Symbolic Healing in BelovedToni Morrison's powerful novel, Beloved, is based on the aftermath of slavery and the horrific burden of slavery's hidden sins. Morrison chooses to portray characters who were brutalized in slave life as strong-willed and capable of overcoming such trauma. This is made possible by the healing of many important characters, notably Sethe. Sethe is relieved from her painful agony of escaping Sweet Home and coping with her pregnancy with the help of young Amy Denver and Baby Suggs. Paul D's contributions to symbolic healing are intended to help him erase the past. Denver plays the most important role in Sethe's healing as she provides community support for her mother and reclaims her own individuality in the process. Trusting others is the only way for Sethe to find relief from her haunted past and her ailing body. Morrison demonstrates that overcoming the scars of slavery requires putting oneself into the hands of those who love them, rather than facing the painful memories alone. It's no surprise to see that Sethe named her second daughter after the girl who saved her life. of their two lives. Amy Denver, a white servant fleeing to Boston, provided encouragement and first aid to Sethe's swollen feet and helped her crawl to safety. As Sethe lay dying on the uncomfortable floor, Amy approached her. “She [Amy] collected some rocks, covered them with extra leaves and made Sethe put her feet on them… then she did the magic: lifted Sethe's feet and legs and massaged them until let her cry tears of salt” (Morrison, 35). Amy is freed from the burgeoning urge to abuse slaves, and this ignorance proves beneficial. U...... middle of paper ......carry Sethe, and in return, Sethe chooses to accept their attempts at healing and moves away from Beloved. Slavery is and always will be in Sethe. She was born a slave and raised as a slave. Crossing a river to freedom does not change the tortuous bonds of slavery. The emotional barriers that slavery imposes on people have different effects, but one thing remains common: the feeling of having no personal worth. Not everyone is as lucky as Sethe to have people in their life who help them overcome such obstacles. With the help of Amy, Denver, Baby Suggs, Paul D and others along her journey, Sethe is able to overcome the impossible and emerge from her past with a life of love and acceptance . Works Cited Furman, January Toni Morrison's Fiction. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1996. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York, Penguin Books USA Inc., 1998.