Key quotes on Baby Suggs's characterisation Flashcards
‘A man ain’t nothing but a man’, said Baby Suggs. ‘But a son? Well now, that’s somebody’.
Underlines the importance of family relationships among slaves. Baby Suggs had eight children but she could only keep Halle.
Noun ‘man’: Baby Suggs regains agency over herself as she does not allow the men in her life to be recognized as true people (‘man’ is a general term).
This is also an act of liberation as Sugg’s will not gain retribution over her words.
Juxtaposition between ‘son’ and ‘man’: Innocence and purity is corrupted by experience. When owned by white owners, children become corrupted by their toxic influence (‘dreaming of rape’).
’?’ - This is an emotion she cannot forget, the relationship between mother and son during slavery was only temporary - heightens its value.
‘She wished for Baby Suggs’ fingers moulding her nape, reshaping it…’
‘nape’ - an allusion to the punishment that slaves endured, BS has the ability to heal this.
‘reshaping it’ - BS encourages Sethe to reshape her identity both physically and mentally - giving body real, spiritual worth following the monetary value bodies were given during slavery.
‘fingers moulding’ - importance of physical touch and regaining the trust in this after the traumas of slavery.
‘Don’t study war no more. Lay all that mess down. Sword and Shield’
‘war’ - not to worry about her past exploiting her future, regaining agency over a new life.
‘sword and shield’ - a symbol of protection and survival, a need to navigate their settings and current environment - attempt to build a peaceful future.
‘She had nothing left to make a living with but her heart’ … for ‘those who could use it’
‘heart’ - the significance of an individual lies in their emotions rather than their physical abilities.
Slavery had the intent of physical destruction but strength of slaves is shown in their ability to love.
Slaves are stripped of traditional means of survival - must obtain emotional strength.
Love is both a burden and a lifeline - BS lost 8 children - act of having to grapple with trauma.
‘nothing else’ - emphasises the cost of slavery/ strength of BS in being able to offer healing.
‘she became an unchurched preacher’
‘unchurched’ - A critique of institutionalised religion which denied the humanity of black individuals - the bible was historically interpreted to justify slavery.
Authority comes from lived experience and divine intuition - centers spirituality in the body rather than buildings (church) or texts.
‘Those white things have taken all I had or dreamed…There is no bad luck in the world but white folks’
‘whitefolks’ - removes blame from black people, shows an awareness of the white supremacy and its unjust persecution.
‘white things’ - role reversal, she denies white people humanity - regaining power and agency.
‘The heart that pumped out blood, the mouth that spoke the Word, didn’t count. They came in her yard anyway’
‘pumped out love’ - overwhelming sense of emotion, love in blood = pure.
‘Word’ - even though BS is religiously and spiritually aware, this is not enough to act on her freedom.
Morrison challenges religious preconceptions that the Word is enough to save people.
Whitewashing of history - Jesus cannot save them.
‘She could not approve or condemn Sethe’s rough choice’
BS is passive in her actions - she cannot control the actions of former slaves, she can only act as a guide rather than change the course of their actions.
BS embodies both the acceptance and rejection of Sethe’s choice - highlights the complexities of healing and the past - links to non-linear narrative.
‘…beaten up by the claims of both, she went to bed’
‘bed’ - accepts her powerless position in the face of those in authority (Schoolteacher).
BS position is not to judge, she accepts that Sethe has the power to make her own choices.
