Maybe literal? He should know Sethe's mouth from kissing her. The picture in the clipping doesn't really match. "Anybody who didn't know her, or maybe somebody who just got a glimpse of her through the peephole at the restaurant, might think it was hers, but Paul D knew better" (Morrison, 181). Stamp Paid seems to be convinced. I hate to go into a segue, but this sort of misunderstanding reminds me of a not to long ago facebook fad. People used facial recognition software to find their celebrity look alike and posted it as their avatar for a while. Who the hell would want to do that? Why compare to the picture perfect images of "stars" when they clearly do not represent actual people? Anybody heard of photoshop? I swear to god I can take a picture of myself, an ugly, grotesque rendering of a negative self image and make into a perfect star-esquee "photo". Ever since the invention of the god damn mirror, people have been concerned about their image. Being able to see our reflection is a f*cking curse. Most of can't stand our reflections. But that's all they are. They are you in an opposite light. It's backward, it's opposite. Just as society exists there's anti-society. Just as matter and finite thoughts exist, there is anti-matter and there are infinitesimal renditions of the biggest questions in life. Now I realize that this rant has absolutely nothing to do with the "that ain't her mouth" quote, but frankly dear, I don't give a damn. The words "Frankly my dear I don't give a damn" have lost their meaning. When Gone With the Wind was released that was the most controversial ending line in any movie, EVER. If words exist, then what are their opposites, please don't tell me that they are ideas. But if they are, so be it. At least thought cannot be tainted; only if one makes the conscious decision for it not to be. I had good intentions of writing something relevant. Unfortunately, we all know what the road to hell is paved with.
The mouth does not seem to fit the picture. Judging from the events of the previous chapter, plus the fact that Sethe is in the newspaper and negros were never in the newspaper unless something out of the ordinary happened, it seems like Sethe has been arrested. While her eyes remain almost as calm as they usually are, her mouth is not at all tranquil. It is so contorted and twisted beyond that usual calm state that Paul D is having trouble acknowledging that its hers. He is also filled with a sense of denial. There is no way that this could happen.
Toni Morrison is trying to show the reader how much Paul D knows about Sethe and all of her physical features. it can also be a sexual innuendo that Paul D would know about how her oral features would look like because I assume she performs fullacio on Paul D to avoid having a child. Toni is also trying to show how misrepresented negros were and how they turn propaganda against them by putting in false and exaggerated cartoons displaying the biassed truth. similarly to what Goerbuls did to the Jews during WWII. But then again this makes Paul D very unsure of what happened and this why he is rephrasing it many times as if he was to deny that any thing had ever happened.
Paul D. focuses on Sethe's mouth repeating four times "THAT AIN'T her mouth (181). His insistence that the picture in the newspaper is not Sethe results from his horror in believing that the woman he loves could have committed a heinous crime namely, infanticide. His emphatic denial that the mouth in the picture belongs to Sethe underscores his need to dissociate from a horrific act. Paul D distances himself from traumatic events and instead, chooses to repress painful memories. Therefore, it is understandable that Paul D. reiterates unequivocally that the mouth doesn't belong to Sethe. This is his way of refraining from dealing with agonizing news. Rather, he prefers to live in denial.
With Paul D stating that ain't her mouth, he is summarizing frustrations and dissapointments that have all led up to this point in time. When Paul D sees this mouth, and the way it is greeted by the public around him, he is in disbelief of what has just happened. Morrison is identifying an important principle in everyday life, duplicity and false impressions. Even regarding a person close to you, any single act or series of revalations can extremley transform the outlook one has on another. While this is not the most credible of source, I believe a line from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, perfectly states this idea. As Padame witnesses Anakin transition from the Jedi prodigy to a sith lord, she exclaims that he is not the person whom she has known. After he killed the younglings, or infant jedi's in training, the perception of him changed to the point when Padame, pregnant with his twins, says similar to what Paul D exclaims, That ain't her mouth". How the view of someone can change so quickly is a theme stated repetitvely in Beloved, and this particular example is quite poignant. The only thing Ms. Lindner that I must say and I will bring up during your class on March 24 is that the quote that pertains to the reading assigned is further ahead than what was asked of us. We were suppose to read till page 173 for March 24. However, this quote is on page 181.
I agree with Ken, it is preposterous to ask of us to analyze something even further ahead than our assigned reading. Its hard enough to keep up with as it is.
Paul D knows Sethe so well. He was really in love with her at so time in his life. he is able to tell in the photo that it is not Sethe. This shows that when we look at something for a long time, we have the ability to have the image in our minds. we able to determine when an image of a person is wrong.Paul d focuses on Sethe's mouth because he is infatuated with her. he was to just keep making love to her and make up for 18 years of loving her.
