Beloved

whites heap upon them and the self-hatred whites try to teach them. That scene of preaching contrasts in Sethe's mind with the last months of Baby Suggs' life, in which she felt beaten by the whites and just wanted to think about color. Sethe then remembers her travel from the riverbank where Amy left her to Baby Suggs' house. She is picked up by Stamp Paid and brought by Ella the rest of the way. When she arrived at Bluestone Road, Baby Suggs cleaned her feet and back and let her see her children, the boys and the two-year old girl. Sethe has Baby Suggs remove the crystal earrings from her old dress and dangles them for the entertainment of the girl, who surprises her by crawling already. She remembers the 28 days between her arrival and the baby's death as the time when she learned to claim ownership of herself and be free. As Sethe sits in the clearing and contemplates these losses, she feels fingers massage her neck. She assumes it is the ghostly presence of Baby Suggs, but soon sh...