Beloved : Characters

Characters

 Characters

1. Sethe: Sethe is the main character in Beloved. She is a mother filled with deep love and pain. She was Enslaved at the Sweet Home plantation in Kentucky. She escapes to Cincinnati with her children. To protect them from slavery, she tries to kill them. Sethe killed her younger baby girl, who later returns as Beloved. Sethe feels guilty, becomes weak, and gives everything to Beloved. In the end, Paul D helps her see her own worth, telling her, “You your best thing.” This helps Sethe begin to move forward. 

2. Beloved: Beloved is a strange and mysterious young woman who appears after the carnival. Sethe believes she is her dead daughter, now in human form. At first, Beloved acts like a child, but slowly, she takes control of Sethe’s life by copying her, wearing her clothes, and becoming more powerful. As time passes, Beloved grows fat and strong, while Sethe wastes away, and they often fight. Beloved accuses Sethe of leaving her behind. In the end, the women of the community come together to drive Beloved away, and she disappears forever. This helps Sethe to reduce some part of her painful past.

3. Denver: Denver is Sethe’s youngest daughter. She is the only child who stayed with her at 124 Bluestone Road. She grew up lonely and afraid because people in the community avoided their house. She has no friends. She fears the outside world. At first, she is happy to have Beloved because she feels less lonely, but later, she realizes Beloved is dangerous and is making Sethe weak. Seeing her mother suffer, Denver tries to save her mother from her beloved and be brave. For the first time in 12 years, she leaves the house and asks Lady Jones for food. She also gets a job with the Bodwins, which helps her become independent. By stepping outside and taking responsibility, Denver overcomes her fear and starts a new life.

4. Paul D: Paul D, a man who suffered greatly as a slave at Sweet Home, was once locked in a chain gang and carries deep emotional pain. He loves Sethe and wants a future with her. So, when he arrives at 124 Bluestone Road, he chases away the baby ghost. He hopes to help Sethe move on from her past. However, Beloved seduces him, and afterward, he feels ashamed and confused. He leaves the house. In the end, Paul D returns to Sethe. He helps her to see her own worth. He tells her, “You your best thing.”

5. Baby Suggs: She is a wise and Loving person. She is Halle’s mother and Sethe’s mother-in-law. Halle bought her freedom, and she moved to Cincinnati. She became a spiritual leader and taught Black people to love themselves. She held gatherings in the Clearing, where she encouraged self-acceptance. After Sethe killed her child, Baby Suggs became deeply sad and stopped preaching. She stayed in bed until she died. Her spirit later gives Denver the courage to leave the house and seek help. 

Minor Characters

6. Stamp Paid: Stamp Paid was an agent of the Underground Railroad. He helped enslaved people escape and reach freedom. He saved Sethe and helped her cross the river to Cincinnati. He brought her to Baby Suggs’s house. He gives her a chance at a new life. He feels guilty for telling Paul D about Sethe’s past. He wonders if he should have protected Sethe instead of exposing her. He hears strange voices at 124 and is afraid to enter the house. The house carries the weight of past suffering. He later tells Paul D about Beloved’s disappearance. He realizes that he still has responsibilities to his community.

7. Schoolteacher: He is  The Cruel Slave Owner. After Mr. Garner dies, the schoolteacher takes over Sweet Home. He believed that enslaved people should be controlled by strict rules and punishment. He treats enslaved people like animals and studies them cruelly. He takes notes on their bodies and behaviors. He treats them like property. He allows his nephews to abuse Sethe. This trauma deeply affects Sethe.  Later, it drives her to a desperate decision to kill her child. He comes to Cincinnati to take Sethe and her children back to slavery. This moment leads to the tragic event where Sethe kills her daughter.

8. Halle: Halle is Sethe’s husband and Baby Suggs’s son. He is known for his kindness and deep sense of responsibility. He worked hard to buy his mother’s freedom: He spent years working extra jobs to give his mother a better life. He planned to escape with Sethe. He became mad seeing the inhuman torture on Sethe. The trauma broke him, and he never got his normal life back. He was last seen with butter spread all over his face and never made it to freedom. His fate remains unknown, but he was lost to slavery’s cruelty.

9. Ella: Ella worked with Stamp Paid on the Underground Railroad. She helped many enslaved people escape to freedom. She was abused by white men and never wanted to think about the past. She believed that dwelling on the past was dangerous. When Beloved took over Sethe’s life, Ella led the community women to exorcise Beloved. She knew Sethe needed help. When Sethe tried to attack Mr. Bodwin, Ella stopped her. She protected Sethe from making another mistake.

10. Lady Jones: Lady Jones is a mixed-race woman with yellow hair. She feels like an outsider in both Black and white communities. She teaches Black children in Cincinnati and helps the poor: She believes in education and supporting others. When Denver asks her for help, she organizes food for Sethe’s family. She does not believe in ghosts, but she sees that Denver is suffering. She gives Denver reading lessons and encourages her to be independent. She helps Denver take her first steps toward a better future.

11. Mr. and Miss Bodwin: Mr. and Miss Bodwin helped Sethe win her freedom. They believe in ending slavery but have complicated views on race. Miss Bodwin gives Denver a job to help her become independent. She sees potential in Denver and wants to support her. Mr. Bodwin comes to pick up Denver, but Sethe mistakes him for the schoolteacher and tries to attack him. Ella stops Sethe before she can hurt him. 

12. Amy Denver: Amy is a white indentured servant who helps Sethe when she is pregnant. She treats Sethe kindly despite their different backgrounds. She delivers Sethe’s baby, who is later named Denver in her honor.  Without Amy’s help, Denver might not have survived.