Paul D says that it is not Sethe's mouth out of surprised because the picture does not really look like her. And he should know more than anyone what she feels/looks like because he is the one she feels most comfortable with. I think the mouth is "distorted" as a way to show how she is represented in a different way for the crime she commited and because Paul D cant accept this reality. The reality of what the woman he loved did.
I believe the fact that Paul D does not believe that it is Sethes' mouth in the picture symbolizes that he does not believe that Sethe would commit the crime. As if it was all fake or completely made up. He is having a hard time coming to grips with reality and as a result tries to find something wrong with the newspaper. Finding flaws in the picture/ mouth is a way for Paul D to escape the truth.
I don't think the mouth has much to do with Sethe and her reactions. Paul D doesn't believe anything that is not in front of his eyes. He always wants to escape life, but most important, the truth that holds him down. He basically wants commitment with himself and everyone surrounding him.
Paul D's focus on Sethe's mouth truly shows the loving obsession that Paul D has for her. The mouth can be described as sacred, the place where a kiss is held. Paul D has enjoyed the love and the lips of Sethe so it only seems poetically natural for Paul D to notice on the faux Sethe's mouth.
Paul D looks at Sethe's mouth, to fully understand what he has got involved with. He not only kisses those lips, but he looks at them in the picture. The lips in the picture, represent something that Sethe is not, so by looking at her mouth Paul D reassures himself that Sethe is the person who he has kissed before, and not a convict.
I don't believe Paul D means it literally, when he says "that ain't mouth". I think that Sethe's mind set and entire view of life was altered the day crawling already baby? died. Sethe was not herself and nobody could take her out of the trance she was in. Sethe was advised not to love anyone too much. I believe that it was impossible for Sethe not to lover her children. I don't think anything in this book is literal. Everything is a metaphor or analogy for something more important to the story. If this was taken in a literal sense, then I think that Sethe would of just taken an odd picture. Paul D has known Sethe for years and therefore it would almost seem impossible for him to not recognize her. I truly that Paul D thinks someting more then physical has changed about Sethe.
Maybe literal? He should know Sethe's mouth from kissing her. The picture in the clipping doesn't really match. "Anybody who didn't know her, or maybe somebody who just got a glimpse of her through the peephole at the restaurant, might think it was hers, but Paul D knew better" (Morrison, 181). Stamp Paid seems to be convinced. I hate to go into a segue, but this sort of misunderstanding reminds me of a not to long ago facebook fad. People used facial recognition software to find their celebrity look alike and posted it as their avatar for a while. Who the hell would want to do that? Why compare to the picture perfect images of "stars" when they clearly do not represent actual people? Anybody heard of photoshop? I swear to god I can take a picture of myself, an ugly, grotesque rendering of a negative self image and make into a perfect star-esquee "photo". Ever since the invention of the god damn mirror, people have been concerned about their image. Being able to see our reflection is a f*cking curse. Most of can't stand our reflections. But that's all they are. They are you in an opposite light. It's backward, it's opposite. Just as society exists there's anti-society. Just as matter and finite thoughts exist, there is anti-matter and there are infinitesimal renditions of the biggest questions in life. Now I realize that this rant has absolutely nothing to do with the "that ain't her mouth" quote, but frankly dear, I don't give a damn. The words "Frankly my dear I don't give a damn" have lost their meaning. When Gone With the Wind was released that was the most controversial ending line in any movie, EVER. If words exist, then what are their opposites, please don't tell me that they are ideas. But if they are, so be it. At least thought cannot be tainted; only if one makes the conscious decision for it not to be. I had good intentions of writing something relevant. Unfortunately, we all know what the road to hell is paved with.
ReplyDeleteThe mouth does not seem to fit the picture. Judging from the events of the previous chapter, plus the fact that Sethe is in the newspaper and negros were never in the newspaper unless something out of the ordinary happened, it seems like Sethe has been arrested. While her eyes remain almost as calm as they usually are, her mouth is not at all tranquil. It is so contorted and twisted beyond that usual calm state that Paul D is having trouble acknowledging that its hers. He is also filled with a sense of denial. There is no way that this could happen.
