Our Shared Shelf discussion

“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” This quote really stuck out at me while reading as it's so powerful and beautifully rendered across all of Morrison's characters.

All of Morrison's characters were imprisoned at one point in time.

- How do you think they escaped?
- Were they able to claim ownership of themselves - how did they do it or how did they not do it?

Interesting questions.

First, "Were they able to claim ownership of themselves - how did they do it or how did they not do it?" makes me think there might be two questions actually.
1) Claiming ownership of themselves to others
2) Claiming ownership of themselves to themselves.

I don't really think they voiced their freedom clearly to others, it is more in their behaviour. Seethe was able to reach her children and Paul. D wandered on the road.
In each case, I believe they claimed ownership of themselves to themselves first, and I assume it was the sparks for them to escape.

I'll supplement my post later.

Interesting input! :)

I think you are right, Paul. D seems to seek for a place just like love or freedom was outside while it is a bit everywhere, maybe mainly in ourselves. I suppose his wandering was an escape to take distance from what he knew and then think about himself but he seemed, maybe, to have a lost the essence of Self Love. So maybe he does not know exactly what freedom and love are. On the other hand, who's able to clearly say "I know what Love is!". It's something, in my opinion, difficult to describe.

As for Denver, Beloved and Sethe... Just like you said they are more in touch with emotions, I highly prefer that but at some point it became unhealthy with the feeling of possession and jealousy. This frightened me a lot, I mean in my conception of love nobody belongs to anyone otherwise it becomes a cage. And at that point no love can exist. The fear of losing someone I understand that, but in the book it becomes personal, it's "I fear to loose you because I'm addicted to you.". I fully understand the fear to loose someone I love and it is (hopefully) normal but it should not include my own Self, I should not stick with someone or fear to loose someone because I get profit or benefits from being with that person. It's not harmony.

To me, Self Love is the most essential part of love, if I don't love myself how could I feel love for someone else? I think it would be just illusion or trying to hide pain or the fact I'm not able to love my Self. I know my vision is probably different than many other Visions :)

Where there is freedom, love is possible. Then it's up to people to make decision about exclusivity or not etc... For instance, I believe in exclusivity, I can't imagine to date or to be with two people in the same time, but it remains my choice, it's my will and I'm able to make such choice because I'm to do it.

I like when you're saying that whenever they say "I love" they say "I am".

So beautifully put Ximena. Thank you for sharing