It is not so much a question of why do we regret as it is a statement. My god,
this woman regrets. She regrets fiercely. In the beginning of Beloved, Sethe appears relatively free of remorse. She goes about her day. However, when the idea of rememory comes up,
that status changes quickly. Once she is
forced to relive her anguish, it becomes clear that she does not lack
regret. The whole idea of rememory is feeling.
Feeling whatever it is one has left behind. Sethe left a lot behind, and what she didn’t
leave behind left her. Once Paul D
reenters her life, everything comes together; whereas the moment that Beloved
returns, everything falls apart. Beloved
and Paul D do, however, share one thing.
They force her to regret. She can
no longer escape her past mistakes through an ignorant Denver. She must confront the actuality of what she
committed. In the end, Paul D was the
one who healed her. He told her what she
did was wrong. No excuses. He allowed himself to hate her and be
disgusted with her whereas Beloved could not seem to cut the cord. She could not stop loving her mother. I love her.
Only her. Mine. Paul D allowed her to love herself. She has more than her children. She’s got herself. And ultimately, isn’t that all any of us
really has? It’s like when Baby Suggs
calls out to the men, women, and children of The Community and tells them to
cry, dance, and sing. They walk into the
clearing alone, because we are all alone and forgiveness lies within us. Regret lies within us, and if we
chose to accept it and release it, then maybe that’s all it takes.
