Possession spurs disorder

Possession, often thought of as a form of control, may actually be an instigator of chaos. In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, the danger of obsession and the desire to control all of a person (her love, her affection, her utter attention) creates a state of disorder.

Beloved’s determination to possess Sethe entirely presents itself early in the novel. As a ghost, the deceased baby makes its presence known through poltergeist activities. To those who live in 124, the paranormal experiences are routine. The baby’s actions deter outsiders, who acknowledge the phantom’s presence as “a roaring (213)”. The ghost’s aspiration for order in her life, in this case Sethe’s love, only presents a hazard. Beloved’s excessive desire to remain at the front of Sethe’s mind inhibits Sethe from achieving order in her life; Beloved endangers her future with Paul D, strains her relationship with her other daughter, and eventually drains her of herself. Her mind becomes trapped with justifying her actions of the past, and with the chaos of her history physically manifested in the form of her dead child, Sethe loses any chance of regaining control of her life.

Beloved also reveals that a person’s decision to reject order for chaos only creates more conflict. Sethe turns her back on her chance at order and a normal life in favor of focusing on the past. Morrison argues how detrimental this choice is, as together Sethe and Beloved “fall” (205), unable to stand. Their harmful relationship does not support one another; as Beloved tries to grasp order, she steals Sethe’s chance at normalcy. Yet when Paul D attempts to establish normalcy, his desire for order actually helps Sethe, permitting her to look to the future instead of the past.
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o when does a person’s strive for order result in chaos for another; when does it help another achieve order? Paul D’s desire for order in his life allows him to convince Sethe to move on from the past, helping her achieve order in her previously chaotic existence. If a person desires order for another, as opposed to himself, is that when order can be established without resulting in more chaos? Is it when a person desires to achieve order only for herself that it harms others? Beloved’s possessive repetition of “You are mine/ You are mine/You are mine” (256), demonstrates a selfish longing for order which ultimately produces more chaos for her mother. A person’s desire for control and possession actually brings more harm than good, unless it is tempered with selflessness.