“Beloved” by Toni Morrison (post 17): Beloved is Denver’s imaginary playmate and Sethe’s alternate personality; “rememory” is slang

Imaginary Playmate

In the chapter that begins “Beloved is My Sister” (1, p. 237), Denver says, “…I shouldn’t be afraid of the ghost…it would never hurt me. I just had to watch out for it because it was a greedy ghost and needed a lot of love…And I do. Love her. I do. She played with me and always came to be with me whenever I needed her” (1, p. 242).

Alternate Personality

In the next two chapters, which both begin, “I am Beloved and she is mine,” Beloved says, “Sethe’s is the face that left me…it is the face I lost…she is my face smiling at me…now we can join” (1, p. 247).

“She smiles at me and it is my own face smiling” (1, p. 248)…“you are me” (1, p. 250).

Added March 7: Relatives can have similar faces. Identical twins can have identical faces. But the only way that two "persons" can have the same face is if they are alternate personalities of the same person.

Rememory

“You rememory me?

“Yes, I remember you” (1, p. 249).

1. Toni Morrison. Beloved [1987]. New York, Everyman’s/Knopf, 2006.