Beloved

Beloved, as a representative of the inability to escape slavery and its horrors, becomes a catalyst for the emotional growth of the novel's main characters. These characters include Sethe, Paul D, and Denver. Beloved symbolizes different people for different characters. Sethe sees her as mother and daughter. Paul D despises Beloved.... but through their encounters he learns to love again. For Denver, Beloved presence transforms her from a needy, dependent young girl into a fiercely independent young woman.