Critical Lens: Feminist
"...But maybe a man was nothing but a man, which is what Baby Suggs always said. They encouraged you to put some of your weight in their hands and soon as your felt how light and lovely it was, they studied your scars and tribulations, after which they did what he had done: ran her children our and tore up the house." (Morrison 26)
In this scene from chapter two of Beloved, Paul D has just arrived at 124, Sethe's home. After being intimate with one another, Sethe and Paul D are left in a particularly uncomfortable moment. This time gives them both a chance to reflect on their intimate pasts with other people as well as their individual experiences at Sweet Home. For Sethe, this evokes many memories. She specifically recalls a lesson her mother in law, Baby Suggs, taught her about men and the way they can be, what she refers to as, 'dogs.'
The lesson that Sethe has been taught is very sad in many ways. She has been encouraged to trust the man's "hands" with her "weight" which [he] will supposedly hold "tight and lovely." The word choice here, indicates that the woman has a weight, or burden to be carried by the hands of a man, of which [he] will be be able to make [her] suddenly and miraculously feel free from, simply because of [his] manliness. It is made to seem as though a woman must confide in a man in order to feel secure and free, which is incredibly demeaning to the female figure as an individual.
She proceeds to mention that once the woman has confided in the man, just as she has been taught she is supposed to do, [he] will simply use this closeness as a way to "study" her "scars and tribulations" and essentially abandon her. What is terrifying, is that Sethe has been taught that [he] (any man) will surely use the trust and confidence that has been built between the two as a way to examine her every woe, and use the findings as an outlet, leaving her broken and without hands to hold the weight she had previously relied on [him] to hold. This sends women the message that after putting everything into a man's hands, he will surely use it to leave her broken and alone, proving himself "nothing but a man."
The idea that is highlighted in this passage is one that women are (sadly) taught still, even in today's society. These lessons that we teach women from such a young age about needing to look, act, and be a certain way for men, and men being "dogs," regardless, are extremely counterproductive to humanity. They push women to sacrifice self-reliance in order to put all of their "weight" in a man's hands, and teach young women that men's hands are unclean and should not be trusted. We should not be teaching our women to rely completely on men, or really anyone, in the first place, however we should also not be teaching them that all men are bad. This promotes a very negative, man-hating mindset. Feminism is about humanity. Humanity is about everybody. These lessons are beneficial to nobody.
The lesson that Sethe has been taught is very sad in many ways. She has been encouraged to trust the man's "hands" with her "weight" which [he] will supposedly hold "tight and lovely." The word choice here, indicates that the woman has a weight, or burden to be carried by the hands of a man, of which [he] will be be able to make [her] suddenly and miraculously feel free from, simply because of [his] manliness. It is made to seem as though a woman must confide in a man in order to feel secure and free, which is incredibly demeaning to the female figure as an individual.
She proceeds to mention that once the woman has confided in the man, just as she has been taught she is supposed to do, [he] will simply use this closeness as a way to "study" her "scars and tribulations" and essentially abandon her. What is terrifying, is that Sethe has been taught that [he] (any man) will surely use the trust and confidence that has been built between the two as a way to examine her every woe, and use the findings as an outlet, leaving her broken and without hands to hold the weight she had previously relied on [him] to hold. This sends women the message that after putting everything into a man's hands, he will surely use it to leave her broken and alone, proving himself "nothing but a man."
The idea that is highlighted in this passage is one that women are (sadly) taught still, even in today's society. These lessons that we teach women from such a young age about needing to look, act, and be a certain way for men, and men being "dogs," regardless, are extremely counterproductive to humanity. They push women to sacrifice self-reliance in order to put all of their "weight" in a man's hands, and teach young women that men's hands are unclean and should not be trusted. We should not be teaching our women to rely completely on men, or really anyone, in the first place, however we should also not be teaching them that all men are bad. This promotes a very negative, man-hating mindset. Feminism is about humanity. Humanity is about everybody. These lessons are beneficial to nobody.
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