ReplyDeleteToni Morrison is trying to show the reader how much Paul D knows about Sethe and all of her physical features. it can also be a sexual innuendo that Paul D would know about how her oral features would look like because I assume she performs fullacio on Paul D to avoid having a child. Toni is also trying to show how misrepresented negros were and how they turn propaganda against them by putting in false and exaggerated cartoons displaying the biassed truth. similarly to what Goerbuls did to the Jews during WWII. But then again this makes Paul D very unsure of what happened and this why he is rephrasing it many times as if he was to deny that any thing had ever happened.
ReplyDeletePaul D. focuses on Sethe's mouth repeating four times "THAT AIN'T her mouth (181). His insistence that the picture in the newspaper is not Sethe results from his horror in believing that the woman he loves could have committed a heinous crime namely, infanticide. His emphatic denial that the mouth in the picture belongs to Sethe underscores his need to dissociate from a horrific act. Paul D distances himself from traumatic events and instead, chooses to repress painful memories. Therefore, it is understandable that Paul D. reiterates unequivocally that the mouth doesn't belong to Sethe. This is his way of refraining from dealing with agonizing news. Rather, he prefers to live in denial.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWith Paul D stating that ain't her mouth, he is summarizing frustrations and dissapointments that have all led up to this point in time. When Paul D sees this mouth, and the way it is greeted by the public around him, he is in disbelief of what has just happened. Morrison is identifying an important principle in everyday life, duplicity and false impressions. Even regarding a person close to you, any single act or series of revalations can extremley transform the outlook one has on another. While this is not the most credible of source, I believe a line from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, perfectly states this idea. As Padame witnesses Anakin transition from the Jedi prodigy to a sith lord, she exclaims that he is not the person whom she has known. After he killed the younglings, or infant jedi's in training, the perception of him changed to the point when Padame, pregnant with his twins, says similar to what Paul D exclaims, That ain't her mouth". How the view of someone can change so quickly is a theme stated repetitvely in Beloved, and this particular example is quite poignant.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing Ms. Lindner that I must say and I will bring up during your class on March 24 is that the quote that pertains to the reading assigned is further ahead than what was asked of us. We were suppose to read till page 173 for March 24. However, this quote is on page 181.
I agree with Ken, it is preposterous to ask of us to analyze something even further ahead than our assigned reading. Its hard enough to keep up with as it is.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePaul D knows Sethe so well. He was really in love with her at so time in his life. he is able to tell in the photo that it is not Sethe. This shows that when we look at something for a long time, we have the ability to have the image in our minds. we able to determine when an image of a person is wrong.Paul d focuses on Sethe's mouth because he is infatuated with her. he was to just keep making love to her and make up for 18 years of loving her.
ReplyDeletePaul D says that it is not Sethe's mouth out of surprised because the picture does not really look like her. And he should know more than anyone what she feels/looks like because he is the one she feels most comfortable with. I think the mouth is "distorted" as a way to show how she is represented in a different way for the crime she commited and because Paul D cant accept this reality. The reality of what the woman he loved did.
ReplyDeleteI believe the fact that Paul D does not believe that it is Sethes' mouth in the picture symbolizes that he does not believe that Sethe would commit the crime. As if it was all fake or completely made up. He is having a hard time coming to grips with reality and as a result tries to find something wrong with the newspaper. Finding flaws in the picture/ mouth is a way for Paul D to escape the truth.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the mouth has much to do with Sethe and her reactions. Paul D doesn't believe anything that is not in front of his eyes. He always wants to escape life, but most important, the truth that holds him down. He basically wants commitment with himself and everyone surrounding him.
ReplyDeletePaul D's focus on Sethe's mouth truly shows the loving obsession that Paul D has for her. The mouth can be described as sacred, the place where a kiss is held. Paul D has enjoyed the love and the lips of Sethe so it only seems poetically natural for Paul D to notice on the faux Sethe's mouth.
ReplyDeletePaul D looks at Sethe's mouth, to fully understand what he has got involved with. He not only kisses those lips, but he looks at them in the picture. The lips in the picture, represent something that Sethe is not, so by looking at her mouth Paul D reassures himself that Sethe is the person who he has kissed before, and not a convict.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe Paul D means it literally, when he says "that ain't mouth". I think that Sethe's mind set and entire view of life was altered the day crawling already baby? died. Sethe was not herself and nobody could take her out of the trance she was in. Sethe was advised not to love anyone too much. I believe that it was impossible for Sethe not to lover her children. I don't think anything in this book is literal. Everything is a metaphor or analogy for something more important to the story. If this was taken in a literal sense, then I think that Sethe would of just taken an odd picture. Paul D has known Sethe for years and therefore it would almost seem impossible for him to not recognize her. I truly that Paul D thinks someting more then physical has changed about Sethe.
ReplyDelete