past as she fishes for stories, using the remnants of memories as bait. Beloved receives a "deep satisfaction...from the narration" (58) because every time Sethe feels a hint of her past life, she returns to that part of her life, which is so readily available without ever escaping it completely. of Sethe, telling Denver, “It’s her.” She’s the one I need… she’s the one I must have” (76). Each journey back keeps Sethe there as she embraces both the good and the bad, fulfilling Beloved's desire to hold her in the past. With the arrival of Paul D, comes cautious reassurance, leading Sethe to become curious about the future. The day after their first sex, Sethe begins to think, "Would it be okay? Would it be okay to go ahead and feel? Go ahead and count on something?" (38). He suggests the prospect of starting a family, something Sethe never hasreally lived, telling him they should make “room for someone with [Denver]” (45). Before she can make room for Paul D in their family, Sethe must overcome her past. As Sethe begins to move forward, Beloved's efforts grow, holding her back. At the carnival with Paul D and Denver, Sethe first sees the possibility of a future when she notices that "[t]hey weren't holding hands, but their shadows were...the three of them were sliding in the dust holding each other's hands." hand” (47) But, just like the landscaping of the carnival, where “the closer the roses got to death, the louder the sound was” (47), the closer Sethe gets to her past. behind her, the stronger and stronger Beloved's actions become. As she recognizes that "Paul D was adding something to her life - something she wanted to count on but was afraid to" (95), Sethe begins to lay down. the memory of Halle in Baby Suggs' preaching glade, but as she gains greater peace with the memory of Halle, the "fingers touching the back of her neck [become] stronger... Harder, stronger, the fingers [move] slowly toward his windpipe, making small circles along the way” (96). She associates the pain with that of forgetting the past, resurrecting her fear of letting go. Beloved not only attacks the future through Sethe, but also through Paul D, Sethe's link to the future. Paul D recognizes that this is the obstacle that prevents Sethe from moving forward, just as Beloved recognizes that it is Paul D who will get Sethe to leave the past behind. Between Paul D and Beloved, there is a constant power struggle; they struggle for power over Sethe and for power between them. Upon their first acquaintance, Paul displays his supremacy over Beloved, ordering her to “Leave the place alone!” Get out of hell” (18), hoping to give Sethe the opportunity to escape the past that possesses her. With Beloved in the House, "[t]here was no room for anything or the body until Paul D came along and broke the place up, making room, moving it, moving elsewhere” (39), but she uses it later. own tactics to rid 124 of Paul D. As Beloved slowly moves Paul D around the house, she ends up cornering him in the shed behind, ignoring Paul D's pleas regarding Sethe's love for her, taking in turn to ask Paul D to “touch” [her]. On the inner part” (117). Beloved uses sex, the weakness of man, to conquer the future. Although Beloved succeeds at the time, she does not rid 124 of Paul D, but rather leads her to realize that Sethe cannot move forward while her past haunts her. Only when Sethe is comfortable with the prospect of a future. so she can face her past. After his sexual encounter with Beloved, Paul D says to Sethe, “I want you to be pregnant… Would you do that for me” (128). Paul D's baby of desire is his wish to start over with Sethe, for both of them to put their pasts aside and create their own futures, but Sethe responds, "Don't you think I'm too old to start this." start all over again" (128), demonstrating her interest in the future, because she does not reject the idea of ​​a family, but at the same time her hesitation to move forward, because she does not feel not safe in leaving her past to regenerate her life As they slept together later, Sethe "put her hand on his chest [as she wondered] if her boys were ever coming back, and Denver and Beloved stayed well, "Would that be how it was supposed to be, no" (132). Placing her hand, she begins to bridge the future while contemplating and recognizing its consequences. Her recognition of the "smile and the frank love that pushed her."