The image of the tree comes up very often throughout the whole story. “It is identified with Life”. The main points for this are: the different kinds of trees, the symbols and its connection to African and Christian Symbolism, Sethe’s milk and its connection to the tree on her back, and finally the tree and its connection with slavery.
“Trees…play a crucial role in African religion, where they are considered as intermediaries between God and man-they are even worshiped by some tribes as God himself in his immanent aspect.”
“Though we are led to sympathize with her and recognize, at least partially, the legitimacy of her arguments, we also gradually discover that her own attitude-her conception of mother hood and her behavior toward her children-is at odds with the principle of the tree.” When Paul D asks her about the tree on her back, she answers briefly and then went to the comment about her milk.
No comments:
Post a Comment